SCMAinsider
SCMAinsider offers dynamic perspectives on the diverse collections and visions that shape the
Smith College Museum of Art.
We welcome contributions from all members of our community and seek to cultivate a range of
voices and experiences. If you want to contribute to the blog, please contact us at scmacuratorial@smith.edu.
Thinking Through Drawing: On View through September 7, 2025
Henriette Kets de Vries is the Associate Curator and Manager of the Cunningham Study Center for Prints, Drawings and Photographs.
The Mystery of Paul Cordes
Despite our significant collection of his work, we have very little information about Paul Cordes' personal life. It seems that the only thing that survives of him is his work.
STUDENT PICKS: Projection of Myth
Fantasy breeds our imagination, and imagination encircles the world.
STUDENT PICKS: Surreal Reality
These art works represent the artists’ attempts to construct reality in their distinctive flavors and find beauty in the seemingly illogical chaos of the surreal space. They seek to explore the connection and the boundary between reality and illusion.
STUDENT PICKS: Nearing the Tipping Point
By depicting and critiquing the effects of human activity on the environment, this exhibit present an argument for sustainability and environmental reconciliation.
Announcing the Student Picks 2016-17 Winners!
The 2016-17 Student Picks Sweepstakes ended last week, and now we are announcing our six winners! Stay tuned for these student-curated art shows throughout the academic year.
Leonard Baskin and Barry Moser
SCMA recently acquired 91 works by Barry Moser, a printmaker at Smith professor. Here, Renee Klann discusses the influence of Leonard Baskin on Moser's work.
Student Picks Sweepstakes--Through September 24!
Every year, six Smith students get the chance to curate a one-day show at the Museum, using works from our very own Works on Paper collection. No application necessary--just fill out a ballot and you're good to go.
Aaron Siskind and Abstract Expressionist Photography
While Kline and other painters were able to create their own composition, Siskind limited himself to what he found. Yet the way he framed his shots emphasized the smaller markings of an ordinary object, lending an entirely new and decidedly expressionist perspective.
August Sander
Known for photographing people from all social and economic circles during the interwar period, Sander worked with his sitters to create an original, iconic image of the person.
Alice and Dorothy in Illustration
Moser saw numerous elements of the stories that mirrored each other, primarily the heroines themselves. Both Alice and Dorothy are kind, sensible young girls caught in strange places and trying to find a way home.
Luxury Objects in the Age of Marie Antoinette: Lace and Porcelain
During the eighteenth century lace adorned almost every ensemble worn by the French aristocracy and the wealthy bourgeoisie.
Luxury Objects in the Age of Marie Antoinette: Writing Utensils
Writing played an important role in eighteenth-century French society. The daily act of corresponding with friends and acquaintances created social and business bonds as well as helped shape the personal identity of the writers.
