Theoplis Smith III

Theoplis
Smith III

"Phresh Laundry"

Theoplis Smith III — known widely as Phresh Laundry — is a multidisciplinary artist, muralist, and educator whose work operates at the intersection of portraiture, popular culture, and community identity. Primarily self-taught, Smith has built a body of work that speaks for itself: technically refined, conceptually bold, and deeply rooted in the places and people he serves.

By day, this South Side Highschool graduate teaches visual arts and entrepreneurship at Amp Lab at Electric Works through Fort Wayne Community Schools, equipping the next generation with both creative language and the business fluency to sustain a life in art. It is a practice he lives out loud: his own creative enterprise, Phresh Laundry, models exactly what he teaches.

Smith’s civic footprint in Fort Wayne runs deep. He serves on the board of the Downtown Improvement District, championing urban investment and economic vitality, and holds an appointment to the Public Art Commission by Mayor Tom Henry, shaping where, how, and for whom public art lives in the city. His murals at Electric Works, named Project of the Year, are among the most visible expressions of that mission.

His reach extends well beyond Indiana. Smith’s work has been exhibited at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, home of the Oscars, alongside filmmaker Spike Lee, and is permanently held at the Indiana State Museum. His practice has been featured on PBS NewsHour, and his collector base reflects an audience that recognizes something uncommon: art that is formally inventive and emotionally immediate at once.

Theoplis Smith III is not waiting to be discovered. He is already at work, in the classroom, on the wall, and in the community, making the case daily for what art can do.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​