Meet the Curator: Morgan Smith (Phobymo)

Curator and photographer Morgan Smith. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Every year, we look forward to June: a month of popsicles, fireflies, and Wall Ball. Our annual gala is a celebration of all things Mural Arts, with dinner and dancing and an art auction featuring so many local artists. The 2018 art auction is curated by local photographer Morgan Smith (Phobymo), whose own portrait photography celebrates individuality, intersectionality, and dreamy, dreamy light. We’re pretty excited to have her on board, so we asked her a few questions about herself.

1. Where are you from, and how did you start curating?

I was born in Philly and raised in Philly/Cheltenham. I picked up photography about four years ago after buying a camera on a whim, and pretty soon I realized how oversaturated the art world is by male artists. Because of this, I decided to start curating my own shows. Juggling working 40 hours a week with planning an art show was super overwhelming, but I recently parted ways with my full-time accounting job to pursue photography, so I’m really excited to be able to fully focus on curating and photography.

2. What did it mean to you to organize Time to Pretend (2017)?

The art world (and especially the photography world) is super focused on the male gaze and I simply got tired of it. I started Time To Pretend to showcase the amazing female talent we have right here in Philly because female artists are so often overlooked. Being able to give these amazing artists a platform to showcase their work has meant the world to me. It’s a lot of work planning an art show on your own, but I have an amazing support system (my mom, boyfriend, and friends) who always help me out and it makes for a rewarding experience.

3. What excites you most about curating and participating in Wall Ball?

This is my first official curating gig outside of Time To Pretend, so I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned from my own show to my work with Wall Ball. I’m also super excited to get some lesser-known artists’ names out there!

4. Why do you think artists are participating in this auction? What's the draw?

As artists, I think we all understand the importance and impact that art can have, because it is ingrained in our everyday lives. Mural Arts does so much to make art accessible to all people, so being able to contribute to that is amazing, for both artists and attendees!