STARR SMITH
New York, NY
2025-2026 Scholarship Fashion Institute of Technology
Starr Solié Smith is pursuing a BFA in Spatial Experience Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. She is a visual artist, graphic designer, and aspiring spatial experience and exhibition designer. “I plan to pursue a career designing & curating artistically driven exhibits and pop up activations for museums, events, brands,” says Smith, whose newfound knowledge of art history, craftsmanship, materiality, and advanced design principles has equipped her to focus on large-scale installation and exhibition design within New York City’s art and fashion scenes.
She credits the French and Spanish architecture of New Orleans with seeding her understanding of design’s history through the lens of culture. “I am dreaming of making artwork that changes the lives of people in the communities that have molded me into the person that I am today. I believe that art can inspire the minds of a generation, therefore I believe it is important to invest in the beautification of our communities and specifically urban areas that have been historically under funded and neglected,” says Smith, who is researching and developing design solutions to aid with disaster recovery and urban redevelopment for her thesis capstone project.
Smith is currently interning for Center Stage Productions, a display and design firm. She also serves as Vice President of FIT’s Black Student Union whose mission is to foster community and provide a safe space for Black students on campus to grow and develop relationships that will last beyond their time at FIT. She plans to study abroad in the Dominican Republic to complete her required language course.
Smith earned an AAS in Communication Design Foundation and an AAS in Fine Art from FIT before beginning the BFA program. She first joined the YAYA Guild in 2013.
All works are copyright of the artist.