Saint John Arts Centre hosts exhibition to celebrate painter's 90th birthday

The Saint John Arts Centre is holding a summer-long exhibit to mark the upcoming 90th birthday of local artist Peggy Smith, who's been painting Saint John people and scenes for 60 years.

Smith was born in Prince Edward Island in 1935 and studied fine arts at Mount Allison University under acclaimed artists such as Lawren P. Harris, Alex Colville and Ted Pulford, according to her website. 

Smith said John Hooper, the acclaimed sculptor of the Terry Fox statue in Ottawa and the staple People Waiting pieces of Market Square, brought her from Prince Edward Island to Saint John to teach art in 1965. 

She now lives — and paints — in a cottage nestled on a little road named after her. Peggy's Lane curls down to the Shoreline Trail near Duck Cove on Saint John's west side.

Smith said she started painting in Grade 8, when a teacher made the class "listen to music on a Friday afternoon" and paint while listening. 

The painting Smith did then won a competition, "which encouraged me to paint to music and imagine what I can see listening to music, and it continued forever after that." 

Andrew Kierstead, executive director of the Saint John Arts Centre, said Smith's body of work is "historically important."

"The depth of her work — the body, the sheer weight and number of the works that she has created — is just astounding," he said, "and, again, a testament to the dedication she has to being an artist." 

He said Smith "was kind of an artist in residence" at Symphony New Brunswick, often painting at rehearsals and performances. 

Smith said the "shape" and the "colour" of the music continue to influence her as she paints today. 

"I'm hearing the theme and I'm hearing where it's going and it influences the way my hand goes, influences my mind, influences my emotions, influences my choices," she said.

Because she has to

Smith resists calling herself a professional artist.

"I paint like I eat," she said. "I eat because I need to, I paint because I need to, but I don't eat professionally."

Smith said she has always painted. 

"When I had a child, I painted. And when I had two children or four children, I painted. And when I had four children and a job, I painted. When I was a single parent with four children and a dog, I painted. I always worked it in."

When asked how long she plans to continue painting, she said she doesn't know.

"I only make a commitment for the day or maybe the hour."

On her website, Smith divides her paintings into three categories: portraits, musicians and landscapes. Most are listed under musicians because Smith admires them so much — especially their discipline.

"I was so impressed with musicians because they're so dedicated and they're so disciplined and artists are not disciplined."

Smith regularly opens her sanctuary to the public for art sales. The events are simply advertised by hand-painted signs reading "Art Mart" that are posted along waterfront trails. 

During these sales, her home becomes a gathering space and Smith loves to sit, chat and meet people as they wander freely through her gallery.