The New York Public Library has added more than 250 prints by artist Kiki Smith to its collections, donated by her sister, fellow artist Seton Smith. Seton Smith has also pledged to give the library any future Kiki Smith prints she receives.
The gift spans works from the 1990s to the present. Combined with the library's existing 30 prints and 12 artist's books by Smith, it creates one of the most substantial collections of her printmaking in the United States.
Rather than keeping the works solely on display, the library will make them available for research. Visitors with a library card can request access to study the pieces, connecting the collection with the institution's wider role as a public resource.
Kiki Smith's practice has explored subjects including the human body, folklore, mythology and religion. Her prints are held in museum collections around the world, and she has participated in five Venice Biennales.
By bringing this body of work into a public research collection, the NYPL can support new encounters with Smith's art and its ideas. The donation highlights how libraries can help preserve cultural works while making them accessible for future study.
