“Leave Your Baggage at the Door,” a focused retrospective featuring 22 paintings by UW–Madison’s Leslie Smith III, a professor of drawing and painting and chair of the Art Department in the School of Education, will be on view at the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) in West Bend, Wisconsin, through Oct. 11.

The exhibition brings together works created between 2010 and 2024, tracing a pivotal 15-year period in Smith’s artistic evolution. Ranging in scale from intimate to monumental, the paintings highlight the artist’s growing experimentation with form and space.

“As one of Wisconsin’s most compelling contemporary artists, Leslie Smith III continues to expand the possibilities of painting,” says 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. After relocating from New York City to Wisconsin, he granted himself permission to begin painting in an entirely new, more abstract way.

Embracing this more intuitive 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,” says Jane Aspinwall, MOWA’s deputy director.

MOWA will host a series of programs in conjunction with the exhibition, including a hands-on painting class led by artist Taj Matumbi, Smith’s former mentee, on Sept. 19, as well as curator-led tours with Szolwinski and Brianna Cole, the museum’s Mona Boulware Webb Curatorial Engagement Fellow.

Learn more about the exhibition.