Biography
Jed Webster Smith he/him (1992, Colorado) is an artist based out of Colorado. He received a B.A. in Anthropology and Studio Art from Fort Lewis College in 2015. After his undergraduate studies, he worked in the museum field for several years as a curatorial assistant at the Center for Southwest Studies and preparator at the Southern Ute Museum. He received his MFA in Painting at the New York Academy of Art in 2021.
Raised in rural southwestern Colorado —surrounded by both fact and fictional histories of the West — my artistic work speaks to where I come from. My understanding of the world has been heavily influenced by these legacies which are presented in my work as interrogations between true and false narratives. This exposes existing myths and darker histories of the West often left out of the conversation. The critique lies in the details cloaked under subtle veils of nostalgia.
Historical influences and repercussions of colonialism, westward expansion, and man’s impact on the environment are addressed within the work. By using subversive depictions of the West I speak of the past and the present as the effects of this chapter in American history are ongoing. For inspiration, I heavily research a topic and pull from primary sources like old journals and first-hand accounts. Additionally, to further blur the line between fact and fiction I occasionally create a pseudo-artifact to accompany the finished painting. This element of the work directly confronts issues ongoing in America connected to the mythology of the West.
Artist Statement
The American West and its mythic characters have repeatedly been used to express national ideals. I am interested in using the past, specifically that of the West, to expose my perspective of the present and to challenge the myths that exist. Within my own body of work I examine contemporary issues through the use of historical narratives, Western archetypes, and our perception of the past. The genre provides an identifiable image that is uniquely connected to the American experience. I use the visual language of the West to explore current topics of American life in context with the distorted realities of our past.
Like the Westerns I grew up with, my own work is camouflaged in a veil of nostalgia. The figures in my work are often portrayed against a stark background. This forces the viewer to recognize the myth before the critique exposes itself. I work from observation and my imagination using watercolor and traditional printmaking methods. The figurative images I create are heavily researched. By using the West, a subject that I am both familiar with and continue to question, I aim to engage with our inherent perceptions of the past and the myths embedded within.
Recent Shows and/or Exhibitions
2025
“Borders & Barbed Wire” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
“Summer Small Works” Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Los Angeles CA (forthcoming)
“Untitled Art Fair Houston ” 1969 Gallery, Houston TX (forthcoming)
“Black Friday Exhibition” Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Los Angeles CA
“Art Herning” Gallery Poulsen, Herning, Denmark
2024
“Black Friday Exhibition” Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Los Angeles CA
“The Last Judgement: New Art from New York & Other Places part XV” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
“Tales from the Sagebrush: Cowboys are People Too” Visions West Contemporary, Bozeman, MT
“Summer Small Works” Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Los Angeles CA
“Dallas Art Fair” 1969 Gallery, Dallas TX
“Counter Cowboy” Visions West Contemporary, Denver, CO
“Art Herning” Gallery Poulsen, Herning, Denmark
2023
“Wouldn’t You Love To Know” Half Gallery BARN, Middlefield MA
“20th Anniversary Summer Exhibition” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
“Art Herning” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
2022
“In The Bleak MidWinter” Swivel Gallery, Saugerties NY
“Chubb Booth: Art Basel Miami” Art Basel, Miami FL
“2022 Chubb Fellows Exhibition” Wilkinson Gallery, New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“Lost in Translation” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
“Tribeca Ball Exhibition” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“Gallery Poulsen’s Winter Salon” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
2021
“Chubb Booth: Art Basel Miami” Art Basel, Miami FL
“Artists for Artists” Sotheby’s, New York NY
“AXA Art Prize” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“New York Academy Show” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
“The Intouchables” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
“MFA 2021 Thesis Exhibition” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“Jumbo Print Exhibition” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“Tribeca Ball Online Exhibition” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“Artist Members Exhibition” Guild Hall, East Hampton NY
2020
“Parallels” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“Artists for Artists” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“New Western Talent” Western Gallery Online, Dallas TX
“Tribeca Ball Online Exhibition” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“Milieu” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
Jed Webster Smith he/him (1992, Colorado) is an artist based out of Colorado. He received a B.A. in Anthropology and Studio Art from Fort Lewis College in 2015. After his undergraduate studies, he worked in the museum field for several years as a curatorial assistant at the Center for Southwest Studies and preparator at the Southern Ute Museum. He received his MFA in Painting at the New York Academy of Art in 2021.
