Tieshka Smith

Tieshka K. Smith is a Philadelphia-based visual storyteller, writer, speaker, and arts consultant whose work explores the complexities of American identity through the intertwined forces of race, class, and neighborhood change. For more than a decade, her camera has served as both witness and catalyst—capturing images that challenge inequities, uplift communities, and illuminate stories that are too often overlooked. She is committed to creating photography that holds space for truth while celebrating the resilience, creativity, and brilliance of the people she encounters.

Her documentary work examines how communities define themselves, how culture is expressed in public space, and how narratives about place are shaped, contested, and reclaimed. Guided by a deep belief in the power of storytelling, she approaches her practice with curiosity, intentionality, and an unwavering commitment to justice.

As the founder of TKenzi Enterprises, LLC, Tieshka has led and participated in numerous exhibitions, commissions, and community-based creative projects throughout Philadelphia and across the country. Her work has been featured by institutions including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and the Germantown Historical Society. She is the author of Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival (2015–2022), a project honoring one of the city’s longest-running Juneteenth traditions, its community roots, and the power of joy as resistance.

Tieshka’s collaborative work reflects her passion for collective transformation. Her partnerships include the Stand With Ukraine Listening Loom, created with textile artist Kathryn Pannepacker, as well as creative listening sessions and community engagement initiatives with Networks for Training and Development, Inc. She served as a teaching resident with Eastern University’s Prison Education Program, co-organizing exhibitions and public events that highlighted the artistic excellence and lived experiences of incarcerated students.

Her professional impact includes grants and awards from #ARTisPHL, the Philadelphia Assembly, and the Fund for Germantown, among others. She is the creator of #RacismIsASickness, a long-term art-and-activism initiative confronting the structural and emotional impacts of racism and state-sanctioned violence.

A sought-after speaker and writer, Tieshka has presented at conferences, universities, and community forums, addressing topics such as the role of photography in social change, the ethics of documentary work, trauma-informed creative practice, and community-led cultural preservation. Her writing has appeared in Broad Street Review and in project-based publications focused on restorative practices through the arts.

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Tieshka received her B.A. in English Literature from Northwestern University and holds a Master of Project Management from the Keller Graduate School of Management. She is a Bartol Certified Teaching Artist, with extensive professional experience in grant writing, community development, and arts education.

Through her photography, teaching, writing, and public work, Tieshka remains committed to fostering connection, amplifying community voices, and using the arts as a powerful tool for healing, understanding, and social change.