March 29, 2023 The First Black Jewelry Designer: Arthur Smith


Arthur Smith was labeled as the first African American Jewelry Designer during the mid-20th century.

Showing artistic talent at a young age, Arthur received a scholarship to Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. After graduating in 1940, he enrolled in a jewelry-makin

Attending class at NYU where he learned the basic technique of jewelry making. It wasn’t until he met Winifred Mason, that he began to focus and truly develop his true artistic skills. He begin applying the techniques he learned to his own personal creations.

He soon opened his own shop in Greenwich Village in 1946, later relocating to 140 West Fourth Street which proved to be a boost to his career. It allowed him to market his products to higher-end shoppers, causing his creations to be in high demand. Arthur was able to establish business relationships with Bloomingdale’s and other stores around the U.S. He also received coverage in Vogue, Harper’s Bazzar and he was mentioned in The New Yorker.

“A piece of jewelry is in a sense an object that is not complete in itself. Jewelry is a ‘what is it?’ until you relate it to the body. The body is a component in design just as air and space are. Like line, form, and color, the body is a material to work with. It is one of the basic inspirations in creating form.”

In 1969, he was recognized with an exhibition at the New York’s Museum of Art and Design (then Museum of Contemporary Crafts).

Arthur “Art” Smith died in 1982 due to heart failure.

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