Arrowmont Craft Conversations: Malcolm Mobutu Smith

ARROWMONT CRAFT CONVERSATIONS is a video series that highlights artists in the Arrowmont community. Our partnership with Arrowmont faculty and community members has contributed to Arrowmont’s longevity, growth as a school of arts and crafts, and our reputation as an institution that welcomes everyone. The artists who appear in this series exemplify the characteristics that represent the School — they span generations and are among the most experienced, capable, and innovative in the arts and crafts world.

Each of the artists in this series offers insights into their work and their reflections on being a part of the Arrowmont community.

Malcolm Mobutu Smith is a 2021 Arrowmont instructor, ceramic artist, and currently associate professor of ceramic art at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. He earned an MFA from the New York College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 1996 and studied at both the Kansas City Art Institute and Penn State University, receiving a BFA in ceramics in 1994.

Malcolm is active in presenting workshops and lectures and participating in residencies, including Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts, and the Robert McNamara Foundation. His works are represented at The Luise Ross Gallery, New York City and are held in numerous private and public collections including the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, FuLed International Ceramic Art Museum, Beijing, China, Haan Museum, and Indiana State Museum.