William E. Smith (1913-1997) moved to Cleveland from Chattanooga, Tennessee at the age of twelve after his mother's death. During the early 1930s, he studied at the Playhouse Settlement of the Neighborhood Association of Cleveland (now called Karamu House), one of the oldest ethnically and racially diverse cultural institutions in the United States. It was here that Smith found his passion for printmaking and began making linocuts. Much of his work features bold compositions rendered in sharp contrasts of black and white, capturing the Great Depression's impact on the lives and conditions of the people around him. Smith portrayed his neighbors honestly and poignantly. These prints address the poverty and racism of the times.
