Adventures with the Coast Guard

I am involved with the Coast Guard Art Program and here is my latest press release about it.



Press Release

United States Coast Guard Accepts Ken Smith Painting into their Permanent Collection

WHO: Ken Smith, Historical Artist

WHAT: Air Station Savannah, an oil painting by Ken Smith has a new home at the United States Coast Guard Permanent Collection

WHEN: March 2009

WHERE: Coast Guard Art Program

AET 2 Taylor Andersen stands firmly, well grounded in spite of the fact that she is standing on the roof of a blaze orange Coast Guard helicopter. She looks directly at you with an unwavering gaze – strong, confident, and empowered in her homeland security duties – and captured forever in this moment by the vision and brushstrokes of artist and illustrator, Ken Smith.

Smith, who has been a participant in the Coast Guard Art Program (COGAP) for the past two years, chose to depict the service of female Coast Guard members in this year’s painting. Smith was one of only six COGAP artists who were chosen for official Coast Guard Artist deployment in 2008 – each being tasked to travel to various USCG bases to research their subject matter. It was this assignment that took him to St, Mary’s, Georgia and on to Air Station Savannah during the summer of 2008.

“The Coast Guard can be one of the most dangerous branches of all the Services, not only dealing with homeland security tasks, but often also at odds with weather and sea. I am privileged to be able to add my voice to the throng of Americans who appreciate their dedication and commitment. ” Smith says about being a part of COGAP.

Chosen by the Excellence Committee of the Salmagundi Club, a New York City artistic and cultural center for over 130 years, Ken Smith’s painting, Air Station Savannah, is now part of the United States Coast Guard Permanent Collection. Smith will be honored with a commendation at a formal acceptance ceremony at the Salmagundi Club in New York this summer.

The Coast Guard Art Program uses visual arts to communicate the history and the current life of this branch of military service. The collection, which includes over 1,800 works, is shown at galleries, museums, and Coast Guard bases, as well as at other U.S. government locations both at home and abroad. To learn more about the United States Coast Guard Art Program, visit http://www.uscg.mil/community/Art_Program.asp.

Smith currently is an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Radford University in Radford, VA. He holds a BFA from the University of Tennessee, an MA from Syracuse University and a MFA from the University of Hartford. He is also available for commissions and portraits. To see more of Smith’s work, visit www.kensmithhistoricalart.com.

The 2009 Radford University Addy Award Winners

Congratulations to all those Radford University students who participated in the 2009 South Western Virgina Addy Awards, sponsored by the The Advertising Federation of the Roanoke Valley.

Pictured above are award winners (from left to right) Benjamin Rush (two gold, one silver), Zachary Bush (four gold, one silver), Nathan Long (silver), Chelsea Alayna Clark (one gold, two silver).

Hard Bargain

I've just released the third in the series of the Fort Loudoun Anniversary prints. Full press release below.

Hard Bargain: The Cherokee Prepare for War – A New Painting by Ken Smith

WHO: Ken Smith, Historical Artist

WHAT: Hard Bargain: The Cherokee Prepare for War, 1758, Painting to be Unveiled at Colonial Trade Fair

WHEN: September 6, 2008

WHERE: Fort Loudoun State Historic Area and www.kensmithhistoricalart.com

Vonore, Tennessee. Carefully inspecting the English gifts, Sower Hominey, the Great Conjurer of Chotee [sic], a chief of the Overhill Cherokee, weighs the pros and cons of helping the British in their war against the French. Ensign Bogges of the Independent Company of South Carolina watches for signs of acceptance, while trader Samuel Benn contemplates this depletion of his assets. British regular and Cherokee warriors stand as mute witness to this scene of war-making in March of 1758. These are the figures portrayed in Ken Smith’s latest historical painting commemorating the 250th anniversary of the life of Fort Loudoun. A limited edition of 250 prints will be available for sale to the public, and the art will be on permanent loan to the Fort Loudoun Association, to be displayed at the Fort Loudoun State Historic Area Visitor Center..

This is the third painting by Smith in the five-year build-up to the 250th anniversary of the fall of Fort Loudoun. The Fort Loudoun Association commissioned Smith to create historical paintings based on events of each year of the fort’s existence. The first painting was Over the Hills: Sergeant Gibbs and the Advance Party, which depicted the partnership between the Cherokee and the Redcoats in securing a site for the building of the fort. The second painting was Mud and Blood: Carolina Builds a Fort in the Overhills. A grimy crew began the tiring process of building the structures of the fort and its protective earthworks.

The third painting, though still showing the camaraderie between the Cherokee and British, beings to foreshadow the darker history of the fort. An ominous cloud looms above the gathering and there is a subtle divide between the sides - the Cherokee to one side and the British to the other. A dissension between the factions will continue to present itself in next year’s artwork, and will culminate dramatically in the fifth and final painting of the series, the massacre at Cane Creek.

“A Hard Bargain shows the ambivalent attitude between the Cherokee and the British. The Cherokee warrior is surely driving a hard bargain, but he’s also dealing with the inevitable results of the Cherokee people’s growing dependence on the English trade goods,” the artist says about his latest painting.

