Bio

Wini Smart 1932-2017 | Bio below
Wini passed peacefully at the age of 85 surrounded by her loving family after a long illness. She graduated from Pt. Pleasant Beach High School, NJ and attended the Philadelphia College of Art and the Art Students League of New York City. Her paintings are in private and public collections in nearly every state and in Europe, Canada, and South America.She generously donated much of her art work to many charities. Wini founded Smart Studio Art Gallery in Northeast Harbor in 1967 and the Smart Studio Gallery in Boca Grande, Florida in 1982. She helped establish and was President of Freehold Art Society of NJ and Boca Grande Art Alliance of Florida.

In 1984, Wini moved to Great Cranberry Island and co founded the Great Cranberry Island Historical Society’s museum. She served as president for many years and was dedicated to preserving the island’s history writing many publications. She has written several books including her autobiography “A Long Long Way”.” She painted eight historical murals depicting the Revolutionary War which are on display in NJ.

She and her husband Fredrick founded a mission in the Dominican Republic called “Real Kids in Need”. She is predeceased by her parents Lewis and Belle Smart, her brother Nicholas, sister Louise, son Charles, two grandchildren Ruth and Sean. Wini is survived by her husband Fredrick R. Quackenbush, children Deborah Martinez, Diane Polky, John Diehl, and Gail Cleveland-Waite, 11 grandchildren, and 14 great grandchildren.

She was a member of the Lighthouse United Methodist Church of Boca Grande, FL and an associate member of the Cranberry Island Community Church.

Read Wini’s autobiography “A Long, Long Way” to learn more about this artist. Learn how to purchase the book here.


wini-smart-in-veniceWini Smart, an award-winning artist, painted professionally for over 50 years. Her paintings have been shown in major museums and galleries along the East Coast and are in private and corporate collections throughout the United States and abroad, in England, Europe and South America.

The artist divided her time between studio-homes in Maine and Florida and goes on several painting trips during the year, often with her artist daughter, Gail Cleveland. Her working hours were spent painting plein-air or in her studio.

She had a fondness for islands and often finds inspiration at her two locations. The Smart Studio galleries can be found in Northeast Harbor, on Mount Desert Island, Maine and  in Boca Grande, on Gasparilla Island, Florida.

Wini was fascinated by the effects of light and the beauty found near the sea. She also loved flowers and her gardens become subjects as well as the wildflowers that bloomed so abundantly near her Maine studio.