Karl B. Smith (KBS) was born in 1950 in Saranac Lake, New York. Karl’s early years were spent in Connecticut and New York. He attended St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH where he graduated Cum Laude. While at St. Paul’s, Smith’s early interest in art was kindled.

In 1972 Karl graduated from Princeton University with a BA in Art History. While at Princeton he studied painting with Esteban Vicente… and was one of the first undergraduates to submit paintings for his thesis. After graduation Smith traveled extensively in Europe, visiting 38 countries.

Art has always been Smith’s motivating force. He painted for ten years while living in the New York neighborhood of Tribeca. Karl was also a studio assistant for a Guggenheim Fellow and manager for a gallery for imported art in the Soho District.

In 1983 Karl Smith moved to Cold Spring on Hudson, NY where he established Turn-of-the Century Art Gallery. While living in Cold Spring, Smith participated in numerous exhibits in the Hudson Valley. He received a grant from the New York State Council for the Arts to produce an exhibit of 50 drawings illustrating historic houses of the Hudson River Valley. The exhibit traveled to six museums and was published as a book in 1989: Hudson Heritage, an Artist's Perspective on Architecture.

Karl moved to Charleston in 1992, where he opened Halcyon Place Gallery on Wentworth Street and a design studio in Folly Beach.  An avid supporter of the arts in Charleston, Smith lends his incredible talent to many worthwhile charities.

Since then, KBS has worked extensively in the historic district of Charleston and the surrounding areas, creating custom artwork for architects, interior designers, builders, homeowners, restaurants and commercial businesses.