Geoffrey C. Smith
Visual Artist
Phone:
+1-772-283-8336
Email:
Address:
4545 SE Dixie Hwy.
Stuart, FL 34997
Born:
1961
Press Kit & Media Fact Sheet: Geoffrey C. Smith Visual Artist
Executive Summary
Geoffrey C. Smith (b. 1961) is an internationally acclaimed American wildlife sculptor, painter, and photographer based in Stuart, Florida, and Soldotna, Alaska. Multitimes nominated for the Artists Hall of Fame, known for his mastery of the ancient lost-wax casting process and his distinctive Fauvist-inspired oil paintings, Smith’s work is dedicated to capturing the beauty and spirit of the natural world. Often compared to John James Audubon for the sheer size and scope of his collection, his monumental bronze sculptures serve as iconic municipal landmarks, and his fine art is held in the permanent collections of international museums, presidential libraries, and the Vatican.
Fast Facts & Biographical Highlights
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Mediums: Bronze sculpture (lost-wax investment casting), stainless steel sculpture, oil painting (impasto/palette knife), and fine art photography.
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Artistic Style: Representational and Naturalist with a "loose" signature aesthetic; Smith frequently incorporates raw elements like his own fingerprints to suggest the texture of feathers or fur.
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Education: Graduated with honors from Montana State University (Economics/Art).
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Early Beginnings: Began casting bronzes from clay in 1984 after early success as a wood carver, a skill mentored by his grandfather.
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Mentored under Harry Jackson in Cody, Wyoming throughout the 1980's.
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Discovered by John Whitney Payson in 1990, causing Smith to move to Florida.
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Locations: Splits his creative time between his flagship gallery and working studio in Stuart, Florida, and his summer "Last Frontier Studio" in South-Central Alaska. He works directly with his primary foundry in Colorado to oversee all casting and patination.
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America's Eagle Sculptor: Smith's works, especially his American Eagle Sculptures, are frequently selected as gifts from the U.S. Presidents and the U.S. Department of State.
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Founder of the Art Of Nature 501c3
Artistic Process
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Bronze Sculpture: All bronze works are created using the traditional lost-wax investment casting process, a meticulous multi-step method dating back to the 3rd millennium BC. Smith creates the original model in clay or wax. After casting, every piece is hand-finished and dressed with a custom, heat-applied patina. Smith produces his work in strictly limited editions, proofing, signing, and numbering each piece personally.
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Oil Painting: As an extension of his sculptural mind, Smith’s painting style is deeply dimensional. He mixes fine wax with oil paint and applies it heavily using a palette knife. This technique results in vibrant, textured, museum-sized works characterized by large, expressive strokes.
Artist Statement
"You protect what you love, and you love what you're familiar with, what you're connected to. My art pays homage to the beauty in our environment but also inspiring a desire to get out on the water and get out in the woods. That kind of personal connection is what can lead to lifelong stewardship. The purpose of my art is to connect a person to nature and the environment."
– Geoffrey C. Smith
Gallery & Contact Information
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Geoffrey C. Smith Fine Art offers a unique selection of wildlife bronzes, original paintings, and limited-edition archival castings available for private acquisition and corporate/municipal commission.
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Flagship Museum & Gallery: 4545 SE Dixie Hwy., Stuart, Florida 34997, USA
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Open Tue - Sat, 10 - 4, and by appointment
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Last Frontier Studio: Soldotna, Alaska (Summers by Appointment)
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Phone: (772) 283-8336
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Email: info@geoffreysmith.com
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Website: www.geoffreycsmith.com
Biography
Geoffrey C. Smith is an internationally recognized American sculptor and painter whose work has become widely recognized for its expressive interpretation of wildlife, nature, and the relationship between art and the environment. Working primarily in bronze and oil, Smith has built a distinguished career spanning more than four decades, producing monumental public artworks, museum-collected sculptures, and internationally recognized diplomatic gifts.
Born in 1961, Smith was introduced to carving and craftsmanship at a young age under the guidance of his grandfather, an experience that established a lifelong foundation in traditional technique and close observation of the natural world. He later graduated from Montana State University while continuing to sculpt and sell his artwork, formally casting his first bronze sculpture in 1984. He was mentored by the Western sculptor Harry Jackson in Cody, WY, who helped him become an independent artist. This balance of discipline, craftsmanship, and lived experience continues to inform his artistic practice. In 1996, Smith relocated to Stuart, Florida, at the invitation of noted art patron John Whitney Payson. He has since maintained his home and studio there for nearly three decades, raising his family while establishing himself as one of the most prominent wildlife artists.
