There’s a story behind every sign.

If you’ve spent any time at Brownfield’s over the years, you’ve seen the work of Smith Sign Studio whether you realized it or not. Beyond a sign, what you were really seeing was the craftsmanship and heart of Kent Smith, a man who didn’t just make signs, but he helped shape the visual landscape of Estes Park.

The Smith family story stretches all the way back to the late 1700s—wheelwrights in Scotland and England who not only built wagons, but carefully lettered, gilded, and striped them by hand. That same attention to detail carried across generations, eventually becoming what we now know as Smith Sign Studio.

In Denver in 1928, that craft took a new shape when Howard F. Smith opened his own sign shop. His son Kent would later join him, learning the trade the old way—by hand, by practice, and by watching closely. By the time Kent was a child, he was already learning to letter before most kids could even write their names. Over the years, he carried that legacy forward blending old-world craftsmanship with new techniques, but never losing the soul of the work. And, of course, he raised his children and grandchildren with paintbrush in hand and learning to gold leaf as a rite of passage. Smith Sign Studio ran successfully in Greeley, Colorado before the Smith family moved to Estes Park in 2011.

Kent designed Brownfield’s signs in 2011 when we transitioned from a trading post to a souvenir and outdoor gear store. Then in 2020, when we updated our building colors, Kent came back with his grandson, Blake, to reinstall and refresh them. There was something special about watching a grandfather passing down not just a trade, but a legacy. Sadly, in 2025, Kent passed away. And like so many in this town, we felt that loss deeply.

So when it came time to give Brownfield’s another facelift in 2026, we had a decision to make. Start fresh or hold onto something special? For us, it wasn’t really a question. We wanted Kent’s work to remain visible for as long as possible. We reached out to his daughter, Audri, who has taken over the business, hoping the story could continue.

And it did.

What followed wasn’t just a project. It was a family stepping up together, carrying forward a passion for excellence and the vision of a beloved leader. Kent’s granddaughter, Kaesi, carefully repainted each sign with incredible detail. His grandson, AJ, helped strip away the old vinyl, preparing the way for something new. And Audri led it all—designing, painting, and guiding the process with the same steady care that defined her dad’s work for so many years.

As we stand back and look at the finished signs, we see beyond the new colors and fresh paint. We see continuity. We see heritage. We see a family honoring a man and his life living on through them.

We can’t help but believe Kent would be extraordinarily proud.

This is the best of Estes Park. It is our hope to see business after business work to preserve our rich roots while embracing improvements that continue to elevate our community. We sincerely thank the Smith family for this labor of love. It’s an honor to hang both your work and your story on our walls.