Paul K Smith

Modernist Abstract Still Life Painting with Red-Orange Zinnias, American Art

Paul Kauver Smith studied commercial art and design at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts from 1915-16 with a brief interruption during World War I. After the war, he returned to the School of Fine Arts and went on to study at Washington University in St. Louis. In 1921, Smith moved to Colorado to study under John E. Thompson at the Denver Academy of Fine and Applied Arts. Thompson, who is considered to be the pioneer of modernism in Denver, was a strong influence on Smith. In 1923, Smith was hired by the Academy as an instructor. That same year, his work was accepted for the first time for display at the Denver Art Museum and he was also awarded two solo exhibitions. The museum later added his work to their Anne Evans collection. In 1959, the Denver Art Museum also reproduced one of his paintings titled Houses at Victor for their Western Heritage exhibition catalogue. Smith became a permanent resident of Denver and was a member of the American Artists Professional League as well as the Colorado and the Denver Art Guilds. He also joined a Denver group called The Colorado Fifteen. “The Fifteen” came into existence in 1948 as an association of professional artists dedicated to the avant-garde. The group was well known and was a crucial contribution to Denver's cultural landscape.