Allison Read Smith

Allison Read Smith was born and raised in Memphis, where storytelling and a strong sense of humor shaped her artistic voice. She has lived and worked in New York City for over 25 years. She is a graduate of the Memphis College of Art and is included in the Brooks exhibition Memphis College of Art, 1936-2020: An Enduring Legacy.

Working across mixed media, collage, found objects, and jewelry, Smith creates an imaginative world in which everyday forms take on emotional and symbolic weight. Her work is both playful and poignant, using scale, repetition, and humor to build quiet narratives about inner life, resilience, and the meaning we assign to ordinary objects.

"The jewelry I make is inspired by a respect for the simplicity and beauty of everyday objects. I am attempting to elevate these into something symbolically and emotionally significant. The objects use levity and humor to present our more serious and private thoughts. They represent the strength and solitude of our inner worlds.”