Penelope Smart
Born 1983, Red Lake, Ontario, Canada
Penelope Smart is a curator and writer. She holds an MFA in Criticism and Curatorial Practice from OCADU (2013) where she received the President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Studies. Smart has held curatorial positions at The Art Gallery of Ontario, MULHERIN galleries (Toronto/New York) and Eastern Edge Gallery (St.John’s, NL) and OCADU. With a love of collaboration and mentorship, her focus is on young and mid-career artists at the beginning stages of their careers. Smart approaches exhibitions as a place of risk-taking, life and mystery. She currently holds the position of curator at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.
I believe an exhibition does not need to be a tranquil place, an entertaining one, or even a beautiful one, though it may be all of those things. A successful exhibition unmasks us—or, more accurately, transforms us.