Stephanie Smither was clearly a visionary when it came to art. Many Mosaic artists will know Smither Park in Houston which was created in memory of her husband John Smither who died in 2002. Stephanie died on Saturday 11th June.
Molly Glentzer at the Houston Chronicle writes:-
‘The Smithers’ collection was shaped by their delight in “the types of transformations that occur when artists devote themselves to the humblest of materials with conviction and abandon,” curator Michelle White writes in the exhibition catalog. “They bought what they loved without bowing to expectations and championed the work when it was not taken seriously in scholarship or by museums.”
White said Sunday that working for three years with Smither taught her things, since she comes from a more traditional arts-historical background.
“She’s opened my eyes,” White said. “Working with Stephanie and her children has allowed me to be challenged and see things differently. And she is allowing this work to be seen by a wider audience to give them the great gift of seeing things differently, too.”
Smither also leaves a sparkling legacy at Smither Park, a mosaic-filled outdoor environment adjacent to the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art in the 2400 block of Munger Street – a project dedicated to the memory of her husband’
‘An essential life; Arts patron Stephanie Smither has died’ From the Houston Chronicle, June 12th 2016 by Molly Glentzer