UW–Madison’s Leslie Smith III, a professor in the School of Education’s Art Department, is a recipient of a 2022 Joan Mitchell Fellowship from the Joan Mitchell Foundation.

The fellowship annually awards 15 artists working in the evolving fields of painting and sculpture with $60,000 each in unrestricted funds, distributed over a five-year period. In addition to the monetary award, Fellows are invited to participate in one-on-one professional practice consultations; convenings that cultivate a peer learning community; and programs that focus on personal finance, legacy planning, and thought leadership, among other opportunities.

“We are excited to welcome the next cohort of Joan Mitchell Fellows, a group whose life experiences and work capture an incredible spectrum of creative visions, artistic approaches, and career stages,” says Christa Blatchford, executive director at the Joan Mitchell Foundation. “This Fellowship upholds the basic but profound belief that multi-year financial support can be transformative for artists, and that increased access to individuals, resources, and practical tools can enrich their practices over time.”