Cottonwood Art Festival announces Michelle McDowell Smith as the featured artist for the semi-annual event set for Oct. 1-2, 2022 in Richardson, Texas.  The mixed media paintings by McDowell Smith are focused on layers of longstanding memories, diversity within relationships, and a peaceful sense of hope for the future. Combining collage and acrylic paint; the artwork celebrates a theme of family, trust, love and the unique individuality found within ourselves and in others.

“I purposefully don’t create a family of foxes or a family just of deer. It needs to be more expansive to be more inclusive. The people we meet along our way through life become our family too; and give our time here more meaning,” McDowell Smith said. “The figures in my paintings are bound together by trust, empathy, love and understanding. It is my hope that I convey the feeling that not only should we fully accept each other, but we completely embrace the differences and the personal histories of each other. By bringing our own past, it has an impact on how we are in the present, helping to make us the person we are.”

Of Land and Sky is the title of one of McDowell Smith’s recent collections with narratives seamlessly incorporated into each painting. The artist uses old maps, book pages, sewing patterns, linoleum stamps and vintage materials to symbolize emotion, depth and treasured meanings. The entire collection of 16 paintings have been paired with poems and published in an illustrated book for children.

“There are so many great artists at Cottonwood Art Festival and it is an honor to have my work showcased for the fall event,” she said.

McDowell Smith lives near Jacksonville, Fla. with her husband and three children. Her artwork has been shown at more than 80 juried fine art shows and festivals across the country. A series of select designs will be featured on Cottonwood Art Festival’s Fall merchandise; including T-shirts, tank tops and posters.  

Cottonwood Art Festival is Oct. 1-2, 2022 at Cottonwood Park, located at 1321 W. Belt Line Road in Richardson, Texas. Admission is free and the festival is open Saturday, Oct. 1 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The Festival additionally includes the Cupcake Vineyards Courtyard, two stages of live music, a craft beer garden, food trucks, painting demonstrations, children’s art stations and more than 200 artist booths with artwork from around the world.

Follow the artist on Facebook and Instagram, or contact direct for commissions and inquiries about artwork at michelle@mcdowellsmith.com or submit a form.

Cottonwood Art Festival accepts applications for the Spring and Fall opens and closes twice a year. Local bands are invited to submit an Electronic Press Kit (EPK) for consideration to play at the festival by contacting cottonwood@cor.gov.