Mapping a Shifting Narrative at the Museum

Jackie Walker ‘26 is a Psychology major and Studio Art Minor. They have worked as an Academic Programs Assistant at the SCMA since 2025.

In February, the SCMA Academic Program Assistants (AcPros) celebrated the first complete iteration of the SCMA sensory map with mentor, Charlene Shang Miller, and the Education Department. In conjunction with the accessibility goals of SCMA’s current exhibition, Don’t mind if I do, the museum began offering more sensory-friendly resources. Work on the sensory map began in fall 2025, and was completed in early spring 2026.
 

Three young people standing in front of the exhibition title wall for Don’t mind if I do, and holding final versions of the SCMA sensory map. All three of them are smiling widely.
Two People looking at an exhibit in a gallery. Another photo of a person drawing at a table.

May 8 Second Friday

4–8 pm
Smith College Museum of Art

May 8, 2026 | 4–8 pm
Smith College Museum of Art
Free and open to the public 

Second Friday Schedule
4–7 p.m.: Hands-on Art Making
Location: Boeckman Sculpture Court (Museum Atrium)
Try your hand at "felt sushi" with artist Paige Quinn-Vasic. Learn a unique wet-felting technique to create colorful, swirly soft sculptures. All ages are welcome to participate! 

6–6:45 p.m.: Gallery Talk 
Location: Third Floor

Graphic that includes event information all surrounded by pastel child-like images of felt sewn suns, chicks and eggs

FRAME ME! at SCMA—Student event

4–6 pm
Museum Atrium/Boeckman Sculpture Court, adjacent to SCMA's first floor level

Inspired by a path, a sea, a love (2024) by Suchitra Mattai, the Mwangi Cultural Center and SCMA invite you to an afternoon of unity, solidarity and community. We welcome you to bring friends, decorate a felt frame, create a polaroid, enjoy snacks, and engage in a collaborative celebration of culture, heritage, and diversity at Smith and beyond!

Two circles, one with a portrait of a woman and the other with a Renaissance painting by Caravaggio.

SCMA Conversations: Decoding Caravaggio: Mysteries and Attributions in Sicily

12–1 p.m.
Virtual Event

Join Danielle Carrabino, SCMA Curator of Painting and Sculpture, for a detective-style exploration of Caravaggio’s little-known Sicilian period. Examine disputed works through technical analysis, historical records, and stylistic comparisons, then join the discussion to weigh the evidence and consider their true authorship.

Graphic of 9 orange and red circles in a row on top of each other with the Smith logo in yellow inside one of the circles

Smith Arts Day 2026

10 a.m.–9 p.m.
SCMA/Smith College

Attend a daylong art celebration at Smith! This year’s festival features over 40 events across campus from hands-on workshops to performances and exhibitions. Learn more here. 

At the Smith College Museum of Art join a Student Educator tour (1:15 p.m.) & view a Campus School sixth-graders' pop-up. 

Person in circle frame and pom pom in circle frame: The Art of the Circle: Pom-Pom Making Felicia Griffin SCMA Conversations

SCMA Conversations: The Art of the Circle: Pom-Pom Making with Felicia Griffin

1–2 p.m.
Hybrid

Join artist Felicia Griffin for an engaging workshop, available both in-person and online, and discover the joy of creating her iconic Pom-Poms. Griffin, whose work is featured in the current exhibition Don’t mind if I do (on view through June 28), invites participants to experiment with colorful yarns and cardboard tubes, exploring different hues, textures, and materials to craft what she calls “the circle within.”

Image reads: Wrestling Embrace: Observing Connection and Reflection, Jeff Kasper, SCMA Conversations with picture of person in circle

SCMA Conversations: Wrestling Embrace: Observing Connection and Reflection

12–1 p.m.
Virtual Event

Join featured artist Jeff Kasper for Wrestling Embrace, a playful, thought-provoking virtual program exploring connection, trust, and mindfulness. Inspired by his work in Don’t mind if I do (on view through June 28), the session combines a visually rich lecture with short, optional prompts for reflection, journaling, and chat-based sharing.

portrait of two people in circle frames, April 23 Clay, Lacquer, Bamboo: Japanese Art in the Past and Present

SCMA Conversations: Clay, Lacquer, Bamboo: Japanese Art in the Past and Present

12–1 p.m.
Virtual Event

Explore the stunning exhibition Crafting Worlds: Japanese Decorative Arts from the 18th through 21st Centuries with Clara Cho Wun Ma, Jane Chace Carroll Associate Curator of Asian Art, and student research assistant Josie Wong ‘26. Through close looking at Japanese lacquer, bamboo, and ceramics, you'll uncover the remarkable ways Japanese artisans have navigated—and continue to navigate—the delicate balance between honoring centuries-old traditions and forging bold new paths.

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