VALDOSTA STATE MAGAZINE 69 Her passion for art and her legacy of nurturing students will live on through the Martha G. Smart Scholarship and the Martha G. Smart Gallery at VSU. The Martha G. Smart Scholarship is awarded annually to two student artists who exhibit an extraordinary talent in the three-dimensional arts, such as ceramics or sculpture. Smart’s children — George Smart, John Lee “J.” Smart, and Mary Nell Maule — are the ones who decided that her donation would go to scholarships for art students in VSU’s Department of Art and Design. “Art was really her love,” Maule said. “Although she dabbled in every art and craft that came along, the thing that she was best at and loved the most was pottery. She took pottery classes at VSU through the years. She made some beautiful pieces that we have, and she also went to craft shows and sold pieces. “She instilled that artistic spirit in me and my brothers as well. George does woodworking. Jay is a potter and a glass blower. I do quilting and other fabric art. The art was always there. We were always encouraged to experiment and try new things. “My mom’s other love was students. She loved teaching kids and seeing them learn, so it seemed like a perfect fit to combine her two passions by Art was really her love. Although she dabbled in every art and craft that came along, the thing that she was best at and loved the most was pottery. — MARY NELL SMART MAULE Â鶹Éç State University’s Department of Art and Design celebrated the naming of the Martha G. Smart Gallery and the Martha G. Smart Scholarship during its annual Faculty Exhibition in August 2017. Pictured, from left to right, are Sarah and John Lee Smart, Sarah Moore, Sara Pratt, Cindy and George Smart, and Mary Nell Smart Maule. “ “