Smith’s painting, Over the Hills, may also look familiar to those who have not yet visited historic Fort Loudoun, as it is prominently featured in the new Museum of East Tennessee History’s permanent exhibit. Also included in the exhibit is another Ken Smith painting of the Fort Loudoun, which is not included in the fort's commemoration series.

Hard Bargain was unveiled Saturday, September 6, 2008, during Fort Loudoun’s Annual Colonial Trade Faire and will remain at the park’s Visitor Center after the Trade Faire is concluded. Limited edition prints of Hard Bargain are also available for purchase at this time, as well as prints from the previous years.

For more information about Fort Loudoun’s Colonial Trade Fair or to purchase prints, call Angie King at Fort Loudoun State Historic Area (432-884-6217), or to see more of Smith’s work, visit www.kensmithhistoricalart.com.

N*tranced to Host An Artist Reception for Ken Smith’s Newest Art Series - The Victorian Actress

WHO: N*tranced Hypnosis and Guided Meditation and Ken Smith, Historical Artist

WHAT: N*tranced to Host An Artist Reception for Ken Smith’s Newest Art Series - The Victorian Actress

WHEN: August 29, 2008 from 5 pm to 9 pm

WHERE: N*tranced Hypnosis and Guided Meditation

Maryville, Tennessee. Stepping into the office of hypnotist L.S. King, one sees a space that is comfortable, non-sterile, and artistic. On one wall, a dark haired Sarah Bernhardt laments her passions as Lady MacBeth, as does a reposed Helena Modjeska as Marguerite Gautier from Camille. Lillie Langtry lounges mischievously as Rosalind from As You Like It, while Maud Adams has all the confidence of Peter Pan. Ellen Terry’s Ophelia majestically deals with her Hamlet madness. Mary Anderson chooses to go back on her pedestal as Galatea from Pygmalion and Galatea. These six actresses, as painted by historical artist Ken Smith, have found temporary domicile at N*tranced where they await their adoring public.

On Friday, August 29, 2008, from 5 pm to 9 pm, the public is invited to the unveiling and public showing of this latest series by Ken Smith. The original oil paintings will be displayed and limited edition giclee prints will be available for purchase.

“We are very excited to be able to host this reception for Ken Smith and his new series of paintings. Though N*tranced is a business office, we strive to create a true gallery experience in Maryville, and Mr. Smith’s work is a fine example of the talent located in the heart of East Tennessee,” says L.S. King, owner of N*tranced.

Smith, whose art work for the Fort Loudoun State Historic Area was recently featured in Tennessee Conservationist magazine, is a good fit for the hypnotic space. When beginning the Fort Loudoun project, Smith used hypnosis (from N*tranced) to help visualize the first painting in that series (which can be seen at the park visitor center in a gallery area dedicated to his original artwork). Ms. King wished to honor the creative process by premiering this new series of Victorian Actresses at her office in Maryville.

N*tranced Hypnosis and Guided Meditation is located at 305 College Street in downtown Maryville, Tennessee. For more information or directions, please contact L.S. King at 865-406-1135 or visit www.n-tranced.com. To learn more about the art work of Ken Smith, visit www.kensmithhistoricalart.com.

Fort Loudoun Paintings Featured in Magazine

WHO: Ken Smith, Historical Artist

WHAT: Tennessee Conservationist Includes an Article About Historical Artist Ken Smith and His Fort Loudoun Painting Commission

WHEN: July 2008

WHERE: Tennessee Conservationist Magazine

When flipping through the pages of this month’s Tennessee Conservationist, one cannot help but notice an article about historical artist Ken Smith and his Fort Loudoun Painting series. Looking at the two completed oil paintings, one is taken back in time to the beginnings of the British occupation of the fort site in what is now Vonore, Tennessee. Maybe it is the regal Cherokee chief in “Over the Hills” or the desperation seen in the faces of the provincial solider in ”Mud & Blood” that allows one to forget about the modern chaos of society. However, there is more to preserving these moments artistically than putting oil on canvas; planning, coordinating, composing, researching the details, and an amount of sweat that one might leave one astonished.

This month’s issue of the Tennessee Conservationist magazine chronicles the process that Smith uses to create his oil paintings. In the article “Oil and Sweat: An Artist’s Perspective of the History of Ft. Loudoun,”, Smith provides a behind-the-scenes look at these paintings commissioned by the Fort Loudoun Association for the park’s 250th anniversary of its founding. This is a five-year project, with each year adding a new depiction of the time when Red Coats and Cherokees roamed East Tennessee. The article discusses the very human aspects of Smith's work including his models and their experience in the artistic process.

“I always find it interesting to see the behind-the-scenes activity that goes into a piece of visual art, and I’m happy that Tennessee Conservationist readers will have a chance to see a little of the artistic process of the Fort Loudoun series” Smith says about the article.

Tennessee Conservationist is published bi-monthly by the State of Tennessee’s Department of Environment and Conservation. For information about the magazine, visit http://www.tennessee.gov/environment/tn_consv/.

For more information about Fort Loudoun (and to buy your own limited edition print of these paintings) go to www.fortloudoun.com.

