Clarice Smith

Clarice Smith painted professionally for over 50 years and had numerous solo exhibitions in prestigious galleries in the United States and abroad. Her Self-Portrait (Arrowood) is on display at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland.

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is named in honor of the visual artist and philanthropist Clarice Smith (1933-2021). Mrs. Smith attended the University of Maryland before continuing her studies at George Washington University. She received the Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, from the University of Maryland in 2015. Mrs. Smith’s husband, Robert H. Smith (’50), supported many projects at the University of Maryland, including the Robert H. Smith School of Business.

CLARICE SMITH
Self-Portrait (Arrowood), 1982
Oil on Canvas
40″ x 58″
Courtesy of David Bruce Smith, son of Robert H. and Clarice Smith

A Silver Anniversary for the Gold Standard in Performing Arts

SCOT REESE CRANED HIS NECK up at the soaring atrium of the new Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center for the first time in 2001 and knew immediately that a moment of dramatic transformation was unfolding at the University of Maryland.

A professor of performance who’d joined the faculty in 1995, Reese was used to the outdated lighting grids, paint-splattered walls and creaking floorboards in the old Tawes Fine Arts Building. Here, though, Reese became emotional as he took in the scale of this sprawling new venue, with its six performance halls, library, classrooms, offices, rehearsal spaces and café. He marveled at the natural light pouring through glass walls and the blend of modern design and functionality.

“There was a sense of validation—like all the late nights, the scrappy shows, the rehearsals in too-small rooms had led to this,” says Reese, now a professor emeritus. “I felt proud, not just for myself, but for everyone in the arts community at Maryland. We were finally being seen.”

The 318,000-square-foot building was the largest ever constructed by the state—and remains the largest performing arts center in Maryland. Critical to its creation was a $15 million gift from artist Clarice Smith and her husband, Robert Smith ’50; the state, Prince George’s County and other private donors provided additional support.

The Clarice, as it’s colloquially known, will celebrate its 25th season this academic year, having altered the trajectory of theater, dance and music at the University of Maryland. With its state-of-the-art technical capabilities, collaborations with international artists, and educational offerings and outreach, the center has become a crown jewel of the university.

“The building is a spectacular cultural resource, but what’s really special is that it’s the home of so many talented, passionate and committed staff, faculty, students and acclaimed artists who innovate and create and bring programs alive for UMD and the surrounding community,” says Terrence Dwyer, executive director of The Clarice.

The center, part of the College of Arts and Humanities, has hosted artistic luminaries like Harry Belafonte, Rita Moreno, Dionne Warwick and John Lithgow, along with state, national and world leaders for lectures and conversations, including the Dalai Lama and Al Gore. It has hosted groundbreaking musical collaborations, innovative interpretations of classical operas, global debuts of thought-provoking plays, an annual gathering of the nation’s most talented young instrumentalists and even an international puppetry festival.

UMD’s School of Music, the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies and the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library all have a home in The Clarice, giving both students and local residents the chance to develop and sharpen their artistic skills—whether through UMD classes, student-community ensembles or opportunities like the Terrapin Community Music School, which offers area middle and high school students affordable music lessons.

“I am very proud to lead a college that has this gem of a performing arts center,” says Stephanie Shonekan, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. “The Clarice allows us to attract some of the most talented artists, musicians, dancers, designers and actors to study, perform and produce work that helps us understand who we are as individuals and as part of a global community. Experiencing the performing arts at The Clarice inspires us to imagine and shape a better future together. Today, this feels more essential than ever.”

Clarice Smith’s Paintings on Display at University House

University House, the official campus residence for the University of Maryland president and their family, is displaying 12 paintings by renowned artist Clarice Smith. The works on canvas include some of the artist’s favorite subjects and locations including Venice, the South of France, and New York City. Also included are equestrian paintings, florals, and abstracts. There is a self-portrait, plus a portrait of her husband, Robert H. Smith. The artwork will be on view through May 31, 2026.

Clarice Smith was born and educated in Washington, DC. She attended the University of Maryland and received a BA and MFA from George Washington University, where she was also a member of the Art Department faculty from 1980-1987. In 2012, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts by George Washington University to mark her distinguished career in the arts; three years later, she received the Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, from the University of Maryland in 2015.

The University of Maryland President Pines and Mrs. Pines, in partnership with David Bruce Smith, are proud to have several of her works displayed at University House, so that they may be enjoyed by visitors and serve as a reminder of Mrs. Smith’s remarkable contributions.

Portrait of Robert H. Smith at His Desk with a Silver Tray and Self Portrait by Clarice Smith

(L-R) Steeplechase, Daffodils by a Stream, and Harmony in Orange and Grey by Clarice Smith

The World Through the Eyes of a UMD Benefactor

The philanthropic legacy of the Smith family is visible across the University of Maryland campus, from the Robert H. Smith School of Business to the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Now, Terps can get a glimpse of a different Smith family heritage: Clarice Smith’s artistic one.

Six of her paintings went on display yesterday in her namesake building. The temporary exhibition coincides with a tribute concert later this month to honor the impact the Smiths have made on the university—which also includes professorships, scholarships, and support for research and programs. The paintings give visitors a more intimate view of her life and interests outside of philanthropy.

“My mother always said that she painted what she knew,” said Smith’s son, David Bruce Smith. “I think if you look at her work, you get a sense of who she was. She liked flowers, she liked horses, she loved us, she liked beauty, and she was a real lady.”

Smith, who died in 2021, nurtured an artistic streak since childhood, according to her son. The daughter of parents who loved to entertain, young Clarice often grew bored of grown-up talk and amused herself by cutting paper dolls out of construction paper. At elementary school in Washington, D.C., the principal took note of Clarice’s talent and would frequently enlist her to add artistic flourishes to bulletin boards or classroom walls.

As an adult, Clarice began to pursue an artistic career in earnest after her three children were in high school. Smith, who had started her undergraduate studies at UMD, went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fine arts from The George Washington University. There, professors Frank Wright and William Woodword “taught her about mood, composition and color, and she learned from those classes how to really mix colors and use them to her advantage artistically,” said David.

Soon, she blossomed, eventually showing her work at galleries in New York City, London, Paris and Jerusalem. An admirer of the Impressionistic portraitists John Singer Sargent and James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Smith was interested in “trying to capture the essence of life rather than life in its exactitude,” said Taras W. Matla, director of the UMD Art Gallery, who co-curated the installation with Ph.D. candidate Melanie Woody Nguyen.

Clarice’s work returned often to her beloved subjects: vases of flowers, the canals of Venice, horses resting in stables or in a blaze of motion during a race. But her favorite subject of all? “My father,” said David Bruce Smith.

more

The Artistic Vision and Generosity of Clarice Smith

A Silver Anniversary for the Gold Standard in Performing Arts

Clarice Smith’s Paintings on Display at University House

The World Through the Eyes of a UMD Benefactor