Jaune Quick-to-See Smith calls herself a cultural arts worker. She uses humor and satire to examine myths, stereotypes, and the paradox of American Indian life in contrast to the consumerism of American society. Her work is philosophically centered by her strong traditional beliefs and political activism. Smith is internationally known as an artist, curator, lecturer, printmaker, and free-lance professor as well as a mentor for she believes that Giving Back is a life philosophy.

She was born at St. Ignatius Mission, raised by her father who was an illiterate horse trader, she had her social security card at age eight when she started work as a field hand year-round, she worked as a waitress and in the canneries through high school. Smith earned an Art Ed degree at Framingham State, MA (now University) and a Master's in art at the University of NM. Before completing her degree, Smith began exhibiting in NY at the Kornblee Gallery and organizing Native exhibitions. Smith organized and curated over thirty Native exhibitions in 40 plus years. Smith has given over 200 lectures at museums and universities internationally and has shown in over 125 solo exhibits and over 650 group exhibits.

Her work is in collections such as Victoria and Albert Museum, London; the Brooklyn Museum; the Museum of Modern Art, Quito Ecuador; the Whitney Museum NY; the Walker, Berlin Museum of Ethnology, Germany; University of Regina, Canada; the Museum of Modern Art in NY. Smith holds 5 honorary degrees and numerous awards such as: 1987 Academy of Art and Letters, Purchase Award, NY;1995 Painting Award, Fourth International Bienal, Cuenca, Ecuador S.A.; 1996 Joan Mitchell Foundation Award; 1997 Women's Caucus for Art, Lifetime Achievement; 2005 New Mexico Governor's Award; 2011 Inducted into the National Academy of Design; 2012 Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Living Artist of Distinction; Honorary BA Degree, Salish Kootenai College, MT; 2018 Montana Governor's Award; 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award in Printmaking, Southern Graphics Council International; 2019 Murray Reich Award, NY; 2020 United States Artists Fellowship.

Shadows Across the Land

The year of Covid has brought changes to everyone's life and nearly everyone has had a family member ill with Covid or at least one member who is deceased. In my Salish world, Coyote was appointed by Creator to be the guardian of the people. Multiple problems were occurring such as the XL Pipeline and other such projects, while Native women and children were exploited by the camp workers in these locations. We Salish are hoping that Coyote is watching over us and that our women and children can be safe.