Artful Evening: Artist’s Talk with Wilson W. Smith III

Meet a living legend in the world of shoe design! During this Artful Evening, Wilson W. Smith III will speak about his prolific career in the athletic footwear industry. The first Black designer for Nike, Smith has created shoes for Michael Jordan, Andre Agassi, Serena Williams, and many more. After a 41-year career with the company, Smith retired as the Manager of Design Education with Nike’s Blue-Ribbon Studio in 2025. His work has been recognized with a number of prestigious awards, including Nike’s inaugural Design Achievement Award in 2019. In 2024, Detroit’s Pensole Lewis College, the nation’s only design-focused HBCU, dedicated the Wilson W. Smith III Footwear Design Studio. Join us to learn more about the passion and artistry that have driven Smith’s remarkable career and his life’s work in design and education. Following his talk, Smith will be joined by Dr. D’Wayne Edwards for a discussion and Q&A. With a prominent career in the footwear design industry spanning more than 32 years, Dr. Edwards has worked with L.A. Gear, Nike, and Jordan. He is the founder of Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design, the preeminent footwear design school in the world, and has taught and lectured at premier schools, including ArtCenter, Parsons, MIT, and Harvard. This Artful Evening is made possible by generous support from: Richmond Institute for Design + Innovation