Smith is widely known for major public monuments throughout Florida and the United States, including the iconic 19-foot Stuart Sailfish Monument, which has become a symbol of the City of Stuart. His public artworks appear in civic spaces, parks, and cultural institutions nationwide, reflecting a commitment to art that is accessible, enduring, and connected to place.
Nationally, Smith’s work is held in museum, corporate, and institutional collections, including the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg, the Boca Raton Museum of Art, the International Wildlife Museum in Arizona, the Palm Beach Zoo, and ZooMontana. His sculpture Eagle Study was selected by President George H. W. Bush for permanent installation at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library.
Internationally, Smith’s work has achieved rare distinction through cultural diplomacy. In 2017, his sculpture Rising Above (The Lotus) was selected as an official gift from the President of the United States and presented to Pope Francis, where it is held in the permanent collection of the Vatican in Rome. His artwork has also been presented through U.S. State Department diplomatic gifts to global leaders, including the presidents of Namibia, Uruguay, Ecuador, and Poland. Smith has been a member of the prestigious International Society of Animal Artists for over 30 years.
In addition to his artistic production, Smith has collaborated extensively with conservation and educational organizations. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission named him the Official Wildlife Sculptor of Florida, recognizing his contributions to environmental awareness through art. He is also the founder of Art of Nature, a charitable initiative dedicated to connecting art, conservation, and public engagement.
Smith’s work has been documented in Florida Sculptors and Their Work by Deborah C. Pollack, placing him within the historical record of artists who have shaped Florida’s sculptural legacy. Today, he continues to create and exhibit from his studio in Stuart, Florida, producing work that bridges fine art, public space, and environmental stewardship.
Curriculm Vitae
Selected Monumental Sculptures
2025 Tree of American Dreams, Sansone Development Group, Legacy Park, Tradition, FL.
A monumental bronze sculpture centered on a mature oak supported by four exposed root pillars representing family, faith, community, and country, crowned by a landing American bald eagle. Commissioned to honor the enduring legacy of Mr. Sansone.
2024 Bird Island Monument, The Community Foundation of Martin St. Lucie, Indian Riverside Park, Jensen Beach, FL. A fourteen-foot-tall public monument celebrating the waterbirds of the Indian River Lagoon, featuring magnificent frigatebirds, spoonbills, herons, ibis, and pelicans cast in bronze.
2021 Treasured Reef, Florida Oceanographic Society, Ocean EcoCenter, Stuart, FL. A fourteen-foot-wide installation comprising three life-size coral reef structures populated with marine species, created as an educational and conservation-focused public artwork.
2017 Rising Above, United States Department of State. A bronze sculpture featuring a symbolic lotus, selected as an official diplomatic gift and presented by President Donald Trump to Pope Francis in the Vatican, Rome, on May 24, 2017.
2016 Tri-Herons Fountain, City of Stuart, Stuart, FL. A permanent civic fountain featuring three life-size Great Blue Herons at the entrance to Historic Downtown Stuart.
2015-2016 Birds on Colorado, City of Stuart, Stuart, FL. Five life-size individual sculptures of birds native to Florida including American Heritage, Osprey Pair, Skimming the Waves III, The Roseate Spoonbill, and The Dancing Sandhill Crane.
2010 Sea Life Monument, The Florida Oceanographic Society, Ocean EcoCenter, Stuart, FL. A monumental bronze sculpture depicting the interconnected marine life of Florida’s coastal waters, featuring two life-size manatees rising through a current supporting a pair of sea turtles above. Additional marine species are integrated into the sculpted base.
2009 Punxsutawney Phil, Weather Discovery Center, Punxsutawney, PA. A life-size bronze sculpture of the iconic groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, installed at the town's central visitor and education center.
2008 Life’s Journey ,The Children’s Museum, Indian Riverside Park, Jensen Beach, FL. A sixteen-foot-tall bronze sculpture of a mother and calf dolphin leaping together, created for a public children's museum campus.
2006 The Falcon Monument, Jensen Beach High School, Jensen Beach, FL. A twelve-foot-tall bronze falcon commissioned as a permanent symbol of the school's mascot and
student achievement.
2003 The Stuart Sailfish Fountain, City of Stuart, Stuart, FL. A nineteen-foot-tall bronze
sailfish monument that has become the iconic symbol of the city and a defining landmark
in downtown Stuart.
2000 Water Dogs, Palm Beach Zoo, Palm Beach, FL. A bronze sculpture of two life-size
river otters at play, installed at a major zoological institution.
