Jean Smith

Jean Isabel Smith (born 1959) is a Canadian writer, painter and the lead singer of the Vancouver band Mecca Normal. Smith co-founded Mecca Normal with bandmate David Lester in 1981, while the two were working together at a Vancouver newspaper. Considered a forerunner of the 1990s politically charged riot grrrl movement, Mecca Normal is known for the interplay between Smith's vocals and Lester’s guitar, which is equally distinctive and powerful. As a writer of creative fiction, Smith has two published novels. She is a two-time recipient of Canada Council for the Arts awards for creative fiction (2000, 2007) and received a British Columbia Arts Council grant in 2000. Her debut novel, I Can Hear Me Fine, was published in 1993 by Get To The Point Editions and distributed by Arsenal Pulp Press. This was followed by The Ghost of Understanding (Arsenal Pulp Press, 1998), which incorporates lyrics from several Mecca Normal albums. In 2016, Smith launched a significant, ongoing contemporary portrait series aimed at making her paintings financially available to low-income musicians, writers, and artists, while setting aside funds after meeting monthly living expenses to create a free artist residency. Painting daily, she sells the 11x14" acrylic works on Facebook for US$100, a model that has generated widespread coverage for its accessible DIY approach. Chong, Kevin (May 5, 2020). "Rocker Jean Smith Is Pulling through the Pandemic One Painting at a Time". The Tyee. Retrieved 2026-07-05. "Vancouver artist ditches part-time job, sells over 1,500 paintings | CBC Radio". CBC. McDonnell, Evelyn; Vincentelli, Elisabeth (3 May 2019). "Riot Grrrl United Feminism and Punk. Here's an Essential Listening Guide. (Published 2019)". The New York Times. Hopper, Jessica (27 April 2006). "SWF, 45". Chicago Reader. "Smith, Jean". ABC BookWorld. February 15, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2026. "Books: Jean Smith". Jean Smith Writer. Retrieved July 5, 2026. Marino, Nick (January 6, 2021). "The Painter Subverting Art-World Economics, $100 at a Time". The New York Times. Retrieved 2026-07-05. "Vancouver artist ditches part-time job, sells over 1,500 paintings". CBC Radio. September 10, 2020. Retrieved 2026-07-05. "Vancouver painter's $100 Facebook portraits raise more than $150,000 for residency project". The Art Newspaper. September 21, 2020. Retrieved 2026-07-05. Official website