Jo Smail was born and educated in South Africa. In South Africa she taught in the Fine Art Department of the University of the Witwatersrand, the Johannesburg College of Art and the Johannesburg Art Foundation.

She was represented by the Goodman Gallery. She has taught at the Maryland Institute College of Art since 1988, and is currently represented by Goya Contemporary Art Gallery in Baltimore and Washington. Solo shows include: 2008 McLean Project for the Arts, Mclean, Virginia, 2007 Goya Contemporary, 2006 Axis Gallery, NY, NY. 2004 Heriard-Cimino Gallery, New Orleans, LA. 2004 Goya Contemporary, Baltimore, MD.

She has had reviews published in: The New York Times, Art in America, Art on Paper, City Paper Baltimore, Baltimore Sun and The Hudson Review among others. She has won numerous awards. A selection includes: 2012 The Trawick "Best of the Best" "Sapphire" award, 2007 The Trawick Prize, 2007 Strictly Painting, 2008, 2004, 1995 & 1991 Creative Fellow at the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant.

She is represented in private collections internationally, and in public collections including the National Gallery of South Africa, the Johannesburg Art Gallery, the Chase Manhattan Bank, the Mobil Corporation and The United States Embassy, Johannesburg.