About: Paul J. Smith (arts administrator)

Paul J. Smith (September 8, 1931 – April 26, 2020) was an arts administrator, curator, and artist based in New York. Smith was professionally involved with the art, craft, and design fields since the early 1950s and was closely associated with the twentieth-century studio craft movement in the United States. He joined the staff of the American Craftsmen's Council (ACC, now the American Craft Council) in 1957, and in 1963 was appointed Director of the Museum of Contemporary Crafts (later renamed the American Craft Museum, now the Museum of Arts and Design), a position he held for the next 24 years. In September 1987, he assumed the title of director emeritus and continued to work as an independent curator and consultant for museums, arts organizations, and collectors.