Jean Smith (singer)

Jean Smith
Background information
Born
Jean Isabel Smith

1959 (age 66–67)[1]
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
OccupationsSinger, painter, novelist, lecturer
Member ofMecca Normal

Jean Isabel Smith (born 1959) is a Canadian writer, painter and the lead singer of the Vancouver band Mecca Normal.

Career

Music

Smith co-founded Mecca Normal with bandmate David Lester[2] in 1981, while the two were working together at a Vancouver newspaper. Considered a forerunner of the 1990s politically charged riot grrrl movement,[2][3] Mecca Normal is known for the interplay between Smith's vocals and Lester’s guitar, which is equally distinctive and powerful.[4]

Writing

As a writer of creative fiction, Smith has two published novels. She is a two-time recipient of Canada Council for the Arts awards for creative fiction (2000, 2007) and received a British Columbia Arts Council grant in 2000.[5]

Her debut novel, I Can Hear Me Fine, was published in 1993 by Get To The Point Editions and distributed by Arsenal Pulp Press.[5][6] This was followed by The Ghost of Understanding (Arsenal Pulp Press, 1998), which incorporates lyrics from several Mecca Normal albums.[5]

Painting

In 2016, Smith launched a significant, ongoing contemporary portrait series aimed at making her paintings financially available to low-income musicians, writers, and artists, while setting aside funds after meeting monthly living expenses to create a free artist residency.[1][7] Painting daily, she sells the 11x14" acrylic works on Facebook for $100 USD, a model that has generated widespread coverage for its accessible DIY approach.[8][9]

References

  1. 1 2 Chong, Kevin (May 5, 2020). "Rocker Jean Smith Is Pulling through the Pandemic One Painting at a Time". The Tyee. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
  2. 1 2 "Vancouver artist ditches part-time job, sells over 1,500 paintings | CBC Radio". CBC.
  3. ↑ McDonnell, Evelyn; Vincentelli, Elisabeth (3 May 2019). "Riot Grrrl United Feminism and Punk. Here's an Essential Listening Guide. (Published 2019)". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ Hopper, Jessica (27 April 2006). "SWF, 45". Chicago Reader.
  5. 1 2 3 "Smith, Jean". ABC BookWorld. February 15, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Books: Jean Smith". Jean Smith Writer. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  7. ↑ Marino, Nick (January 6, 2021). "The Painter Subverting Art-World Economics, $100 at a Time". The New York Times. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
  8. ↑ "Vancouver artist ditches part-time job, sells over 1,500 paintings". CBC Radio. September 10, 2020. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
  9. ↑ "Vancouver painter's $100 Facebook portraits raise more than $150,000 for residency project". The Art Newspaper. September 21, 2020. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
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