Raised in rural southwestern Colorado —surrounded by both fact and fictional histories of the West — my artistic work speaks to where I come from. My understanding of the world has been heavily influenced by these legacies which are presented in my work as interrogations between true and false narratives. This exposes existing myths and darker histories of the West often left out of the conversation. The critique lies in the details cloaked under subtle veils of nostalgia.
Historical influences and repercussions of colonialism, westward expansion, and man’s impact on the environment are addressed within the work. By using subversive depictions of the West I speak of the past and the present as the effects of this chapter in American history are ongoing. For inspiration, I heavily research a topic and pull from primary sources like old journals and first-hand accounts. Additionally, to further blur the line between fact and fiction I occasionally create a pseudo-artifact to accompany the finished painting. This element of the work directly confronts issues ongoing in America connected to the mythology of the West.
Artist Statement
The American West and its mythic characters have repeatedly been used to express national ideals. I am interested in using the past, specifically that of the West, to expose my perspective of the present and to challenge the myths that exist. Within my own body of work I examine contemporary issues through the use of historical narratives, Western archetypes, and our perception of the past. The genre provides an identifiable image that is uniquely connected to the American experience. I use the visual language of the West to explore current topics of American life in context with the distorted realities of our past.
Like the Westerns I grew up with, my own work is camouflaged in a veil of nostalgia. The figures in my work are often portrayed against a stark background. This forces the viewer to recognize the myth before the critique exposes itself. I work from observation and my imagination using watercolor and traditional printmaking methods. The figurative images I create are heavily researched. By using the West, a subject that I am both familiar with and continue to question, I aim to engage with our inherent perceptions of the past and the myths embedded within.
Recent Shows and/or Exhibitions
2025
“Borders & Barbed Wire” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
“Summer Small Works” Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Los Angeles CA (forthcoming)
“Untitled Art Fair Houston ” 1969 Gallery, Houston TX (forthcoming)
“Black Friday Exhibition” Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Los Angeles CA
“Art Herning” Gallery Poulsen, Herning, Denmark
2024
“Black Friday Exhibition” Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Los Angeles CA
“The Last Judgement: New Art from New York & Other Places part XV” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
“Tales from the Sagebrush: Cowboys are People Too” Visions West Contemporary, Bozeman, MT
“Summer Small Works” Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Los Angeles CA
“Dallas Art Fair” 1969 Gallery, Dallas TX
“Counter Cowboy” Visions West Contemporary, Denver, CO
“Art Herning” Gallery Poulsen, Herning, Denmark
2023
“Wouldn’t You Love To Know” Half Gallery BARN, Middlefield MA
“20th Anniversary Summer Exhibition” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
“Art Herning” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
2022
“In The Bleak MidWinter” Swivel Gallery, Saugerties NY
“Chubb Booth: Art Basel Miami” Art Basel, Miami FL
“2022 Chubb Fellows Exhibition” Wilkinson Gallery, New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“Lost in Translation” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
“Tribeca Ball Exhibition” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“Gallery Poulsen’s Winter Salon” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
2021
“Chubb Booth: Art Basel Miami” Art Basel, Miami FL
“Artists for Artists” Sotheby’s, New York NY
“AXA Art Prize” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“New York Academy Show” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
“The Intouchables” Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
“MFA 2021 Thesis Exhibition” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“Jumbo Print Exhibition” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“Tribeca Ball Online Exhibition” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“Artist Members Exhibition” Guild Hall, East Hampton NY
2020
“Parallels” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“Artists for Artists” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“New Western Talent” Western Gallery Online, Dallas TX
“Tribeca Ball Online Exhibition” New York Academy of Art, New York NY
“Milieu” New York Academy of Art, New York NY