Contact Info
Gena Rynae Smith
757-685-2766
gena@genarynae.com
@gena_rynae
About the Artist
I am a Navy veteran with skills in visual artist, creative director, model and actress, based out of Los Angeles, California. While serving our country as a missile radar technician, I learned skills in the area of leadership, accountability, discipline, problem solving and flexibility during times of challenge. After finishing my time in service, I moved to LA to pursue being a visual artist full time and attending Otis college of Art and Design. While attending I had the pleasure of having numerous exhibitions of my work along with a commercial billboard ad that ran for a month all over Los Angeles. During my time at Otis I lead a program for food insecure students along with leading the black student union (2020-2021) along with coordinating and hosting weekly artist speaker series for students. In the spring of 2021, I successfully completed my Bachelors Degree in Fine Art with a minor in printmaking, which by no means was an easy feat, I pushed through homeless, having a child and a pandemic. We can just say I get things done no matter what!
Post graduation I pursued other entrepreneurial ventures but in the end I decided to leverage the massive skill set I carry to now create beautiful artwork with others in the form of photo, video, print, painting and visual art pieces. My purpose in life is to tell stories through art.
Education
2021 BFA in Fine Arts, Major in Painting with Minor in Printmaking
Department of Fine Arts
Otis College of Art & Design, Los Angeles, CA
Exhibitions
2021 Solo Exhibition, Agency: Reclamation of Our Stories, Otis College, Los Angeles, CA
2021 Solo Exhibition, Agency: Reclamation of Our Stories, Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles, CA
2020 Group Exhibition, Reciprocity: Lost Narratives New Voices, Arts Share LA, Los Angeles, CA
2020 Group Exhibition, Lines of Stitching: An Exploration of Quilts, LASC Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Published Articles
Shoutout LA / March 2021
Voyage LA / February 2020
Special Project
10 Jr. Billboard: Butt Advertisement Campaign
Otis College of Art and Design
10 Locations all over the greater Los Angeles Area
2021 Black Student Union Zine Issue .001
Credits.
2022 Nana
2022 RHCP Music Video