This set is for Barter Theatre's 2022 production of 'Kentucky Spring.'
Derek Smith has been Barter Theatre’s resident scenic designer since 2012. He began his career at Barter in 2003 as a scenic artist, painting scenery for all of Barter’s productions. He painted scenery for more than 200 productions and has designed scenery for 127 productions, 32 Barter Player productions and served as production designer for 38 productions. Notable designs include “Murder on the Orient Express,” “A Christmas Carol,” “The Three Musketeers,” “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “The Shawshank Redemption.”
He received a star in front of Barter Theatre for his extraordinary contribution to the institution. He is proud of the innovative work he did for Barter’s productions at the Moonlite Drive-In Theatre during the COVID years.
“Perhaps the most challenging and work that I’m most proud of was the work we all did creating a space to serve our audience through live theater during the pandemic at the Moonlite Drive-In Theater.
“I also try to set aside time to devote to my first passion of fine art. I’ve displayed my work at a variety of locations including the Starving Artist Café, The Arts and Culture Alliance of Knoxville, The William King Museum, and most recently at Holler House in Bristol, Virginia,” Smith says.
Smith’s artwork was selected for the Arts and Culture Alliance of Knoxville’s national juried exhibition and for William King Museum’s “From These Hills” juried biennial exhibitions. He also designed and constructed the new entry doors for Barter’s Gilliam Stage.
He was born in Kingsport, Tennessee, and went to Dobyns-Bennett High School.
“Growing up I was an artistic kid, constantly drawing and doodling. It was at Dobyns-Bennett High School that I had an art teacher named Martha Bates who made me realize that not only was art something I was good at, but maybe the thing that I was best at, and the thing that I enjoyed the most,” he says.
After graduating high school, he went to Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Georgia, and received a bachelor’s degree in painting in 2003. It was there that a professor, Morgan Santander, steered him into considering a career in theater.
“As someone who came to Barter shows on field trips as a kid, I know first-hand the importance of a continued exposure to the arts throughout childhood and continuing through adulthood. It was my first experience in realizing that art could actually be a career. For both young and old, the arts provide not only entertainment and escape, but an avenue for empathy and shared experience. I am incredibly honored and humbled to receive this award. So many people that I admire are previous recipients, and I am grateful to be included in their midst. Currently, I’m busy working on designs for Barter’s 2025 season. In the future, my only hope is to continue working in the arts with perhaps a renewed focus on creating my own personal art,” Smith says.
“When I think of the very definition of the word ‘artist,’ I think of Derek Smith. He can envision and create entire worlds that never cease to surprise and delight the audience. He has the ability to imagine beyond what one would think possible and enliven everything he touches. Barter Theatre is lucky to have his artistry on our stages and his kindness in our collaborations,” says Katy Brown, Barter Theatre producing artistic director.
