Join Chef Art Smith to learn about his culinary journey and bring some culinary inspiration into your holiday season.
A two-time James Beard Foundation award winner, Smith believes “The art of cooking, the act of feeding people, is the most engaging, most memorable way to connect with people.”
Smith began his career at the Florida Culinary Institute and honed his skills working with top chefs in France before finding himself in Chicago. Here, he served as Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef for a decade and opened his first critically acclaimed restaurant, Table Fifty-Two, known for its modern Southern dishes and locally sourced ingredients.
Smith is also a prolific cookbook author and TV personality who shares his passion for Southern cuisine. He has appeared on Top Chef, Top Chef Duels, Top Chef Masters, Iron Chef America, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, BBQ Pitmasters, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and more.
Named Chicagoan of the Year by Chicago Magazine and Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation, both in 2007, Smith is currently Executive Chef and Co-Owner with restaurants in Chicago, Orlando, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. He founded Common Threads, a non-profit organization teaching low-income children to cook wholesome, affordable meals.
Smith will be joined in conversation by Monica Eng, an award-winning Chicago journalist, and co-host of the food podcast Chewing with Louisa Chu.
ILP is committed to inclusion and accessibility. To request accommodations, please email illinoislibrariespresent@gmail.com
This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present (ILP), a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. ILP is partly funded by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of the Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) provisions.
Conveniently located at the corner of Race and Green in downtown Urbana.
