Marvin Smith was a printmaker, painter and ceramic artist. In 1958 he obtained his BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art and went on to work as an illustrator for American Greetings Corporation. In addition to exhibiting his work in numerous regional, national and international shows, he had extensive experience in the design of site-specific art. He had numerous ceramic relief murals commissioned by individuals, organizations and institutions throughout the United States. Major commissions include a series of forty-eight pieces (murals, friezes, and free-standing sculptures) for the Pauline Warfield Lewis Center in Cincinnati through the Ohio Arts Council Percent for Art Program and a mural and ceramic relief sculpture for Southwest General Hospital in Berea, Ohio. Smith was also an educator who taught workshops on various techniques out of his own studio and in other locations around the country.