Artist in Residence - Part 2 of 2

Since 2014, the City of Navasota and the Arts Council of the Brazos Valley (ACBV) have provided artists an opportunity to focus solely on their art as participants in the Navasota Artists in Residence (AIR) Program. The current resident artists, Sara Nevius and Siana Smith, are about to wrap up their six-month stay in Navasota but not before exhibiting their work at an open house Friday, Feb. 17. The hours of this free event at the Horlock HouseArt Gallery & History Museum, 1215 E. Washington Avenue are 4:30-6 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

Siana Smith – AIR provides many firsts!

Artist in residence Siana Smith grew up in China during the post-cultural revolution and has witnessed the scarcity of food and clothing.

Immigrating to the United States in the 1990s, she came face-to-face with the allure and preoccupation with amassing material things.

Her master’s degree in Computer Science and employment in the Silicon Valley afforded security but they couldn’t buffer the upheaval from the literal and figurative darkness of California wildfires, the pandemic and a mountaintop near-death experience.

Smith’s oil paintings chronicle the evolution of her perspective on life from the viewpoint of an immigrant, a mother, a professional and an artist.

‘Useless’ art

Smith’s genetic link to art may be through the grandfather she never met who “had a passion all of his life for Chinese ink painting.”

According to asiasociety. org, ink painting had been one of the most revered art forms in China for over one thousand years but during the cultural revolution, oil painting in a socialist realist style replaced ink painting. So, Smith’s grandfather urged ‘practical’ vocations for his children and grandchildren.

Smith said, “All of his children, my mom included, became doctors, pharmacists, nurses – useful. But now, I’m making transition to the ‘useless art.’”

Changing directions

It was on a trek up Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa when Smith’s “practical” life changed direction.

She said, “I had a pulmonary embolism and was hospitalized a week. At that time, I need to think about life. I’m successful, have kids, become an engineer, raising a family – but what is really the meaning of life? Who am I? Am I just a busy person providing for the children? What is my voice? I just wanted to find myself. It’s not that easy to find my answer.”

Using art history as an example, Smith said the student has to dig deep into what the artist is thinking and what the culture is at the time.

Smith said, “That is when I start to feel I do have a voice. Of course, religion, reading and philosophy help me.”

That introspection was the catalyst for her artistic examination of consumerism.

Smith said, “Why do I have so many purses? Why the lipsticks and all those things? I look down deep in my heart and start painting the things around me but I do emphasis.“ She continued, “There is a dark side of this beauty… the wanting more. How does that impact our environment and also psychologically? They are so temporary, so transitional. Do they really quench our thirst for material goods or is there something more?”

Adding to the pandemonium of 2020 were the California wildfires. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection describes 2020 as a ‘fire siege.” More than 9,000 wildfires ravaged the Golden State that year.

Referring to her Apocalyptic series, Smith said, “That painting is at 10 in the morning but we don’t see the sun. It’s a very dark, apocalyptic sky. We all hide at home and close the windows because the air quality is biohazardous.”

In Pink Backpack, Smith expresses a mother’s inner conflict between concern for her teenage daughter’s safety and internal admiration for that youthful insistence “on living no matter what.”

Texas welcome mat

Smith has found Texas and the Navasota community warm and welcoming.

She said, “People actually take the time to talk with you. Even though I’m new here, people reach out.”

During her residency, Smith immersed herself in local activities and connected with other local artists and gallery owners. Some nudged her toward her current experimentation with acrylics.

Smith credits her introduction to the Texas Longhorn to the Navasota Garden Club, and after some research, she now understands that longhorns aren’t raised for the meat.

She said, “Nor for the milk. It’s actually for the nostalgia. It’s more like a cultural heritage. That part really interests me so I’m doing a series of longhorns.”

Other current works have been inspired by the architecture of Navasota’s stately old homes, and its abundance of churches, another pleasant surprise for Smith.

Life changing residency

Smith says the residency has exceeded the expectations of both she and her husband.

She said, “Never in my life have I been so productive! I’ve painted 30 paintings in four months. I feel like I brought one body of work and then developed another one more locally inspired.”

Smith continued, “The City is generous to offer this historical building for the location of the gallery and living space. For me, it’s been life changing. I can say I found my productivity. I can’t say I found my style but I can say that I could experiment without reservation.”

Smith said, “I think of this as many firsts for me – solo exhibition, first residency, first time living in Texas and first time to see longhorns!”