The trove of Michael P. Smith archival material now housed at The Historic New Orleans Collection provides the basis for two exhibitions under the single title: In the Spirit: The Photography of Michael P. Smith from The Historic New Orleans Collection. Beyond the Music at The Historic New Orleans Collection focuses on the breadth of Smith's nearly forty-year career. Twenty-Five Jazz Fests at the New Orleans Contemporary Arts Center spotlights Smith's photographs of performers at the world-renowned New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
The exhibition catalog for In the Spirit: The Photography of Michael P. Smith from The Historic New Orleans Collection features essays by Jason Berry, Dan Cameron, and John Lawrence and Jude Solomon and includes a selection of nearly 100 Michael P. Smith photographs from both exhibition venues.