Choose954 Podcast Episode 40 with local artist Brad Smith

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbCiyj3g60Y&list=PLOQvdw7d0cd9RZZkd2lZy2hmrnJv-cfLI&index=61

Evan: So we are back here on the Choose 954 Podcast, Episode 40 with local artist Brad Smith here from his studio in the Mass District Art District in Flagler Village. If you didn't know about Choose 954, we started a social movement to cultivate culture and community here in Broward County, to keep people in the know with all the great things that are going on, in an effort to make Broward County a better place to live and not just a better place to vacation. So the point of the podcast is to connect you with incredible people like him, doing amazing things in the community, highlight the local artists, creatives, entrepreneurs, the dreamers and doers, the Patrick Restores, to highlight their stories. The podcast is sponsored by the Thousand Mermaids Artificial Reef Project, creating artistically crafted artificial reef modules to help create destinations and habitats not only for divers but for fish habitats and estuaries, in an effort to help save our reefs. You can find out more at 1000mermaids.com—that’s the number 1-0-0-0 mermaids.com. Without much further ado, Mr. Brad Smith.

Brad: All right, thanks, Evan, so much for having me here today. We’re actually filming this at Art View Studios, which is the studio I manage in Mass District of Flagler Village in Fort Lauderdale, along with four other artists. We form a collective with abstract modern contemporary art and have been in operation for a year. I only started back at art after being away from it for 17 years, three years ago, here in Fort Lauderdale. So, I'm building a body of work. I used to work in New York and Nashville and several places around the country to promote my art, and then I got involved in the corporate world and left my art life.

Evan: That happens sometimes, unfortunately. But before you got into the corporate world, how did you initially get started in art?

Brad: My family was very artistic. My mother and father promoted arts within our household. They challenged us with art games and stuff like that. I had a knack for it and really used to just play with it as a child and as a high schooler. I almost put it aside during my studies in college. But then, while working on my master's degree in biochemistry, I reached a level in chemistry that made me feel like I had maxed out. I wanted to pursue my passion, so I started taking art classes at the University of South Carolina. That sparked my journey to take art more seriously.

Evan: That’s great. And then what brought you back into the world of art after being away from it for so long?

Brad: It wasn’t until I moved to New York that I felt a larger push to explore art as a profession. I engaged in it fully, attended the Art Students League of New York, and started building a body of work. While working odd jobs as a starving artist in New York, I founded an actual business and sold my art to corporations, building companies, and promoting new business across the U.S. I was flying all over, and when I came to Fort Lauderdale, I wanted a more casual life, which allowed me to start pursuing my art again after those 17 years away. It was a gift and a curse.

Evan: I love hearing those stories. There were some other twists and turns in there. Where has art taken you throughout that journey?

Brad: Mostly, the way it’s worked, I was either working another occupation or supporting myself through my art. At one time, I was a schoolteacher in South Carolina, teaching biology and chemistry at the honors level. I also worked as a teacher in Zimbabwe, where I was involved in the anti-apartheid movement when Mandela was still president. A lot of my work overseas inspired my art, especially because I met one of the most famous South African artists, Sister Monica Canaan Valente. I visited his house in Mozambique, and his mansion was among the impoverished people. He had thousands of paintings stacked at his house, and his work is still internationally renowned. He had a huge impact on me, and he urged me strongly to get back into art and use my politics after my work in Zimbabwe.

Evan: Wow, that’s amazing! So after working in Zimbabwe, what did you do next?

Brad: I took a political position, community organizing, and working on poverty issues, similar to what Barack Obama did. I worked in East St. Louis, which at the time was the lowest income inner-city situation in the U.S. We worked with the Black community and chose buildings that were dilapidated, getting permission from the mayor to knock them down and build parks in their place. We organized community events like fish fries and other activities. Eventually, I became the director of a privacy rights organization in St. Louis.

Evan: Privacy rights? What were you working on specifically?

Brad: We focused on life issues, like the right for a woman to choose, cohabitation issues, anywhere the government was intruding on one's privacy. That’s what we worked to counter. From there, I got tired of the negativity in politics. One day, I woke up and realized I didn’t want to do it anymore. I had a strong rush to pursue my art again. I literally handed in my resignation, stayed until the end, and then I embarked on a cross-country journey.

Evan: That’s such a poerful turning point! What did you do during that time?

Brad: I started taking my first yoga class ever and focused on going inward. I had spent so much time building and serving others that it felt like I needed to focus on myself and express my own desires. That was the genesis of me becoming a serious artist. I traveled and pursued ballet, modern dance, and art. I found that all these disciplines were connected through self-expression and flow. That’s been my approach ever since.

Evan: That’s fascinating, Brad! It’s incredible how intertwined art and other disciplines like dance can be. Tell me more about how that has influenced your art.

Brad: What I realized is that the artist, like a musician or dancer, is trying to allow something within to flow outward. I look at it as allowing energy to flow through me onto the canvas. Much of my movement in painting is influenced by music and dance, especially in how they combine linear movement and flow. It’s the balance of these elements, the yin and yang, that create something powerful.

Evan: I see what you mean. That flow of energy, whether through music, dance, or visual art, really resonates. Let’s talk about the piece behind us. Can you tell us more about your latest creative work and what inspired it?

Brad: Absolutely. This piece came from a lot of political inspiration. Last year, I took a vacation to Spain, and I noticed that most of the contemporary and historical art in the museums was politically charged. That struck me because in the U.S., we rarely see political art. Artists in places like Spain and Portugal were making bold political statements, and it made me realize how much we are missing in the U.S. This piece is titled "The Spread of Agent Orange," and it’s about Donald Trump’s influence on American society, how his presence permeates our consciousness in ways we don’t even notice.

Evan: That’s a bold and powerful message. What specific elements in the painting represent that influence?

Brad: The central figure is Trump, with his orange face and yellow hair, representing his slow, toxic influence over society. The figures around him represent key moments and individuals from his presidency, like Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination and how he lied during his hearings, which is depicted in the painting. There’s also a section representing the backlash against women’s rights, particularly with the rise of anti-abortion laws in states like Alabama and Missouri. It all emanates from this central figure of Trump, with Jesus depicted above, crying over what’s happening to our country.

Evan: That’s incredibly moving. You’ve captured so much raw emotion and political commentary in this piece. Where can people see this work in person?

Brad: This piece will be revealed at the upcoming Art Walk in Flagler Village in the Mass District, which happens on the last Saturday of every month. This month, it’s on the 29th from 6 to 10 p.m. It’s going to be the first time I’ve revealed it, and although it’s not fully finished, I’m excited to share it.

Evan: That’s fantastic! I encourage everyone to come out and see it. Where can people find more of your work?

Brad: You can find me on Instagram and Facebook under the handle @BradArt101. We’re also just starting our website for Art View Studios, so that will be up soon.

Evan: Great! We’ll link that in the comments as well. Thank you so much for sharing your story and your art with us, Brad. This has been a powerful conversation.

Brad: Thank you, Evan. I appreciate the opportunity.