Seton Smith Donates 250 Prints to New York Library

The extensive donation of Kiki Smith artworks significantly expands the New York Public Library’s existing collection.

Updated on Oct. 22, 2026 in Fine Art

Seton Smith Donates 250 Prints to New York Library

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Should public institutions prioritize hands-on access to rare art over traditional glass-case displays?

Seton Smith has donated 250 prints by Kiki Smith to the New York Public Library. The gift also includes a pledge to donate all future prints by the artist to the institution.

Why it matters

This donation centralizes a vast body of work for public access, moving the collection from private hands into a research-oriented repository. The library intends to maintain these pieces as accessible materials for cardholders.

The collection now includes 280 total prints and 12 artist books, with the new additions spanning works produced from the 1990s to the present. The artist has previously appeared in 5 Venice Biennales.

The players

Seton Smith

She is the benefactor who gifted the extensive print collection to the New York Public Library.

Kiki Smith

She is a renowned artist whose prints spanning the 1990s to the present were donated to the library.

New York Public Library

This major research institution serves as the permanent home and steward for the newly donated print collection.

The details

Library cardholders can access these prints by requesting them as research materials, ensuring they serve as study resources rather than traditional museum exhibits. The donation encompasses works created across several decades of the artist's career.

The earliest works in the newly donated collection were produced in the 1990s.
This gift was announced on October 22, 2026.
Art Week NYC is scheduled to take place from November 11-14, 2026.

Industry Dynamics

This donation aligns with the New York Public Library’s existing Print Collection research access protocols for housing art as study material. It marks a departure from traditional gallery models by prioritizing academic research access over museum-style public exhibition.

Library cardholders can now view these 250 prints by requesting them specifically for use as research materials. This provides direct access to the artist's work without the limitations of a standard museum exhibit schedule.

The takeaway

Art lovers and researchers can take advantage of the library's open request system to study these works in detail. This donation turns the private archive into a public resource for ongoing historical and artistic inquiry.