About the Artist
Currently living in Eagan, MN, Melvin R. and Rose J. Smith were residents of St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood for many years—Rose for most of her life and Melvin from 1963 to 1968. The Smiths’ artwork consists of urban scenes and portraits that present realist, expressionist, and at times allegorical takes on Black life in America.
The Smiths have shown their work nationally for the past thirty-five years. Their artwork currently focuses on Minnesota and its largely unknown role in the American Civil Rights Movement and beyond.