Robert J. Smith, III

Hometown – Plantation, FL
Undergrad – Brown University, BA, Africana Studies/Gender and Sexuality Studies
Graduate School – University of Minnesota, 2017, MA American Studies/Art History
Current – Program Officer, Thriving Cultures, Surdna Foundation

Dedicated to harnessing the power of art and culture to advance social and racial justice, Robert Smith III currently serves as Program Officer for Thriving Cultures at the Surdna Foundation in New York City. The Thriving Cultures Program seeks to foster the conditions in which artists of color can unleash their radical imaginations to create a more just and equitable world.

Robert has held positions at National Public Housing Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Walker Art Center, Minnesota Historical Society, and OutRight Action International. He has served on the boards of Project Fierce Chicago, a grassroots response to LGBTQ youth homelessness; PFund Foundation, an LGBTQ community foundation based in Minneapolis; and the Brown University Alumni Association. Born and raised in South Florida, he is a graduate of Brown University and the University of Minnesota.