Lucien Smith: Painter Who Built Artistic Communities Dies at 37

Lucien Smith, a New York painter who rose in the early 2010s with his Rain Paintings, has died at 37; he used his early commercial success to fund a Chinatown nonprofit for emerging artists and to launch a restaurant, later creating FOOD in Montauk to merge art with community. His career reflected the art market’s volatility, from a record-setting Winnie‑the‑Pooh painting to periods away from galleries, while he pursued photography, NFTs and resale royalties and continued making work and solo shows. His death was confirmed by close associates and no cause was disclosed.