DJ’s in the Museum! A Student-Centered Collaboration with Music and Art with the Smith College Radio Station

Maegan “Cloud” Osmond ‘24 is an Art History major with a Museum Concentration. They were the Program and Interpretation Assistant at the Smith College Museum of Art in Spring 2023 where they partnered with student organizations across campus and helped plan for future student collaborations. 

After a busy week of classes in March 2023, students were invited to the Smith College Museum of Art to enjoy a night of music, art and friends during an event called “Art on Air.” The program was the result of a museum partnership with The Smith College Radio Station, WOZQ 91.9fm. Working as the Program and Interpretation Assistant in the Education department, I was able to help co-organize this event with museum staff and student collaborators. The museum invited WOZQ DJs Jennie Matthewson ’23, Minha Virk ‘25, Kaia Austin ’25, and Lilly Watson ’25  (all of whom also are student workers at SCMA) to take inspiration from art in the galleries to create original playlists. Many of the student DJ’s picked specific artworks and an overarching theme as inspiration. On the day of the event, students were given a zine handout (which I designed!) which included information about what art pieces the DJ’s picked out and a code for students to scan on their phone that directed them to the playlist. Students walked around the galleries listening to music. 

 Students in the galleries attending the “Art on Air” event. Left: Photo by Emily Drennan ‘23 courtesy of WOZQ Instagram. Right: Photo by Cloud Osmond ‘23

So why bring music into the museum? Museums (SCMA included) are so often perceived as quiet places of contemplation. Getting to work with WOZQ made me think about the potential for museums to be multisensory spaces where students can enjoy music, visual art, and the museum’s spaces with friends all at once. The playlists also allowed student DJs to tell personal stories through a creative lens. Emily Drennan '23 WOZQ Co-Station Manager reflected on the event, sharing “Music taste is such an intimate element of most Smithies' identities, so it felt important to honor and showcase that through this event. Our first “Art On Air” DJs (Jennie, Minha, Lilly, and Kaia) brought a breadth of knowledge from their SCMA student work to their impeccable music choices. I am so grateful that through thoughtful collaboration between WOZQ and SCMA, we were able to uplift the creativity of our community members in a fun and engaging way.”
 

WOZQ Board members and co-organizers Suzanna Strauss ’24, Minha Virk ’25, and Emily Drennan ’23.
 

As the student worker helping co-organize this event, I found this collaboration meaningful because it brought multiple students’ perspectives and voices together, offering insights into the ways they understand art and the objects on display. Using music as a form of interpretation invited participants to create associations, reflect, and make meaning about the works of art they saw, even without a deep prior knowledge about art or museums. I believe that by bringing in a range of student voices, interests, perspectives allows for more variety in topics being discussed and considered about the objects on display. 
 

Polaroids captured the four DJ’s Jennie Matthewson ‘23, Minha Virk ‘25, Kaia Austin ‘25, and Lilly Watson ’25 with an art piece that inspired their playlist alongside the cover of the zine handout designed by Cloud Osmond. Polaroids taken by Cloud Osmond ‘23. Photograph by Nina Peláez, Associate Director of Learning & Interpretation.

When I talked with the program participants about their experience with this program, they highlighted the ways this experience shifted their perception of the museum and created room for playfulness and imagination. Jennie Matthewson, '23, she/her, SCMA Student Worker and student DJ for WOZQ, shared:  “I've become so used to looking at the collection that I often don't really look at it anymore, but I loved doing “Art on Air” because it let me get fun and imaginative with the collection again and reminded me what works I really love and am going to miss when I graduate.” 

One of the main goals for this event was to start bringing in more students and student organizations in the museum. As we look toward next year, we are excited to continue partnering with WOZQ and other student organizations. I hope to continue to work with SCMA to reach out to other student groups and work with students to push museum boundaries and create more opportunities for students to associate the museum as a place to be with their friends and peers outside of an academic context.