WHO: Ken Smith, Historical Artist

WHAT: Ken’s Smith’s Limited Edition Prints At Shelby’s Custom Framing

WHEN: June 2008

WHERE: Shelby’s Custom Framing and the Turning leaf Gallery

Leonardtown, Maryland. Their eyes say it all - frustration, fear, victory, contemplation; unwavering courage in the face of enemy fire. Ken Smith’s historical art preserves the legacy of those who fought for their beliefs. His prints feature the remarkable moments of history, those that may have passed unnoticed but changed the lives of many. These can now be seen at Shelby’s Custom Framing and the Turning Leaf Gallery in Leonardtown, Maryland.

Smith is locally known for his poster LCVP Blues, which was commissioned by the Calvert Marine Museum’s Cradle of Invasion event in Solomons, Maryland in 2004. In this, three young sailors prepare for going over seas during WWII at the Solomons Amphibious Training Base. His other WWII prints show different sides of this war. Included are the US Army’s 29th Division’s drive on St. Lo, the British First Airborne defense of Primosole Bridge in Sicily, the Scottish Division’s 15th Recce Regiment in Normandy, the Deutsche Afrika Korps at Alam Halfa, and the Red Army at Borodino. The Finnish Army in the Winter War of 1939 is also a subject.

Among the prints, there are two depicting the French and Indian War. Both are part of a five year commission for the Fort Loudoun State Historic Area in Vonore, Tennessee. In total there will be five prints depicting each year of the Independent Company of South Carolina’s history at Fort Loudoun. The first print depicts the British with their Cherokee advisor discussing where the fort should be built. The second print shows the strain of humanity as the fort is being built.

For fans of the University of Tennessee, there is a print presenting the college football team, the Volunteers, in their fighting glory.

“The goal of my painting is to put the viewer right into the historical event, up close and personal. I try to show a little of what it’s like to patrol the trenchworks outside Moscow during the early days of World War 2, or to stand near a 29th Division Captain in Normandy while his unit takes fire from hidden German snipers. My interest is in the common soldier–as an individual–in an uncommon situation.”

Smith is the Creative Director for Media South, a full-service communications company in Knoxville, Tennessee. He holds a BFA from the University of Tennessee, an MA from Syracuse University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Hartford.