Ann Smith Curriculum Vitae
Artist Profile
Ann Smith is a mixed-media artist and educator based in Bartlett, Illinois, creating under the name The Painted Blackbird. Working across portraiture, landscape, and abstract expressionism, her practice explores the intersections of womanhood, chronic illness, disability, medical gaslighting, grief, and healing.
Drawing from her experiences navigating grief, autoimmune disease, and the healthcare system, Smith uses layered materials, symbolism, texture, and expressive color to examine how women's pain is documented, interpreted, and believed. Her work moves between personal narrative and collective experience, inviting conversations about identity, resilience, memory, and the complexities of living in a body that is both vulnerable and powerful.
Her ongoing project, The Pink Gene Project, is a multidisciplinary body of work that combines portraiture, painting, epoxy works, installation elements, and documentation to explore the experiences of women living with autoimmune disease and histories of psychosomatic misdiagnosis.
Alongside her socially engaged projects, Smith creates abstract and nature-inspired works that explore themes of restoration, connection, and the quiet resilience found in the natural world. Smith holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts in Education. Her work has been exhibited with the LaGrange Art League and is available through Prestige Creative Markets in Bartlett, Illinois and Astri Aura in Woodstock, Illinois.
Education
Master of Arts in Education- National Louis University, 2006
Bachelor of Science in Education- Eastern Illinois University, 1999
Exhibition History
Group Exhibitions
Beyond the Frame – Expressions of Identity, Energy & Voice Kinowerks, Chicago, Illinois August 24 – November 1, 2026 The Pink Gene
A Quiet Truth Whispers of Spring Exhibition LaGrange Art League, La Grange, Illinois April 2026
The Stone Remembers Listening to the Earth: Alla Jablokow Nature Exhibition LaGrange Art League, La Grange, Illinois March 2026
Triptych: Containment, Endurance and Repair Healing Through Art Exhibition LaGrange Art League, La Grange, Illinois February 2026
Ongoing Projects
The Pink Gene Project (2026–Present)
A multidisciplinary mixed-media project exploring the intersections of autoimmune disease, medical gaslighting, and womanhood. Combining portraiture, painting, epoxy works, installation elements, and collected forms of documentation, the project examines how women's pain is recorded, interpreted, and believed. Through personal narratives and visual storytelling, the work investigates themes of identity, advocacy, memory, and collective experience.
Landscape, Floral, and Abstract Works (Ongoing)
An evolving body of mixed-media landscapes, florals, and abstract expressionist works exploring themes of restoration, emotion, memory, and connection to the natural world.
Professional Experience
Artist and Independent Seller (2020–Present)
Available through: Prestige Creative Markets and Astri Aura
Mediums and Materials
• Mixed Media • Acrylic Painting • Portraiture • Epoxy Resin • Found Materials • Assemblage • Installation
• Wood Panel• Layered Textural Techniques
Themes and Areas of Exploration
• Chronic illness and disability • Autoimmune disease • Medical gaslighting • Women's health
• Misogynoir in healthcare • Identity and embodiment • Memory and healing • Social justice
• Nature/Landscapes
Professional Affiliations
Member, LaGrange Art League
Selected Social Platforms
The Painted Blackbird — Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok