Hello! My name is Alli Smith, and I am a multidisciplinary artist based in Southeastern WI. 

My work walks the line between playfulness and sorrowfulness. Its whimsy appears through my use of a vibrant color palette, lively mark making, and the utilization of zany creatures, cartoon characters, symbols, and text. However, there is a weight my work carries simultaneously. Its melancholier aspects appear the longer you look beneath the surface. Some creatures converse in murky, abstracted spaces. They appear lost. Others question their worth, and what it means to be accepted authentically in a world that is eager to assess your value based upon patriarchal and heteronormative standards. My work serves as a vessel to express the struggles I face within my own identity and from my own perspective, which still maintains a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor about it all at the same time.
  • Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Instagram: allis_myth


CV

Residencies 2023 ”Silence Awareness Existence” at Arteles Creative Center, Hämeenkyrö, Finland Solo Exhibitions 2021 "Cyclops Cry Too" at Yours Truly, Milwaukee, WI 2018 “Experimental Display” at Wallway Gallery, Milwaukee, WI Group Exhibitions 2024 "7th Midwest Open" at Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL ”Summer Art Sale” at Var Gallery, Milwaukee, WI 2023 ”Boyfriend Material” at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design ”Reflections” at Royal Blue Gallery, UK 2022 "Verso" at Field Projects, New York, NY "Laid Bare" at Gormley Gallery, Baltimore, MD 2020 "Ghost Show XI" at TERMINUS, Milwaukee, WI "Makewell Vol. III Release" at Yours Truly, Milwaukee, WI "Sugarfree Red Bull Milwaukee Regional Snow and Ice Festival" at Gluon Gallery, Milwaukee, WI 2019 "Ghost Show X" at Gluon Gallery, Milwaukee WI "The Monotonous Life of Roy G. Biv" at Crawford Collective, St. Francis WI "MIAD Alumni Exhibition" at Old Courthouse Arts Center, Woodstock IL “FemFest 2019” at Gluon Gallery, Milwaukee WI “Scribble Scrabble” at Yours Truly, Milwaukee WI “The Hanged Man Show” at Gold in the Fridge, St. Francis WI 2018 “Ghost Show IX” at Green Gallery West, Milwaukee WI "53212: Collective Community" at the Jazz Gallery, Milwaukee WI "Makewell" at Company Brewing, Milwaukee WI "Summer Juried Exhibition" at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design "FemFest 2018" at Yours Truly, Milwaukee WI "2018 Senior Thesis Exhibition" at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design 2017 “Swim Team Presents: The FEAST” at Pierce St., Milwaukee WI “RE-VOLT” at the Lunchbox, Milwaukee WI “END” at Chamber, Milwaukee WI “Open Studio” at Hide House, Milwaukee WI “The Affected Body” at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design “Artist’s Book Fair” at Pitch Project, Milwaukee WI 2016 “Ghost Show” at the Lunchbox, Milwaukee WI “Swim Team Presents: Launch Party” at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design “LV&LV Night of the Arts” at the Jazz Gallery, Milwaukee WI “This is who I am, This is what I’m Doing” at Comb 2 Gallery and Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, Milwaukee, WI and Warsaw, Poland “Swan Day MKE” at Redline, Milwaukee WI “NSP: Painting” at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design “New Genre” at the Nut Factory, Milwaukee WI 2015 “Figure This” at the Hoax Gallery, Milwaukee WI “Dys-Play” at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design “Faces of Depression” at Concordia University, Mequon WI 2014 “RPM Exhibition” at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design Grants 2023 Mary L. Nohl Suitcase Export Fund Publications 2024 ”Arteles Catalogue” (Featured) “Renowned: Mercury Edition” (Featured) “Addition Issue Four” (Featured) 2023 ”Exposition Review Chapbook” (Featured) 2021 “Sponge Magazine Issue No. 2” (Featured) "Exposition Review Vol. VI: Hunger" (Featured) "Coin Toss Magazine" (Featured) "Rejected Vol. I" (Featured) 2019 "Makewell Vol. III" (Featured, published by Pink Salt Art Collective) 2018 "Makewell" (Featured, published by Pink Salt Art Collective) 2017 “Yearbook II” (Featured, published by After School Special) "RE-VOLT" (With Third Word) 2016 "Third Word Halloween Zine" (With Third Word) "Copy Write" (With Third Word) Curatorial Experience 2017 “RE-VOLT” at the Lunchbox, Milwaukee WI Press 2019 https://shepherdexpress.com/arts-and-entertainment/visual-art/a-not-so-monotonous-life-at-crawford-collective/?fbclid=IwAR168aeMhoBHSoVxFrqbr5N2PVmu7ZoJ8GTchctJ_D93lQ0QS5Sypngs2hs http://sixtyinchesfromcenter.org/abundant-diverse-an-overview-of-visual-arts-at-riverwest-femfest/ 2016 https://urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/swan-day-mke/