Joe Smith (American 1952) is a sculptor, draftsman, and installation artist whose practice emphasizes material process and the physical intelligence of objects. He earned a BA in Fine Art from the University of Louisville and an MFA in Sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design. He has taught extensively, including at Vassar College and Mount Holyoke College, where he served as Professor of Art from 1996 to 2018. Smith’s work spans sculpture, drawing, and installation, exploring how materials generate meaning through construction and transformation. His practice reflects an interest in how objects carry layered interpretations that extend beyond the artist’s intent into broader experiential and conceptual contexts.