Tieshka Smith ^heart

Tieshka K. Smith, MPM

Creative Storyteller, Strategist & Changemaker

Tieshka K. Smith is a Philadelphia-based visual storyteller, author, curator, and teaching artist whose creative practice spans photography, writing, and community engagement. For over a decade, she’s explored the intersections of race, class, and neighborhood change—using her lens to challenge inequity and celebrate the power of collective memory.

Through photo book projects like Compositions of Black Joy, which chronicles seven years of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival in Germantown, Tieshka documents moments of resilience, joy, and cultural pride that too often go unseen. Her work has appeared in local and national exhibitions, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and the Germantown Historical Society.

Beyond the camera, Tieshka creates spaces for dialogue and reflection. She’s collaborated on community listening projects, held artist residencies (including Eastern University’s Prison Education Program), and partnered with organizations like Networks for Training and Development, Inc. Her initiatives—such as #RacismIsASickness—combine art and activism to confront systemic injustice.

A Chicago native with roots shaped by migration and memory, Tieshka holds degrees in English Literature (Northwestern University) and Project Management (Keller Graduate School of Management). She’s received grants from #ARTisPHL, the Philadelphia Assembly, and the Fund for Germantown, and is trained in trauma-informed teaching practices.

As the founder of TKenzi Enterprises, LLC, Tieshka is pivoting her creative work into publishing and public storytelling—expanding the reach of her projects through books, essays, and gatherings that center Black joy, belonging, and radical imagination. At heart, her mission remains the same: to use art and narrative to spark critical conversations, build connection, and inspire collective action.