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.
From Form to Symbol: An Aesthetic and Cultural Interpretation of a Tang Dynasty Mirror
Gengwei Guo (he/him) is a second-year M.A. student specializing in Chinese painting and calligraphy at UMass Amherst.
What Makes Medieval Art Sing?
Hear from guest blogger Cecily Hughes, graduate student intern and MA candidate at UMass Amherst, about her work this past summer at SCMA. Find out what interests her most about Medieval art and how she contributed to an upcoming exhibition featuring some of the works in the collection. In this blog post, Cecily discusses Blessing of Saint or St. John the Evangelist by an unknown French artist.
Journey on the Ship of Fools: From the Republic to the Butcher’s Bill
Hannah Goeselt ’20 reflects on the history of single leaves from rare books being acquired by museums.
Staff Picks: Dieter Roth's "Small Sunset"
Curator Aprile Gallant discusses a print by Dieter Roth that uses unconventional materials.
Poems and Prints: On Environmental Activism and Collective Gathering
Indigo Casais ’23 considers collective action in the context of environmental activism.
Staff Picks: William Merritt Chase's "View of Fiesole"
A small landscape by the American painter William Merritt Chase in the SCMA collection holds personal resonance for Danielle Carrabino, Curator of Painting and Sculpture.
Staff Picks: Oskar Kokoschka’s “Scottish Landscape with Sheep”
Financial & Systems Coordinator Jess Henry-Cross reflects on Oskar Kokoschka's "Scottish Landscape with Sheep" and the memories of adventurous serenity it brings back for her.
Staff Picks: Eric Avery’s “Blood Test”
Museum Store Manager Justin Thomas shares his thoughts on Eric Avery’s "Blood Test" and discusses the connections the print exposes between the COVID-19 pandemic and the AIDS crisis.
Staff Picks: Wood Gaylor's "Posters"
Jessica Nicoll, Director and Louise Ines Doyle ’34 Chief Curator, shares the history and present-day activity of a painting by Wood Gaylor.
Poems and Prints: Meditations on the Sea
Indigo Casais ’23 writes about the theme of the ocean in works by poet Lucille Clifton and artist Goto Hidehiko.
Happy Birthday, Artemisia Gentileschi!
This blog celebrates Artemisia Gentileschi on her 458th birthday as a trailblazer for women artists who followed.
Staff Picks: Milton Avery's "Gulls and Sea"
Assistant Preparator Matt Cummings reflects on a work in SCMA's collection by Milton Avery.
Printmaker Barry Moser on Bringing Frankenstein to Life
"When you see an image that I’ve done and you see it in a way that I hadn’t, that’s what makes it alive."
