Dr. Sherri Smith

Biography

After earning her M.F.A. degree from Cranbrook Academy Art in 1967, Sherri Smith worked as a textile designer in New York City with prominent firms such as Dorothy Liebes and Boris Kroll Fabrics, where she designed jacquard woven textiles for interiors. She accepted a faculty position at Colorado State University, teaching for several years before joining the faculty of the University of Michigan School of Art and Design in 1974. Smith was instrumental in developing the School’s fibers program and became a permanent faculty member in the field. Her current work involves strip weaving and integrates images from mathematics and the sciences. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she served as the School’s associate dean for graduate studies and held the post of interim dean for six months. Smith gained recognition in 1969 when her pieces were exhibited in 'Wall Hangings,' a groundbreaking exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, credited with launching the field of fibers as an art form. Her work has been part of significant exhibitions at prestigious venues, including the Biennale in Tapestry in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Fiberworks at the Cleveland Museum of Art. In addition to one-woman exhibitions, she has participated in invitation exhibitions both in the U.S. and abroad, with her pieces featured in seminal books on the subject of fibers.

Research Interests