LESLIE ELLIOTTSMITH

Trained as both a printmaker and painter, Leslie Elliottsmith employs techniques from both these artforms in her work, since 2010, as a photographer. Whether shooting on location or in the studio, instead of using her lens to capture a single moment in time, she chooses to invent scenes, combining multiple images to compel the viewer to suspend reality and investigate the imagery. Most recently, her work has served as a response to the current socio-political climate with immigration and the environment permeating her work’s narrative.

“I really want to present the viewer with a story,” says Elliottsmith. “Composed of multiple images, the multi-layered final composition creates an ambiguous fantasy that is both narrative and symbolic.”

In addition to several public murals, Elliottsmith’s work has been included in over 230 exhibitions throughout the United States and the permanent collections of The City of New Orleans, the Masur Museum of Art, and the New Orleans Southern Baptist Hospital, among others.

Raised in New Orleans, LA, Elliottsmith relocated to Alexandria, LA in 1983 to serve as the Education Curator for the Alexandria Museum of Art. Still calling Alexandria home today, she retired from teaching in 2015 having worked with the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (Natchitoches, LA) for 25 years, and as an adjunct instructor for Louisiana State University at Alexandria and Louisiana College.