First Place - Acrylic

Cardelia Smith was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. Her artwork is illuminated in the hues and intensity within her paintings. With reflections of her life moments, she embraces her intuition or instinct as a gage to clarify the concepts of her being that transcends onto her canvas. She favors oil, acrylic, and charcoal mediums when creating artwork; presented are as follows:

1. Her acrylic painting “Underground Railroad Quilt Codes” (12” x 16”) represents 5 of

12 Underground Railroad Quilt Patterns Codes used by fleeing slaves. In an effort to stay out of harms way and commumicate the slaves would create quilts and decode the quilt along the tethius journey to freedom.

2. Her acrylic painting with accented glass beads “Lift Every Voice and Sing (Maestoso)” (22” x 28”) This artwork serves as a prelude to the Black American National Anthem proving musical guides of how the song is to be performed (majestic). One of her most inspirational subject matters is music.

3. Her oil painting “We Are The World” (24” x 30”) this was created and inspired by the king of pop Michael Jackson song, “We Are The World, we are the children, we are the one to make a better world so let’s start giving . . .”

Her mentor of 7 years, the late renown American artist Mr. Arthello Beck, Jr. (07/17/1941 –11/05/2004) prepared her as an artist on a professional level and exposed her to the fine artcommunity. As a musician, Cardelia captivates her audience with her smooth, jazzy, gospel style singing. In 1993, she released a gospel album “Going All The Way” and is currently an active member of her church choir at Friendship West Baptist Church, Dallas, TX – Senior Pastor: Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III.

In 2022, she was a case member in a musical production “ Dead of Jesus” produced by TBAAL (The Black Academy of Arts and Letter) Dallas, TX. She also song in the choir (Project Unity) in a tribute to Richard Smallwood, performed at the Meyer Symphony Center, Dallas, TX.

Cardelia’s artwork has been exhibited and auctions at various locations such as: Meyer

Symphony Center (African American Day) - Dallas, TX; African American Museum – Dallas, TX; Dallas Arboretum; Irving Art Center; Cedar Hill Art Show, and Lenora Museum Cardelia has a Bachelor’s Degree of Applied Business Admin. –

(Major: Accounting / Minor: Art) from Dallas Baptist University.

In 2020 she retired with 20 years of teaching secondary education from the Dallas ISD. Prior to becoming a teacher, she was an accountant for Celanese Corporation for 20 years. She continues to maintain her teaching certification in education.

She continues to possess an immense passion for the Arts.