About

Artist Statement

My work intertwines traditional stained glass techniques with design elements taken from public infrastructure and transit vehicles—expressing my fascination with both beautiful and utilitarian objects. Using hundreds of hand-cut stained glass pieces, I build sculptures that reference the mundane forms that urban dwellers encounter day-to-day, such as the street sign or subway pole.

Particularly, I’m interested in how an artistic approach to transportation design can challenge the stigmas American society holds around government-funded public spaces. Reimagining these architectural elements of public space into ornate sculptures begs us to question our perception of beauty, dwelling, and community; and to analyze the connections between public transit, class, and mobility. However, the fragile glass is an acknowledgement that beautiful objects alone won’t improve American mobility and urbanism.

Bio

Amanda Smithivas (b. 2003, Chicago) is a sculptor and fabricator best known for her stained glass and metal sculptures, which combine decorative aesthetics and contemporary issues. Amanda has exhibited her work in museums and galleries across the Midwest, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Woman Made Gallery, the Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago, the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, the Var Small Works Gallery, and Vanguard Sculpture Services.

She is a recipient of the 2026 Grilled Cheese Grant and a 1st Place awardee at the 2026 Art Forward Juried Exhibition. Amanda graduated with her BFA from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, and she is based between Milwaukee, WI and Chicago, IL.