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Valerie St. Pierre Smith
About Valerie
Aanii, ndinaawamagaanadog! Maygabow Ogidajew Kwe, nindizhinikaaz; Valerie St. Pierre Smith (she | they) is my English name. Gaa-waabaabiganikaag + Um’oha, ndoonjibaa, Migizi ndoodem. Hello, my relatives! My name is Woman Standing on the Mountaintop, and while my family is from White Earth, I currently reside on the unceded lands of the Um’oha people, commonly known as Omaha, Nebraska. I am Eagle clan.
A mischief maker, interdisciplinary designer, scholar, author, and healer, Valerie St. Pierre Smith’s costume design highlights include The Kennedy Center, Sea World: San Diego, the National Museum of the American Indian, Pilobolus Dance Theatre, McCarter Theatre, and more. A bit of a unicorn, St. Pierre Smith's research and scholarly work focuses on indigenizing and decolonizing western design paradigms, pedagogies, and practices. Her visual creative practice is inspired by the craft and aesthetic traditions of her Anishnaabe heritage, exploring and reflecting her experiences as a mixed blood Anishnaabe-kwe at the confluence of healing, social justice, traditional Anishinaabe teachings, and the power of identity. St. Pierre Smith holds a B.F.A from Stephens College, and an M.F.A from San Diego State University. Miigwech agindan- thank you for reading.
Learn more about St. Pierre Smith's work on her website and Instagram profile.
As a creative educator, I find it important to play as much as analyze; listen as much as talk; and poke holes in our inherited "Western" academic paradigms, processes, and practices. I encourage my students to find their voice, their center, and their confidence in themselves.
- Banff Centre for the Arts Indigenous Haute Couture Resident Artist, 2024
- Fulbright Scholar Program Scotland Distinguished Scholar Award in Art and Humanities at the University of Edinburgh, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, finalist
- Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region V Commendation for Achievement in Costume Design, The Clearing
- Design Wing Fellow, Great Plains Theatre Conference
- First Place Design, Tehra + b Luxury Handbags, in collaboration with Omaha Fashion Week
- St. Pierre Smith, V. (2024). “Who R You: The Economics of Identity – or – What Does It Cost to Be Me?” We Free Us, Amplify Arts Alternate Currents Reader
- St. Pierre Smith, V. (2021). “Pocket Guide to Cultural Appropriation in Design.” United States Institute for Theatre Technology Costume Commission Digital Archives
- Book contribution: St. Pierre Smith, V. (2020). In Darby, J., Elkin-Mohler, C. and Stanlake, C. Critical Companion to Native American and First Nations Theatre and Performance: Indigenous Bloomsbury Methuen Drama
- St. Pierre Smith, V. (2019). “Finding Authentic Voices: Representing Cultures Other Than Our Own.” United States Institute for Theatre Technology Costume Commission Digital Archives
- 2018: “An Interview with Valerie St. Pierre Smith.” Words by Wright, J. In Ethics, Hierarchy, and Imperialism: Preserving Voices Vulnerable to Erasure. Shades of Noir / University of the Arts, London, England
- St. Pierre Smith, V. (2018). “The Three Sisters: Lessons on Inspiration, Appropriation, and Design.” HowlRound Theatre Commons, November 1
B.F.A. Theatre - Stephens College
M.F.A. Theatre: Costume Design concentration - San Diego State University