Bio
Harold Smith (b. 1962) is an African-American artist who lives and works in the "urban core" of Kansas City. His work is characterized by a strong emphasis on both obvious and subtle racial overtones. Smith often addresses the issues of the contemporary black urban existence, such as "thug life" and what he terms the "pseudo-empowerment of urban blacks (through negative imagery in the entertainment industry) that is used to perpetuate the cycle of black self destruction".
Smith holds an MA in teaching from Webster University, St. Louis, and taught game design at the Manual Career and Technical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. He earned his undergraduate degree in computer science and worked for years as a computer programmer; these skills are evident in his numerous online publications, from UrbanKore to catalogs of his work. Beginning this fall, Smith will teach art at Lincoln Middle School in Kansas City, Missouri. Smith just concluded a major exhibiton of his paintings at the Nerman Museum of Art, Johnson County Community College, Kansas.