Mr. (Craig Mitchell) Smith goes to Washington

Friday, June 1 — Glass artist and gallery owner Craig Mitchell Smith is in Washington today as part of the Michigan Business Leaders Briefing, an economic briefing hosted by the White House Business Council and Business Forward. The event is described as a one-day forum on jobs and the economy, addressing the employment picture in Michigan and investigating how government and the private sector can assist in the economic recovery.

A self-taught artist, Smith opened the Craig Mitchell Smith Glass Gallery three and a half years ago in the Meridian Mall after successful shows at Cooley Gardens, Dow Gardens and Michigan State University.

This isn't Smith's first brush with the White House: He designed limited-edition ornaments for the White House Christmas tree in 2010.