Chef Art Smith on Common Threads, Losing 100 Pounds, and World Festival Miami: "Educating Children Is the Best Way to Fight Obesity"
Celebrity chef, two-time James Beard Award recipient, and Bravo's Top Chef Masters contestant Art Smith — who lost 100 pounds after his own weight struggle — sat down with Premier Guide Miami's Daedrian McNaughton to discuss his nonprofit Common Threads, which educates children on nutrition and cultural diversity through cooking. Smith collaborated with Miami's Chef Michelle Bernstein (Michy's, Sra. Martinez) to launch World Festival Miami, with proceeds benefiting Common Threads' after-school cooking classes for low-income children ages 8 to 12. Common Threads serves nearly 1,000 children across 18 sites in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and Washington, D.C.
From the Vault · 2010
This is an archival piece from the Premier Guide Miami collection. The coverage, context, and details reflect the time it was originally published.
Celebrity chef, two-time James Beard Award recipient, and Bravo's Top Chef Masters contestant Art Smith — who lost 100 pounds after his own weight struggle — sat down with Premier Guide Miami's Daedrian McNaughton to discuss his nonprofit Common Threads, which educates children on nutrition and cultural diversity through cooking. Premier Guide Miami sat down to find out what that means — and what comes next.
Celebrity Chef and Bravo's Top Chef Masters contestant Art Smith — who struggled with his weight and recently lost 100 pounds — believes that educating young children about healthy food habits and practices is the best way to fight obesity. Chef Smith is the founder of Common Threads, an organization dedicated to educating children on the importance of nutrition and physical well-being, and to fostering an appreciation for cultural diversity through cooking.
Chef Art Smith collaborated with Miami Chef Michelle Bernstein, Chef/Owner of Michy's and Sra. Martinez restaurants, along with some of Miami's celebrated chefs to launch World Festival Miami. Proceeds from the event benefit Common Threads Miami's after-school cooking classes for low-income children ages eight to 12 years old.
Common Threads serves nearly 1,000 children across 18 sites in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and Washington, D.C., and has become a respected and well-supported organization among chefs.
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Art Smith is a native of Jasper, Florida, and studied at Florida State University. He began his career at The Greenbrier Resort and the Walt Disney Magic Kingdom College Program, then served as executive chef at the Florida Governor's Mansion. In 1997, he began a 10-year position as personal chef to Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham. He is a two-time James Beard Award recipient — the 2007 Humanitarian of the Year Award and the 2002 Best Cookbook Award for Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family.
In a conversation with Premier Guide Miami's Daedrian McNaughton, Chef Smith discussed the importance of teaching children healthy food and eating habits, his personal weight loss journey, and his collaboration with Chef Michelle Bernstein to launch World Festival Miami.
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