Emily Sullivan Smith (b.1980)
Come Sit with Me We’ll Talk through the Glass; This is as Far as We Can Go: Boundary Lines; Without Reverence to Humanity; Thieves among Us Mo(u)rning; I’ll Watch You from the Window, each 2021
Materials and Dimensions: Hand-drawn images printed onto Mylar over inkjet prints — 24” x 18”, 18” x 24”, various dimensions, 20” x 24”, 22” x 24”
Location at Summa Health: Juve Family Behavioral Health Pavilion, Ground Floor Waiting Room (East Wall)
About the Art
Emily Sullivan Smith’s work has long explored themes of sustainability and environmental fragility, often incorporating found materials and elements sourced from threatened species. However, in the early days of the pandemic, like so many of us, she found herself grappling with an altered world, one marked by isolation, loss, and profound uncertainty. The series of works now in the Summa Collection reflects this emotional shift, with titles that read like fragments of conversation, evoking the human need for connection despite physical barriers.
During lockdown, Sullivan Smith became more attuned to the quiet presence of her “local visitors,” robins, sparrows, and mourning doves who frequented her yard. She listened to their calls and observed their subtle movements, finding comfort in their presence. These hand-drawn birds, captured in characteristic poses, reflect both her deep attentiveness and the solace they provided during a time of disconnection. The artist describes them as “benevolent,” embodying a quiet companionship that helped shape her sense of community and shared existence.
Each drawing was meticulously scanned to preserve even the most delicate details before being printed on double-frosted Mylar, a material that lends the works an ethereal, almost ghostly presence. Beneath the Mylar, inkjet prints of floral imagery from her garden layer subtle visual echoes of nature’s resilience. The Mylar sheets, sandwiched between glass plates, serve as a metaphor for the invisible barriers, both physical and emotional, that separate us, a theme reinforced by the introspective, conversational tone of the titles.
About the Artist
Sullivan Smith’s lifelong commitment to sustainability began in childhood and continues to inform her interdisciplinary approach to art. She earned both her B.A. and M.F.A. in printmaking from Kent State University, and her earlier works, such as Submerged (2013) and Private Island, Great Pacific Garbage Patch Adjacent (2014), a large-scale print created with a steamroller, confronted issues of waste and environmental degradation. Currently an assistant professor and Foundations Coordinator at the University of Dayton’s Department of Art and Design, she engages in collaborative projects that bridge art, research, and environmental advocacy. She is also a Sustainability Scholar with the Hanley Sustainability Institute, integrating ecological awareness into both her teaching and creative practice.
Where You Can See More of This Artist’s Work
Sullivan Smith’s work is part of the permanent collections of the Print Lending Library at the Akron Art Museum, Akron Public Library, the University of Wisconsin at Manitowoc, and the Print Archives of the Franz Masereel Centrum in Kasterlee, Belgium. Her pieces are also held in private collections across Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. In addition to her studio practice, she is an active lecturer and panelist on topics including sustainability in artmaking, the role of labor in creative production, and teaching methodologies in art education. Her involvement with national organizations such as Foundations in Art: Theory and Education (FATE) further underscores her dedication to both artistic practice and pedagogy.
Her website provides a comprehensive look at her past and present works, offering deeper insights into her artistic journey and the evolving dialogue between nature, materials, and human experience.