The Photography of Clare Brett Smith 🗓

Event Date : 2023 Mar Thu

March 30 through Tuesday, May 2,2023

“FARMINGTON FAMILY, FRIENDS, FRENZY & FANFARE”

-A collection of photos that capture life in Farmington from days gone by-

The Farmington Historical Society is pleased to present the lifestyle series of Farmington photographer Clare Brett Smith in the Hoppin Gallery, Barney Library, 71 Main St, Farmington, CT 06032 Thursday, March 30 through Tuesday,May 2,2023. Our exhibit is free to the public and open during normal Barney Library hours Monday-Thursday & Saturday 9:00-5:00pm.

Clare’s works are arranged in categories such as Kids, Politics, and Church. A reflection of life in Farmington in days gone by, the collection includes pictures of neighbors (like milkman Ray Tribuzio, who was so devoted that he would, on occasion, put your milk in your ice box for you!), sleeping children at church, and some of Farmington’s well-known citizens attending baptisms, parties, and fundraisers, and living their lives in the town.

Clare Brett Smith grew up in Farmington and has exhibited her photographs throughout the world. In 2000, she stepped into the role of president of Aid to Artisans (ATA), an organization that imports art pieces, crafts, and textiles from countries around the world while helping the individual artists. Over the past 10 years, ATA’s efforts empowered 125,000 artisans in 41 emerging regions of the world.

Reflections: A story of photographer Clare Brett Smith by Andre LePelle Keitt- 2/2023

The winding road leading to her quaint Farmington hoe is only the beginning of the charming book of pictures that conjure up the life stories and adventures of one Clare Brett Smith. I knew rather quickly once gazing upon the smartly trimmed shrubbery that framed her home, that I would be welcomed and equally embraced by her. It is an attraction like that of a bumblebee to a beautiful orchid. Its fragrant charm was just like the twinkle in her eyes when she opened the door, warmly greeting me into her home and subsequently, to her world of Farmington as seen through her lens.  Glancing quickly around her artistic and well-appointed main floor, I took off my scarf, placing it on a hook in a neighboring cloak and mud room where she suggested and also rested my jacket. One thing about the home and rooms belonging to an artist, there is multi-media art all about sculpture, rubbings, paintings, photographs and quilting are everywhere. Almost every surface is covered, layered and laced with ART. Once settling into her favorite room, her comfy office, I immediately inferred two things: 1) this is the heart of the home where the magic happens and 2) her eye for detail will definitely transform into what she sees and shoots through her camera. I have to admit I felt not only quite lucky to be in her presence but also very delighted to have been invited to her home. I could not wait to hear her stories and see her works!

Clare’s chocolate brown poodle, Ruby, lounged near my feet as she began to regale me with her stories of adventure. Born in Pennsylvania but raised in Vermont and Connecticut, she took after her mother, Elizabeth Baldwin Brett. “She was quite the photographer,” declared Clare. But Clare, herself, sort of fell into taking pictures, and even to her surprise, became an instructor of photography at Studio Arts Center in Florence, Italy where she, as a young woman who wasn’t sure what she was going to do with her life, had to “hide the look of surprise on my  face when I was offered a job teaching photography!” She, however, had written but hadn’t published a book on How to Teach Photography. She must have been a looker, too, because “all of the boys took my class”. “They were sneaking into my class,” she recalls, “but I could handle it.” She only taught six-week courses at a time, but she parlayed this opportunity into a six-year annual stint, in Italy of all places!

Clare says hers was a family that was an “untraditional mixed family merely going along.” Hers was a family that had always been “progressive with even the girls being educated, as far back as the 1940s.” Looking at the photography that she was organizing for her Farmington Historical Society exhibit, Clare showed me her works which she had broken up into groups such as, Kids, (there are lots of pictures of kids, including some of her seven offspring), Politics and Church.  In these boxes all neatly arranged on a worktable in her office were the reflections of life in Farmington, a flavor of Farmington Americana. Pictured is milkman Ray Tribuzio “who was so devoted that he would, on occasion, put your milk in your ice box for you!” There were more pictures of her children as kids and young adults, sleeping children at church as well as some of Farmington’s better-known citizens, and baptisms and more shots of people just living their lives in Farmington. But when posed with the question about the lack of diversity in her photography, Clare calmly responds, “well there simply weren’t many people of color that actually lived in Farmington in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, and 70s, and 80s.” 

It would be a great misgiving to assume that Clare didn’t have much exposure to brown and black people because her compassion for all people becomes abundantly evident when you hear her entire story, especially how she met one of her best friends and business partners whom we will just call Jerry. They happened upon Jerry in Haiti, his homeland. So, imagine Clare and her new husband flying in their small plane on their way to their honeymoon in Jamaica when they realized that the plane was running out of fuel! The nearest place they could land was on the small island of Haiti. Even though it was not their ideal place to land, they had no choice. Once landed, they were promptly arrested for unlawfully landing in another country! They were placed in a sort of house arrest at this little hotel. Clare said, “it was a lunatic situation,” with Jerry taking them to dinner and eventually teaching them how to dance the Merengue! Jerry and his family ran their own business where they made wooden plates. He was very persuasive and charming, and after Clare and her husband got back home, Jerry convinced them to send him a three hundred dollar ticket to the states to live with them in Farmington. Jerry proved to be quite resourceful, too. He began having art and textiles from Haiti sent to Farmington where he would begin selling those pieces to people here. That small business became so profitable that his business ushered Clare into a worldwide humanitarian venture. Clare and Jerry became major importers and sellers of world crafts, and in 2000, Clare, who had become an experienced commercial crafts importer and photographer, stepped into the role of president of Aid to Artisans (ATA), an organization that imports art pieces, crafts and textiles from countries all around the world while helping the individual artists.

A Note About Aid to Artisans:

ATA’s first major project was funded by USAID in Honduras (1984-1986) and since then ATA has worked in over 110 countries throughout Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Over the past 10 years, ATA’s efforts have leveraged nearly $245 million in retail sales. This income has empowered 125,000 artisans in 41 emerging regions of the world and more than 70% of the artisans ATA works with are women. ATA currently works in 12 countries throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Chad, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Morocco, Mali, Mexico, and Tibet.

Although Clare has had countless exhibits across this country and the world and has published articles and photo essays on platforms that include the likes of The Boston Globe, Northeast Magazine and the Aid to Artisans News, she lives a quiet life now in Farmington. She hasn’t stopped exhibiting her works, though.  Her photography on Farmington Lifestyles is presented by the Farmington Historical Society. I hope you get the chance to see Clare’s world in Farmington and meet the lady behind the lens!

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