In 2012, Smith was awarded an honorary doctorate in fine arts from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Following conferral of her degree, Smith delivered the commencement address and played two songs along with long-time band member Lenny Kaye. In her Pratt Institute commencement address, Smith said that when she moved to New York City in 1967, she would never have been accepted into Pratt but most of her friends, including Mapplethorpe, were students at Pratt, and she spent countless hours on the Pratt campus. She added that it was through her friends and Pratt professors that she learned many of her own artistic skills.
In 2012, Smith was awarded an honorary doctorate in fine arts from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Following conferral of her degree, Smith delivered the commencement address and played two songs along with long-time band member Lenny Kaye. In her Pratt Institute commencement address, Smith said that when she moved to New York City in 1967, she would never have been accepted into Pratt but most of her friends, including Mapplethorpe, were students at Pratt, and she .spent countless hours on the Pratt campus. She added that it was through her friends and Pratt! professors that she learned many of her own artistic skills.