Photographer and art activist Laurie Smith explores the complexities of culture through narrative photography. Since 2016, she has been photographing something close to her heart—her West Texas roots pull her to the U.S.–Mexico borderlands to document the developing events at the border wall. As an art activist, Laurie’s goal is to make people care—to evoke compassion and combat complacency about the migrant crisis. By illuminating the moral and social divisiveness of the current moment, she encourages bipartisan dialogue about legal, fact-based solutions. Laurie approaches her subjects honestly, with only her Leica and a monopod slung over her shoulder to photograph the story unfolding before her.

For more than 30 years, Laurie has photographed food and culture in a reportage style, shooting over 35 cookbooks, and for both regional and national publications, including Denver’s 5280 magazine, Food & Wine, Sunset, and Saveur, traveling on assignment to markets, kitchens, and restaurants across the U.S. and the world.

Living in Colorado, Laurie is often on the road heading to the borderlands to chronicle the immigration story and influence positive change. Since most people can’t be at the wall in person, her photographs are essential because they show the reality on both sides of the wall. Her work has been exhibited in installations throughout the U.S. and featured in publications that highlight social issues.