Browse Collection

Year Created

1977

Year Acquired

1977

Cultures

Canadian

Medium

Ceramic

Art Forms

Sculpture

Jointed Pieces

by: Tom Smith


Small 1992portrait of tom smith strathbutler 1992 Tom Smith

[B. 1933 - D. 2015]

Born in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania in 1933, Smith studied art education at Pennsylvania State University, earning a BFA in 1957, and later an MFA in Ceramics from Alfred University in 1961. He taught in New Brunswick from 1971, first as an art instructor in the school system, then at the University of New Brunswick’s Faculty of Education, before dedicating himself full‑time to ceramics.  

Smith’s work evolved from early functional pieces to a focus on sculptural ceramics, especially raku since 1982. He was influenced by Abstract Expressionism, Japanese ceramic traditions, and North American natural landscapes, often incorporating organic textures and experimental glazes hub.

Smith received the Strathbutler Award for Excellence in New Brunswick in 1992 and was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1999. His work is held in public and private collections worldwide.