Martia A. Smith was a gifted local artist who worked in the mediums of ceramics and glass. Northland Pioneer College (NPC) was fortunate to have her as an adjunct faculty member in the art department, where she shared her passion and talents with NPC students for many years. Art was not just Martia’s hobby; it was a prominent part of her life, and she was involved with it on many levels. She was a member of the Peoria Arts Commission and served as secretary of the Northeastern Arizona Fine Arts Association. Her work was displayed in their High Country Gallery in Pinetop, but her reach far transcended the mountain. Her glass and ceramics were routinely on display throughout the Valley, in shows at the Tempe Art Center, Grand Canyon University’s A.P. Tell Gallery, and Phoenix’s Shemer Art Center. She received numerous awards, including first place at the annual CLAY Show and Best of Show in the Arts Alliance of the White Mountains Annual Juried Art Show. Today, her work is featured in many private and public collections.
Upon Martia’s death, her husband, Louis Smith, chose to honor her memory through the establishment of the Martia A. Smith Memorial Art Scholarship. Louis, a native Arizonan and lifelong educator, sought to create a scholarship that would foster student artists for generations to come and encourage the growth of art in our communities. Wisely, he established his fund, the first-ever endowed scholarship at Northland Pioneer College, to be available to all full-time, degree-seeking students. When Louis passed away in 2020, his name was added to the scholarship to honor the couple’s memory.
NPC Friends and Family is very proud to offer the Martia and Louis Smith Memorial Art Scholarship, $3,000 for the 2026-2027 academic year, to a highly motivated, academically and artistically talented student. Applicants need not be art majors, but they must demonstrate that art is, as it was for Martia, an important part of their lives. The application process requires that they show examples of their art and reflect upon art through a written essay. As Martia put it, “The artwork which I do is primarily that of self-fulfillment…It is the means by which I come to know myself.”
Applicants must demonstrate artistic talent in a visual medium. Past applicants have included ceramicists, photographers, painters, and artists in charcoal, pencil, pen and ink, and textiles. The application consists of the following, all of which must be emailed to magda.gluszek@npc.edu before the deadline of Friday, February 20, 2026.
- 3-5 examples of your artistic work as digital images. Label each image with your first initial, last name and image number. (example: jsmith1.jpg)., and email the images to magda.gluszek@npc.edu.
- A two-page (1000-word) essay that addresses the applicant’s specific interests in art and why he/she believes that art is important in society.
The full application, instructions, and details may be found at www.npc.edu/smith.
You too can become a patron of the Arts in our White Mountain communities and a patron of NPC, by donating to the Martia and Louis Smith endowment. Your tax-deductible contribution will promote the perpetuity of Mr. Smith’s generous gift, as well as the spirit of the artist, philosopher, and educator, Martia Smith. In these times, when art is the first thing to be cut from school and municipal budgets, Martia Smith reminds us of its importance through her words: “A culture is known by the art it has.” To learn more, please contact Jesse Reeck, Executive Director of NPC Friends and Family, at (928) 532-6145 or jessica.reeck@npc.edu and visit www.npc.edu/friends-and-family. Your gift can change a student’s life!
