About

Walter Smith  was born in Philadelphia, PA  and from an early age developed a love for  drawing and the visual arts. He attended both Lincoln University and Philadelphia College of Art and pursued both Liberal and Fine Arts. After several years of study he joined the Philadelphia Artists Cooperative in 1987. PAC as it was known, later became the Highwire Gallery Inc. and was one of the first emerging artists cooperatives in downtown Philadelphia. His seven years as a participating member was critical to his growth and success as an artist. Walter has worked simultaneously for many years, in the field of desktop publishing, and with individuals who are living with disabilities and special needs.

“I have always believed that as an artist it was a responsibility and privilege to serve others creatively and with compassion.”

My first exposure to digital/video art and music was at the First Annual Philadelphia Digital Art and Music Show in 1981. After attending a digital art conference at UCLA in 1984, I became aware of the newly designed Amiga computers by Commodore. I then purchased for approximately $2000.00 the Amiga 1000 computer in1985. I immediately began my pursuit to discover the creative potential in digital and video art .  Early images were created using Electronic Art’s DigiPaint software, and a Panasonic camera for scanning photographs. I also incorporated such tools as a SuperGen real-time mixer for video, video editing equipment, and video software to create my early multi-layered video work. The Amiga 1000 computer was quite primitive in comparison to the computing power of present day computers. It only possessed 512 k ram and a floppy drive. What made it unique were the installed graphic, video, and music cards. Third party companies soon realized the Amiga’s potential and a host of software and hardware support was soon to follow. Presently, I am creating my art utilizing PC’s and state of the art hardware and software.