The House of Lois K. Alexander-Lane, 2021
This specially commissioned new media work (created in 2021), interdisciplinary artist Dianne Smith remixes archival material related to the Harlem Institute of Fashion (HIF), including footage shot by Kerwin DeVonish and original sound. Dianne was a model for HIF between 1985 and 1989. This is her visual love letter to the organization.
Black is Beautiful, 2021
During my residency at Indigo Arts Alliance in Portland, Maine, I created Black is Beautiful, a video projection honoring Black Lives Matter, history and resilience. Inspired by Mary McLeod Bethune’s legacy and reflecting on the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, the work combines images of influential Black figures and everyday people with my narration drawn from Bethune’s 1955 Last Will and Testament. This piece is my tribute to the strength, creativity, and achievements of Black Americans. It invites viewers to see Blackness as a lineage of excellence, not just trauma. By presenting this work in a public setting, I aim to transform communal spaces into places of remembrance, healing, and empowerment. Through Black is Beautiful, I am amplifying stories that shape our present and inspire our future, affirming that Black lives and legacies matter deeply.
Phenomenal Black Womanists, 2020
Phenomenal Black Womanist was created for the exhibition Styling: Black Expression, Rebellion, and Joy through Fashion. It attends to the exhibition's question through the lens of the black woman: What defines black style? In this video installation, Smith explores the underlying themes of the black woman's beauty, fashion, and class within Black culture, as historical forms of creative expression, means of rebellion against oppression, and sources of joy. The exhibition was curated by Souleo. A partnership between Long Gallery Harlem & Nordstrom.
Go Tell It On The Mountain, 2020
As part of Unbought & Unbossed: Reclaiming Our Vote, I joined seven Black women artists exploring what it means to be “Unbought & Unbossed.” This digital micro-commission series, released weekly leading up to the November 3, 2020 election, uplifts Shirley Chisholm’s legacy and amplifies Black women’s voices in the ongoing fight for voting rights. Building on National Black Theatre’s commitment to telling powerful stories, the series honors the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and aims to inspire civic engagement in our communities. For my commission, I draw upon the profound wisdom of Fannie Lou Hamer to highlight the idea that Black people can be their own salvation. As Hamer paved the way for Chisholm, both women’s courage inspires us to soar. Through my work, I seek to honor our ancestors, capturing their sacrifice, dignity, and the relentless grace that continues to light our path forward.
Re: Harlem by Artist Dianne Smith, 2017
Artist Dianne Smith juxtaposes images of Harlem from the Schomburg Center archives with photographs she took of the neighborhood’s performative street scene over the past 20 years. The result is a video remix, graphic mash-up, motion picture collage fusion blurring the lines between the past, future, and now of Harlem’s landscape, culture, and people.