Beaverbrook Art Gallery's Tom Smart retires after long career in the arts

Tom Smart describes his humble beginnings in the art world as that of an art school dropout, a hippie, an actor, a scene painter, commercial artist and book illustrator.

"That's kind of my bedrock — I was a rogue," he said.

"I went back to school in English Lit, thinking through English Lit I could maybe start to understand … what creativity was, what artistic expression was and is, and how I could find it in myself."

And while for most of his career Smart surrounded himself with some of the greatest artists in the world, as he led a number of major art institutions, including the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, he's ready to get back to his roots.

"I wanted to paint more watercolours than I usually do, and I wanted to write … more about art and artists without getting bogged down in the administration of a big organization like the Beaverbrook," Smart said, on Information Morning Fredericton, about his decision to retire.

"I just wanted to go back to what I really love and to really connect with the creative process." 

Smart had his last day on Friday as director of the Beaverbrook — a journey that began in 1989 when he took on his first job at the gallery as a curator.

He spent eight years there before moving to other galleries across Canada and the United States, including as CEO of the prestigious McMichael Canadian Collection, in Kleinburg, Ont., and at the Frick Art and Historical Center, in Pittsburgh, Pa.

He's also written a number of books, including major works on Alex Colville, Mary Pratt and Miller Brittain.

In 2017, Smart returned to the Beaverbrook as director to focus on setting up the gallery for a sustainable future.

Smart said he believes he has achieved that, noting that the budget has grown over the last several years to allow for more activities, exhibitions and public outreach. 

Under Smart's leadership, the Harrison McCain Pavilion underwent an architectural redesign and construction process, which he said has also allowed for more public engagement. 

The gallery was caught in a controversy in November when it sold an L.S. Lowry painting at an auction house in London that was part of Lord Beaverbrook's original collection.

But Smart said that decision, to deaccession that painting and others, paid off.