He glows Theopolis Smith III

he glows

THEOPOLIS SMITH III

By Hillary Knipstein | Photo by DJ Eclyps of Black Light Media

After a moment of existential despair over a pile of dirty clothes, Theopolis Smith III decided to claim his power and passion for art. Phresh Laundry emerged, and his art is—quite literally—changing the face of Fort Wayne.

Smith got his start working with murals when his grandmother commissioned one for her daycare. Since then, he has helped establish Fort Wayne’s budding public art scene. His vibrant “I Scream Fort Wayne” mural on Pearl Street features the Allen County Courthouse rotunda as an ice cream cone. He also created the “Better Together” mural on the Friendly Fox.

He also creates portraits, album covers, digital art and more. Currently, his favorite medium is acrylic and oil paints. He’s also obsessed with his iPad, which gives him more freedom to sketch when he’s outside of his studio. Now, he’s working to create a solo gallery show, which he hopes will launch in 2021 or 2022, and he’s working on a mural at Spiece Fieldhouse. Smith’s credits his art for helping him provide commentary and explore emotions underlying certain topics, including race and social justice issues. He says he’s surprised—in a good way—at the response to his art.

“It shows that people can understand and relate,” he said.

Smith is a self-taught artist, and his education began early. One of his early memories identifying himself as an artist was during his elementary school years in St. Louis, when an art museum displayed his work. When his family moved to Fort Wayne, he found mentors at Geyer Middle School and Southside High School who encouraged him to keep creating. For years after college, he worked full-time as a banker, committing his free time to his art.

In 2020, Smith was able to leave banking to pursue his art full-time, and it has taken off like wildfire. He now manages his own schedule and spends his days meeting with clients, sketching, painting and planning future projects.