50 Artists for 50 Years: Angela Smith

Angela Smith is a self-taught Rootwork practitioner and fiber artist living in Milwaukee. Rootwork is an African American folk art and form of traditional medicine that emerged from the social and spiritual practices of enslaved Africans and their descendants in the American South. Growing up in Alabama, Angela learned to sew when she was 13 years old by watching her Grandmother and Auntie, who were makers of things for the home and other people. Using fiber and fabric as a form of wearable art, Angela began by making skirts, hats, and handbags that held stories and connected her to her ancestors. Today, the pieces she creates and shares are a modern take on the traditional handcrafts she grew up around, and many of them are folk art forms used in the practice of Rootwork, such as mojo bags, poppets (dollmaking with herbs), medicine bags, and herbal medicine. In the Rootwork tradition, these are handmade pieces created with intention and with respect for ancestors. 

The Zen Dragonfly was founded by Angela in 2015, with the aim of uniting art, culture, healing and rootwork within the community. As a traditional healing practitioner and herbalist, Angela strove to cultivate a space that honored ancestral knowledge and celebrated the history of black folk healing traditions. Through her work, she hoped to illuminate the ways in which Rootwork has evolved over time, and to reclaim its significance within modern spiritual practices and coaching. For Angela, the Zen Dragonfly is a manifestation of her work with the ancestors, and a way to share the wisdom they imparted on how to heal and to share how it continues  to evolve. 

In 2020, Angela Smith received a Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant to mentor Naya Jones in Rootwork and African American traditional medicine.

Has the Wisconsin Arts Board had an impact on your work?

Yes, the Arts Board gave me the opportunity to share the work of Black folks from the South in culture, traditions and spiritual context to the healing of slavery in the South and beyond. Because I worked with WI Arts Board, I was able introduce these traditions and ways to over 50 people during 2020-2021.

What energizes you as you consider the future of the arts in Wisconsin?

As technology continues to advance, a new generation of young artists are using innovative techniques to create art. While I am energized by the potential of these new technologies, I also believe in preserving traditional methods of art-making. By honoring our cultural traditions and history, we can blend innovation and tradition in the joy of creating art all around the state. It’s inspiring to see how art can give a voice to everyone and everything in our rapidly changing world.

Where can we find your work?

You can find Angela’s work and practice on her website: https://www.thezendragonfly.com/