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.

Mindful Museum Meanderings

March 31, 2025

As a community health organizer, I worked with SCMA over the J-term to develop and refine mindfulness projects in the museum space.

What Belongs in a Museum?

Meredith Diamond '23 is a computer science major and Cunningham Center Assistant. Join her as she talks about a surprising series in the SCMA Collection.

Maker(s): Kelley, Alton; Mouse, Stanley; The Bindweed Press, San Francisco, California (printer); Family Dog Productions, San Francisco, California (publisher) Culture: American (Mouse 1940 - ); American (Kelley 1940-2008) Title: Grateful Dead Date Made: 1966 Type: Poster Materials: offset lithograph printed in color on paper Place Made: United States; California; San Francisco Measurements: sheet: 20 in x 14 in; 50.8 cm x 35.56 cm; image: 18 in x 13 7/16 in; 45.72 cm x 34.13125 cm Narrative Inscription:

What Does It Mean for a Painting To Be "Mughal?"

In this blog post, Shreya Dwibedy ‘22, discusses questions raised by museum database categorization. During her year-long internship with SCMA’s Jane Chace Carroll Curator of Asian Art, Yao Wu, Shreya has been working on the planning of an upcoming Indian and Iranian painting exhibition.

"A portrait of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan reclining on his throne above a richly decorated carpet as he looks out over a landscape of rolling green hills"

One Day This Kid Will Attend The Met Gala: David Wojnarowicz and the Fashion World

Grace Ettinger '22 examines how celebrities and the fashion world interact with queer art. She is currently a Student Assistant at the Cunningham Center for Works on Paper within the SCMA.

Black and white photograph of a young white boy in plaid shirt, surrounded by text by the artist

Reclaiming Language with Marlene McCarty’s Perfect MX Girlfriends (Won’t Smell When Abused)

In this post, Brooklyn Quallen '25 discusses a painting from Marlene McCarty's Crash and Burn series. Brooklyn is a STRIDE scholar currently working with Emma Chubb, Charlotte Feng Ford ’83 Curator of Contemporary Art.

“WON’T SMELL WHEN ABUSED.” “IF IT’S GOT TITS OR WHEELS IT’S GONNA GIVE YOU PROBLEMS.” “BEND OVER, I’LL DRIVE.”

unpainted canvas with blue heat transfer letters across center saying: WON'T SMELL WHEN ABUSED

Stack Town and the Floating Files: A Comic Adventure Through Storage

Ariella Heise '22 shares her experience at the Cunningham Center inspired by the artwork of Trenton Doyle Hancock.

Hand drawn person buzzing into the SCMA Cunningham Center

A Brief History of Mohan Samant's "Three Queens"

In this post, Brooklyn Quallen '25 discusses her research of Mohan Samant's Three Queens. Brooklyn is a STRIDE scholar currently working with Emma Chubb, Charlotte Feng Ford ’83 Curator of Contemporary Art.

woman; costume/uniform; three abstracted figures

Ghosts in the Streets: Whistler and Photography

Amanda Shubert was the 2010-2012 Brown Post-Baccalaureate Curatorial Fellow at SCMA. This article was originally published in the summer of 2012.

street with carts on the road and buildings on either side

A New Perspective: Visiting the SCMA Through my Parents' Eyes

Meredith Diamond '23, a computer science major and Cunningham Center student assistant, explores her experience of visiting the SCMA with her parents. She meditates on her own experience with two specific paintings her parents enjoyed.

two side by sid painting. the first: exterior; rolling low green hills moving back to a blue hill, dark blue sky and pink moon reflecting on the furthest hill. the second: landscape; water; mountain; outdoor; night

A J-term Class about Painted Wood

In a recent J-term course inspired by a forthcoming exhibition at SCMA, Smith students learned about historic painted wood sculpture and tried their hand at painting on wood using traditional materials and techniques. Danielle Carrabino, curator of painting and sculpture, shares her experience teaching this class.

goldfinch sitting atop a pastel blue house on white background

Visiting the Crystal Palace with the Dickinson Brothers

Grace Ettinger '22 is a student assistant at SCMA's Cunningham Study Center. In this blog post, she explores the complicated colonial legacy of the 1851 World's Fair in London using a print by the Dickinson Brothers from the collection.

Large room with tables displaying different products from around the world, including coffee/tea and fruit. Several European people, and one woman of African descent, walk around the room

How Peter Sekaer's Daughter Kept His Legacy Alive

Sophie Poux conducted an interview with Chris Sekaer, daughter of the photographer Peter Sekaer (1901- 1950) regarding her fathers legacy. Sophie was a student assistant in the Cunningham Study Center during the 2018-2019 and 2020-2021 academic years. She graduated from Smith with a BA in Government in May 2021.

girl reaching through a screen door to turn on a light on the right

Maya Lin The Geography Lesson

The exhibition Maya Lin: Mappings opens on January 28, 2022. Organized in cooperation with Maya Lin Studio, it features drawings, prints, sculpture, and an online project, representing some of Lin’s major artistic themes between 1999-2022.