Hear from the Artist: Leslie Turner

For over three decades, The Phillips Collection has honored the artistic talents of its staff through the annual James McLaughlin Memorial Staff Show. This beloved tradition showcases the creative work of museum employees across departments. As part of the exhibition, the “Hear from the Artist” series invites participating artists to lead 15-minute tours of their work, offering visitors personal insights and behind-the-scenes perspectives into their creative process.

About Leslie A. Turner

Leslie A. Turner is a DC-based artist and writer whose complex artworks evoke a distinctive aesthetic reflecting a strong sense of balance and poetic expressiveness. She predominantly employs collage as her medium to craft compelling visual narratives that depict Black subjects intricately fused with elements of nature. Although having no formal training, Turner’s artwork has been exhibited at The Phillips Collection (DC), The Washington Mystics, and continues to garner the attention of private art collectors. As a mother,  museum educator, and community activist, Turner enjoys helping others explore the spaces between the soil and the sun. Turner holds an MA from Duke University.

IMAGE: Leslie A. Turner, Bird Feeder, 2025, Collage on paper