Tieshka K. Smith, MPM
Visual Storyteller | Writer and Author | Speaker | Arts Consultant & Project Manager
Tieshka K. Smith is a Philadelphia-based visual storyteller, writer, speaker, and arts consultant whose dynamic practice spans over a decade of exploring American identity through the intersections of race, class, and neighborhood change. A masterful photographer, Tieshka's lens captures powerful narratives that challenge inequities and amplify the voices of marginalized communities. Her work interrogates placemaking, civic identity, and how cultural narratives are shaped and contested.
As the founder of TKenzi Enterprises, LLC, Tieshka has showcased her work in numerous exhibitions and community projects, both locally and nationally. Her photography has been exhibited at esteemed venues such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and the Germantown Historical Society. A selection of her most enduring work is featured in Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival (2015–2022), a book that documents seven years of her nearly decade-long collaboration with the Johnson House Historic Site.
Beyond her artistic practice, Tieshka has served as an artist-in-residence, curator, and consultant on numerous arts-based community engagement projects. Her collaborative projects include the Stand With Ukraine Listening Loom, created with textile artist Kathryn Pannepacker, and her leadership on community listening sessions and creative programming with Networks for Training and Development, Inc. She also held a teaching residency with Eastern University's Prison Education Program, where she co-organized exhibits and public programs showcasing the creative talents of incarcerated students.
Tieshka's accolades include grants and awards from #ARTisPHL, the Philadelphia Assembly, and the Fund for Germantown, reflecting her commitment to fostering resilience and innovation through her work. Her projects, such as #RacismIsASickness, demonstrate her ability to pair art and activism to engage with complex social issues in meaningful ways.
A prolific writer and public speaker, Tieshka has been featured at conferences, academic institutions, and community events, sharing her insights on topics ranging from the power of photography as a tool for social change to the role of art in addressing systemic inequities. Her thought leadership is further exemplified in her written contributions to Broad Street Review and forthcoming publications on restorative practices in education through art.
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Tieshka holds a Master of Project Management from Keller Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Northwestern University. She has also completed training in trauma-informed best practices for teaching artists and has extensive experience and training in grant writing, project management, and community development.
With her deep commitment to fostering connection, creativity, and critical dialogue, Tieshka K. Smith continues to use her talents to uplift communities and reimagine how art and storytelling can inspire collective action and social change.