ArtCenter Celebrates the Life of Beloved Faculty Member and Former Chair of Product Design, Martin “Marty” Smith

The ArtCenter College for Design community will hold a memorial for Martin “Marty” Smith, former Chair of Product Design, on Saturday, May 21, at the Hillside Campus Ahmanson Auditorium.

With his family at his side, Smith passed away on April 7, following a car accident in late March. As an organ donor, he was able to save three lives.

Smith served as the first Chair of Product Design at ArtCenter, when it first split from a larger Industrial Design program, from 1985 to 2008. His skillful leadership helped build the nationally recognized department at the College today.

In October 2008, he assumed a professorship of industrial design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where he served as Professor Chair of the program. Smith returned to ArtCenter in 2014 to teach product and transportation design.

In his professional life, Smith worked for many years at Designworks USA, where he managed several major automotive design projects for Volvo, Mazda, General Motors, Chrysler and Subaru. As a consultant, he designed products for Avery-Dennison, Reebok, Salomon, Olympus Image Systems, Playtex, and Coca-Cola.

Smith held numerous U.S. and international patents for his designs and inventions. He licensed a half a dozen products to major companies for manufacturing and distribution.

In April, Lorne M. Buchman, President of the ArtCenter College of Design, wrote about Smith’s passing:

“Our hearts go out to Marty’s family – his wife Babette, and his sons Matt and Noah. We extend our deepest sympathies as well to Marty’s brothers and extended family. He was a kind and generous man, a passionate and dedicated teacher, a first-rate designer, a supportive and loyal colleague and a great friend to us all.”

The family has established the Martin Smith Scholarship Fund at ArtCenter College of Design. Donations can be made online through this ArtCenter link. When making online donations, select the “Named scholarship” option and identify “Marty Smith Scholarship” in the pull-down menu.

Alternatively, you may call the Development office at 626 396-4216 to make a gift over the phone or mail a check made out to ArtCenter College of Design with “Martin Smith Scholarship Fund” written in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to ArtCenter Office of Development, 1700 Lida Street, Pasadena, CA 91103.

Saturday’s memorial will be from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.