Jean Smith
Jean Isabel Smith (born 1959) is a Canadian writer, painter and the lead singer of the Vancouver band Mecca Normal.
Also recorded as Jean Isabel Smith
Jean Smith
Jean Smith · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Jean Smith
- Birth Name
- Jean Isabel Smith
- Born
- 1959
- Birthplace
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Occupation
- Singer, painter, novelist, lecturer
- Nationality
- Canada
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Jean Isabel Smith (born 1959) is a Canadian writer, painter and the lead singer of the Vancouver band Mecca Normal.
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wikidata · Q6171522
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Jean Smith • Birth Name — Jean Isabel Smith • Born — 1959 • Birthplace — Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • Occupation — Singer, painter, novelist, lecturer • Current Member Of — Mecca Normal
Music
Music
Smith co-founded Mecca Normal with bandmate David Lester in 1981, while the two were working together at a Vancouver newspaper. Considered a forerunner of the 1990s politically charged riot grrrl movement, Mecca Normal is known for the interplay between Smith's vocals and Lester’s guitar, which is equally distinctive and powerful.
Writing
Writing
As a writer of creative fiction, Smith has two published novels. She is a two-time recipient of Canada Council for the Arts awards for creative fiction (2000, 2007) and received a British Columbia Arts Council grant in 2000. Her debut novel, I Can Hear Me Fine, was published in 1993 by Get To The Point Editions and distributed by Arsenal Pulp Press. This was followed by The Ghost of Understanding (Arsenal Pulp Press, 1998), which incorporates lyrics from several Mecca Normal albums.
Painting
Painting
In 2016, Smith launched a significant, ongoing contemporary portrait series aimed at making her paintings financially available to low-income musicians, writers, and artists, while setting aside funds after meeting monthly living expenses to create a free artist residency. Painting daily, she sells the 11x14" acrylic works on Facebook for US$100, a model that has generated widespread coverage for its accessible DIY approach.
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Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Vancouver artist ditches part-time job, sells over 1,500 paintings CBC Radio. CBC.
- 2.McDonnell, Evelyn. Riot Grrrl United Feminism and Punk. Here's an Essential Listening Guide. (Published 2019). The New York Times. 3 May 2019.
- 3.Hopper, Jessica. SWF, 45. Chicago Reader. 27 April 2006.
- 4.Smith, Jean. ABC BookWorld. February 15, 2014.
- 5.Books: Jean Smith. Jean Smith Writer.
- 6.Chong, Kevin. Rocker Jean Smith Is Pulling through the Pandemic One Painting at a Time. The Tyee. May 5, 2020.
- 7.Marino, Nick. The Painter Subverting Art-World Economics, $100 at a Time. The New York Times. January 6, 2021.
- 8.Vancouver artist ditches part-time job, sells over 1,500 paintings. CBC Radio. September 10, 2020.
- 9.Vancouver painter's $100 Facebook portraits raise more than $150,000 for residency project. The Art Newspaper. September 21, 2020.
References
Citations
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authority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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