Leon Polk Smith

Hiding in Plain Sight

Heard Museum

Enter slideshow

Leon Polk Smith, one of the most significant American artists of the 20th century, has been studied and celebrated through major exhibitions, publications, and scholarship over many years—and yet, a significant source of inspiration and influence on his artistic production remains largely unexplored.

The Heard Museum in Phoenix, AZ takes visitors on a visual journey that starts in Oklahoma Territory, where Smith was born and raised surrounded by Indigenous people and culture, to New York City where he would become a founding icon of mid-century modern art.

On view February 5 – May 31, 2021.