in 1986 smith began fourteen years of often twelve-hour-day cathartic creative work on his home in aurora, illinois as an art environment. he said god told him to make art as a weapon to combat his depression, pain and anger. he built sculptures and monuments to memorialize moments in black history and racism. he began with his own experience and struggle as a us marine corps veteran and has documented moments before american slavery through the present. he established this outdoor museum as the non-profit african american history museum and black veteran's archive. his aurora site culminated in 600 sculptures and 150 fixed pieces. the art institute of chicago named his museum a millennium site in 1999.