West Bend, WI – Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) is thrilled to present Leave Your Baggage at the Door, a focused retrospective featuring 22 paintings by artist Leslie Smith III. The exhibition brings together works created between 2010 and 2024, tracing a pivotal 15-year period in Smith’s artistic evolution. The works on view range from intimate-scale to monumental, highlighting the artist’s growing experimentation with form and space. The exhibition is on view August 1 though October 11.
“As one of Wisconsin’s most compelling contemporary artists, Leslie Smith III continues to expand the possibilities of painting,” said Thomas Szolwinski, Curator of Architecture and Design at MOWA. “Through color, form, and shape, his work examines memory, emotion, and human connection. Leave Your Baggage at the Door highlights the evolution of his practice from traditional rectangular canvases to increasingly complex, multi-panel compositions that challenge conventional ideas of abstract painting.”
Leave Your Baggage at the Door marks an important turning point in Smith’s career as he moved away from old expectations and habits from a life in New York City to his new home in Wisconsin—granting himself permission to begin painting in an entirely new, more abstract way.
Embracing a more intuitive and abstract approach, Smith’s distinct visual language reveals deeply personal experiences, delivering richly layered compositions and evocative titles encouraging visitors to discover their own interpretations.
“Smith’s work invites viewers to an experience of close looking. An opportunity to quiet your mind and notice subtle gradations of color or tension between line and form—this show offers a much-needed respite from today’s busy world,” said Dr. Jane Aspinwall, MOWA’s Deputy Director.
Smith grew up in metropolitan Washington, DC, and now lives in Madison, Wisconsin. He earned his BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and his MFA from Yale University. Smith is currently professor of drawing and painting and Art Department Chair at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
MOWA will host a series of events and exhibition activities to accompany Leave Your Baggage at the Door. On Saturday, August 8, Smith will give an Artist Talk at 1 p.m., followed by an Opening Party from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Exhibition activities include a hands-on painting class with fellow artist and Smith’s mentee Taj Matumbi on September 19 as well as curator tours led by Thomas Szolwinski and Brianna Cole, the museum’s Mona Boulware Webb Curatorial Engagement Fellow.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART
A vital cultural center, educational institution, and an expanding network of ideas, the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) collects and interprets American art through the lens of a single state. Informed by dynamic initiatives and collaborations, MOWA is an innovative forum for contemporary artists, socially relevant exhibitions, lectures by artists and industry experts, and engaging classes and activities for all ages.
MOWA has two permanent venues—the West Bend “Mothership” and MOWA | DTN in downtown Milwaukee’s Saint Kate—The Arts Hotel—as well as two partnering community organizations that create access across the state. MOWA annually welcomes 225,000 visitors, making it a cultural destination for the art and artists of our time.