Smith is the Creative Director for Media South, a creative services company in Knoxville, Tennessee. He holds a BFA from the University of Tennessee, an MA from Syracuse University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Hartford. He is also available for commissions and portraits. To see more of Smith’s work, visit www.kensmithhistoricalart.com.

Take Action: Don't Let Congress Orphan Your Work.

In the unlikely event that you haven't already heard about the Orphaned Works bill before congress, here is a summary of objections--from the following website that also makes it easy for you to communicate with your members of Congress:

http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/

This particular information is under "For Visual Artists - The Bullet Point Letter," but feel free to use any of the templates on the web site; when you fill out your address, your members of Congress will be automatically identified.


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The Orphan Works Act has the potential to do great harm to those of us who create intellectual property. It is based on the Copyright Office’s study of orphaned work - yet the authors of that study have exceeded their mandate by extrapolating a widespread failure in commercial markets. This is an area which they never studied. If the intent of this bill is to find a way for museums, libraries and other not-for-profit institutions to legally exploit the creative work of authors who are hard to find, the authors should not rely on undocumented assertions about markets in which they conducted no studies.

For the record, I am alive, working and managing my copyrights. I can be located. I take steps to make myself accessible. Yet this law dictates that if any user fails to find me, that constitutes a market failure. No, that constitutes a human failure. Clients who work in my markets find me all the time.

This bill would expose countless works like mine to abuse. It would endanger any form of visual art - from professional paintings to family snapshots. It would affect any picture ever put on the internet. Visual art is especially vulnerable because an artist’s work can be published without his signature or credit line, or because credit lines can be removed by others. The widespread orphaning of images will harm not only artists, but all who work in collateral small businesses such as artists representatives, directories and source books, web site designers as well as all those industries which license art and anyone in the image-making public.

In the interest of brevity, I’ll list some basic objections I and other copyright holders have to this bill.

• The bill is written so broadly its use cannot be confined to true orphaned work.
• It would permit an infringer to determine when he or she has made a “reasonable effort” to locate me - even though the infringer would have a financial interest in not locating me.
• It would be retroactive, which means I would be penalized for not complying with laws which didn’t exist at the time I did the work.
• It would expose my future work to infringement immediately upon creation, even though I am alive, in business and managing my copyrights.
• It would place an impossible burden of diligence on me to protect my work, because infringements can occur anytime, anywhere in the world.
• It would force me into court to contest the diligence of an infringer’s search for me, yet it would remove any meaningful remedies for infringement.
• This means I would lose the only means the law gives me to enforce copyright compliance.
• It would force me into court to prove the value of my work, after the work had already been infringed and my exclusive right of copyright was lost;
• Yet it would limit “reasonable compensation” to whatever sum an infringer had established as a market rate for his use of orphaned work.
• By “limiting remedies,” the bill guarantees that the cost of suing an infringer could exceed whatever sum I might recover in a successful court action.
• Yet it would set no limits on the amount an infringer could win from me in a counter suit.
• It would deny me injunctive relief in situations where the entirety of my work has been used in a so-called “transformative” work.
• Which would be a gold mine for infringers, who could harvest “orphans,” re-cast them as derivatives, then copyright the derivatives.
• At present, the law does not allow infringers to claim my work by infringing it, but this bill would let them.
• This bill would rob me of my exclusive right of copyright, which in the marketplace triples the fee I can get for one-time usage.
• This means my entire inventory of work would be devalued by 2/3 the moment this bill takes effect.
• This bill would prevent me from restricting the use of my art on cheap or distasteful products or on products competitive with my paying clients.
• And it could drive my work into low-end markets where I would otherwise never license my work.
• While the bill would not legislate “registries,”it would have the same effect, by exposing to infringement the work of artists who don’t impose registration on themselves.
• This would force me to pay protection money to businessmen to keep something I’ve created myself.
• This would violate existing copyright law, which says “Under current law, works are covered whether or not a copyright notice is attached and whether or not the work is registered.” http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/Copyright#copyright:_an_overview
• It would force all visual artists to expose our lives’ work to infringement to subsidize the start-up of commercial registries.
• These registries would rely on image-recognition technology, which is still in its infancy and not reliable.
• Also, no registry will be meaningful until all pictures which anyone wishes to protect have been registered.
• Otherwise, any picture not found in a registry will be considered an orphan by users wishing to document a “reasonably diligent search.”
• This means commercial registries will actually orphan copyright-protected work.
• Which means the bill will have the opposite effect to its stated intent.

To sum up, the Orphan Works Act exceeds its mandate by promising to make orphans of any work whose author any infringer fails to find.

• It fails to properly define the category of orphaned work.
• It sets the infringer’s bar of due diligence so low it guarantees abuse.
• It would force into the courts countless business decisions which should be made in the marketplace.
• It creates problems which do not now exist, but which would require the expansion of the Federal judiciary system to solve.

Sweet Home Alabama a la Russ

This is just too good not to pass along.

The Leningrad Cowboys (a Finnish rock band) singing Sweet Home Alabama with the Red Army Choir

And besides, Sweet Home Alabama is not all that different from The Motherland Calls, is it.