1998 Tishomingo Canadas, Nature Works, Tulsa, OK. An eight-foot-tall bronze sculpture of
a pair of Canada geese, commissioned as a public wildlife monument.
1995-1996 Family of Twenty-One Mallards, The Audubon Institute, New Orleans, LA. A
large-scale bronze installation depicting a family group of mallard ducks, created for a
nationally recognized conservation institution.
Additional public commissions include healthcare campuses, educational
institutions, and residential civic settings.
Selected Permanent Corporate & Institutional Collections
• The Audubon Institute, New Orleans, LA
• Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, LA
• Ducks Unlimited National Headquarters, Memphis, TN
• Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Birmingham, AL
• California Waterfowl Association, Fresno, CA
• ZooMontana, Billings, MT
• Zoological Society of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL
• Ford Motor Company (Regional Offices), Downers Grove, IL
• GE Capital Corporate Gift Program, Norwalk, CT
• Raymond James Financial, Clearwater, FL
• Bank of Stockton, Corporate Collection, Stockton, CA
• Cleveland Clinic Health System, FL
• City of Stuart, FL
• City of Port St. Lucie, FL
• City of West Palm Beach, FL
• Private Collection of a Former President of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
• Private Collection of a Former Governor of Florida, Coral Gables, FL
• Additional works are held in corporate, banking, private club, and institutional collections nationwide.
Private Collections
The majority of Smith’s work is held in private collections around the world.
Selected Awards/Accolades
2025 Conservationist of the Year Award, Florida Oceanographic Society
2023 Excellence in Capturing Beauty Award, Florida Fish and Wildlife Foundation
2023 Wildlife Artist of the Year Nominee, David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation
2016 MARTies Award for “Outstanding Visual Artist”
2015 Merit Award, Society of Animals Artists, for the Modern Pelican
2006 Official Wildlife Sculptor of Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
in recognition of excellence in capturing the beauty of Florida’s wildlife and outstanding
artistic contributions to the state’s wildlife resources.
2006 Florida Print Award, Best in Category, 18th Annual Florida Print Awards, for the
book Geoffrey C. Smith Sculptor
1992 Best of Show, Safari Club International Convention
1990 Personal Letter of Commendation, President George W. Bush, for Eagle Study
(The White House, Washington, DC)
Selected Permanent Museum Collections
• The Vatican, Vatican City, Rome
• Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL
• James Museum Of Western & Wildlife Art, St. Petersburg, FL
• International Wildlife Museum, Tucson, AZ
Smith’s bronze eagle sculptures have been presented by the President of
the United States as diplomatic gifts to world leaders at historic moments
of transition. Selected Recipients:
• Pope Francis, Vatican City, Rome, Italy
• Pope Leo XIV, Vatican City, Rome, Italy
• President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Republic of Namibia
• President Yamandú Orsi, Oriental Republic of Uruguay
• President Daniel Noboa, Republic of Ecuador
• President Karol Nawrocki, Republic of Poland
Selected Publications, Articles & Media
Books and Scholarly Publications
• Geoffrey C. Smith, Sculptor, Michael Sabbeth, (ISBN 0-9761299-06)
• Florida Sculptors and Their Work, 1880-2020, Deborah C. Pollack, (ISBN 978-0-7643-
6496-9)
National and International Media (Selected)
• World on Fire Exhibit, NPR Kenai, Alaska – June 2025
• The Washington Post, “Pope welcomes Trump to the Vatican despite past disagreements”
– May 24, 2017
• NPR “‘We Can Use Peace,’ President Trump Says After Exchanging Gifts with Pope,” –
May 24, 2017
• Architectural Digest “Hobe Sound Heirloom: Joanne and John Whitney Payson’s Florida
Retreat” by Leonard R. Woods
• Wildlife Art Magazine, Cover and Featured Artist, “Sculpting with Heath” – July/ August
1998
• Billfish Magazine, Cover Volume 3, No. 3 – March 2003
Florida and Regional Press (Selected)
• The Palm Beach Post (multiple features, 2001-2017)
• TCPalm.com and The Stuart News (numerous articles documenting public monuments
and civic commissions, 2001-2018)
• Indian River Magazine, “Monumental Artist” – Summer 2010
Early National and Regional Coverage
• Wildlife Art Magazine (1996)
• Journal of the Dallas Safari Club (1994)
• Montana Arts Council documentation of Percent-for-Art commission (1992)
• The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)
Current Charity Affiliates
• Art of Nature
• Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
• Everglades Foundation
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
• Florida Oceanographic Society
• Friends of the Everglades
• IFAW- International Fund for Animal Welfare
• Wildlife Foundation of Florida