In all my ‘Mischief Makers’ portraits, I celebrate people who have fought for social change through nonviolent action. My friend Patti Smith has done that as an artist and as an environmental activist.

In her history-making career as an international performer and activist, Joan Baez has been on the front lines of just about every nonviolent social justice and human rights movement of the past century. Since she retired from active performing, she has had time to focus her talents on painting and drawing, creating art with a social conscience.

Knowing that Joan had performed in Hobart during her final farewell tour and knew our island state well, the water[shed] exhibition team approached Joan through her gallery Seager / Gray in San Francisco to invite her to participate. Both Donna Seager and Joan responded immediately and enthusiastically. Joan’s stunning portrait of Patti Smith arrived in time for our original exhibition dates back in February but COVID-19 concerns caused a postponement. Incredibly the painting then sold to a US collector and needed to be returned to the buyer before our new August exhibition dates.

Joan and Donna generously organised to produce and donate two archival prints of the painting so the work could still be on the wall for water[shed].