Julie Smith was born and raised in Texas, where her early connection to art took root. After earning her BFA from the University of Texas, she moved to Aspen, Colorado, where she studied at the Center of the Eye School of Photography. Those five years shaped her understanding of image and light. Eventually, she settled on the East Coast, and in 1993, she earned her MFA with Honors in Painting and Printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design.
Since then, she has exhibited and lectured widely throughout New England. Teaching has also been an important part of her journey, from the Continuing Education Department at RISD to School One in Providence, St. George’s School in Middletown, and even Ah Haa School for the Arts in Telluride, Colorado.