Rachel Meade Smith

Rachel Meade Smith is a multi-disciplinary professional with a diverse range of roles and expertise. She is a writer, editor, artist, and educator who focuses on civic design, knowledge sharing, and repair skills.123

Professional Roles

• Content & Learning Designer at Civilla, a civic design studio working to improve the social safety net14
• Co-leader of Repair Shop, a public education project aimed at making repair skills accessible and commonplace125
• Creator of Words of Mouth, a donation-based newsletter that shares job opportunities3

Artistic Practice

Rachel specializes in textile arts, particularly weaving, knitting, and darning/visible mending.6 Her artistic work centers on exploring the extraordinary within the ordinary and the concept of "repair" as both a material and philosophical practice.1

Background and Education

• Holds an MA in Design Studies from Parsons School of Design at The New School3
• Previous experience includes:
  • Collaborating with Greenpoint Public Library to develop repair-focused programming
  • Consulting with NYC City agencies
  • Managing editing for scholarly design publications
  • Designing online courses for universities

Rachel's work intersects civic design, art, education, and skill-sharing, with a strong emphasis on making practical and meaningful contributions to community learning and repair culture.13