Lillian E. Smith Center

The Lillian E. Smith Center serves as an educational center and an artist retreat and falls under the guidance of Piedmont University. The Center is named for the civil rights stalwart and highly acclaimed author of Strange Fruit and Killers of the Dream and is located on the property where she lived and worked in Clayton, Georgia. With over 150 acres in the Northeast Georgia Mountains, the Center is surrounded by beauty and is an ideal location for recreational, social, and instructional activities.

The LES Center not only offers an important source of inspiration and encouragement for students, it also helps honor and foment the next generation of artists, writers, and educators through residencies and awards. The LES Center is known throughout artist communities and has a presence across the spectrum of social media.

Why Donate to LES?

The Lillian E. Smith (LES) Center offers a wholly unique and important source of inspiration for artists, writers, and educators, and Piedmont is honored to play a role in its important work. The LES Center also relies on donations from individuals to fund facility improvements and provide enriching experiences for Piedmont students and artists-in-residence. Piedmont is eternally grateful for every donation to the LES Center.