BMA Announces Arvie Smith Selected for Sherman Family Foundation Residency

Summer residency in Maine provides financial and career support for selected artists

BALTIMORE, MD (June 12, 2025)— The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) today announced the selection of Arvie Smith for the second year of the Sherman Family Foundation Residency. Smith (b. 1938, Houston, TX) creates poignant paintings that explore the experiences of those living on the margins, historically and today. The residency was established in 2024 through a generous financial gift from the Sherman Family Foundation and in collaboration with philanthropists Betsy Sherman and her son Michael Sherman, who currently sits on the BMA’s Board of Trustees. Program awardees are jointly chosen by BMA curators and Betsy and Michael Sherman following a selection process guided by the museum, and receive studio space in Maine and financial support to complete ongoing projects, create new work, or simply explore and consider ideas within their practice. The residency is an important milestone in the BMA’s vision under the leadership of the museum’s director Asma Naeem to enhance support for artists as part of its core work.

In an artistic career spanning over four decades, Smith transforms the history of oppressed and stereotyped segments of the American experience into lyrical two-dimensional works. His paintings use common psychological images to reveal deep sympathy for the dispossessed and marginalized members of society in an unrelenting search for beauty, meaning, and equality. Smith holds an MFA from the Hoffberger School of Painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art and a BFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art. His work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions and is held in the collections of the Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR; Delaware Museum of Art, Wilmington, DE; Reginald F. Lewis Museum, Baltimore, MD; Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Salem, OR; and Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK; among others.

“We are delighted to welcome Arvie Smith as this year’s selection for the Sherman Family Foundation Residency. Our vision for the program is to create space and opportunity for artists at different stages of their careers to explore and advance their practices,” said Asma Naeem, the BMA’s Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director. “We’re thrilled that Arvie has a connection to Baltimore as a MICA graduate and we are extremely grateful to Betsy and Michael Sherman for their generosity, collaboration, and shared commitment to uplifting and supporting artists. This work feels more important than ever, and we look forward to working with Arvie and experiencing what emerges from his time in residency.”

The idea for the residency program first emerged when Betsy and Michael Sherman hosted Brooklyn-based artist Alexander Harrison (b. 1993, Greenville, SC) in a studio space at their home in Maine in 2023. During his time in Maine, Harrison produced the painting Mt. Hatchet (2023), which captures a view of the summit of the mountain through the artist’s hands. With the support of the Shermans, the work was later acquired by the BMA. The experience led to a series of conversations with the museum about creating more consistent pathways for supporting artists in alignment with BMA leadership’s own previously articulated interests in establishing new types of collaborations. Artist Kenturah Davis (b. 1980, Los Angeles, CA) was the inaugural resident.

The program hosts one artist each summer at the Shermans’ studio space in Maine. Selected artists are given free lodging, a $5,000 stipend, and financial support for supplies and travel costs. Artists also have opportunities to meet with BMA curators and leadership during their stay in Maine to discuss their work and receive mentorship. The residency is envisioned to serve as a launching point for an ongoing relationship with the BMA. After each residency, the museum will acquire a work by the artist for its collection.

“The partnership with the BMA has been incredibly productive and fulfilling, as we work together to directly engage artists and provide the tools necessary for experimentation and creation. Maine has long been a place of inspiration for artists, and we hope it continues to spark new ideas and breakthroughs as new artists spend time here during the residency,” said Michael Sherman. “We are excited to welcome Arvie this summer and continue the residency experience.”

Michael Sherman is a movie producer; he co-founded Bow and Arrow Entertainment (www.bowandarrow.la), a production company that focuses on artist driven narrative and documentary pictures. Bow and Arrow has had 14 films premiere at the Sundance film festival as well as many other festivals throughout the world. His recent film HORSEGIRLS will premiere at Tribeca in June and A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY hits theaters in June as well. Sherman is also a devoted patron of the arts. He serves as a trustee at his hometown Baltimore Museum of Art.

Betsy Sherman is a lifelong educator and advocate for children and families. She and her late husband, George, established the Sherman Family Foundation in 1995. Her passion for childhood advocacy began early in her life and continues through her focus on educational opportunities for children and their families. Following graduation from Tufts University with a degree in early childhood education, she was fortunate to be one of the first Head Start teachers in Kentucky. These early teaching experiences in Kentucky and rural Virginia drove her desire to help disadvantaged youth. Betsy has been an active board member at the Family Tree for nearly 40 years and has served on several other non-profit boards.

About the Baltimore Museum of Art

Founded in 1914, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) inspires people of all ages and backgrounds through exhibitions, programs, and collections that tell an expansive story of art—challenging long-held narratives and embracing new voices. Our outstanding collection of more than 97,000 objects spans many eras and cultures and includes the world’s largest public holding of works by Henri Matisse; one of the nation’s finest collections of prints, drawings, and photographs; and a rapidly growing number of works by contemporary artists of diverse backgrounds. The museum is also distinguished by a neoclassical building designed by American architect John Russell Pope and two beautifully landscaped gardens featuring an array of modern and contemporary sculpture. The BMA is located three miles north of the Inner Harbor, adjacent to the main campus of Johns Hopkins University, and has a community branch at Lexington Market. General admission is free so that everyone can enjoy the power of art.