For new and experienced poets, ages 18 and up.
Free – registration required. 

REGISTRATION IS FULL FOR THE JULY and the AUGUST PROGRAMS.
This program will also run on August 22, 10:30 a.m.– 12:00 p.m. Please select one date when registering.

Join poet and educator Jan Freeman for one of these free Writing Through Art: Poetry Workshops at the Smith College Museum of Art. Together, we will experience the new exhibition Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and, weather permitting, we will visit the Capen Gardens on the Smith College campus as well. Poets will write drafts using paintings by Alma Thomas as portals to open memories, emotion, and experiment with fresh ways of using language.

Join us at SCMA for an evening of artmaking and festivities as we celebrate PreK–12 teachers during Second Friday at SCMA! Educators are encouraged to bring along family and friends for this all-ages program.  The first 50 teachers to check in will receive a swag bag that includes  a drink ticket for wine, beer, or a mocktail in the “teachers’ lounge.”  All welcome. 

4–7 p.m. 
Hands-on artmaking activity developed by Tiphareth Ananda of the Campus School at Smith College. 

4–8 p.m. 

• Explore Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas from the Smithsonian American Art Museum and be the first to schedule a fall visit and learn about our bus subsidy program.

For new and experienced poets, ages 18 and up.
Free – registration required. 

Register

Artful adventures in and around the museum for 2–5 year olds and their caregivers! Explore a different theme each session offered on selected Fridays through the year. This September 4 program will focus on the exhibition Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Registered families can join us in the atrium of the Smith College Museum of Art for open play and art experiences from 9:30–11:30 a.m. Upon arrival, sign up for a museum tour slot for 9:45 a.m., 10:15 a.m., or 10:45 a.m. 

VIRTUAL EVENT

Join SCMA staff and Smith College faculty for a conversation exploring Beyond the Floating World: Viewing Japanese Prints with Smith Faculty, an exhibition born from interdisciplinary collaboration. Hear how faculty from Art History, Chemistry, East Asian Languages & Culture, and History approached SCMA's Japanese print collection through the lens of their teaching, research, and personal experiences, revealing unexpected connections and fresh perspectives on these remarkable works. Inspired by a 2025 faculty convening centered on SCMA's Japanese prints collection, the exhibition reflects the museum's ongoing commitment to collaboration and teaching across disciplines. Through their selections and interpretations, faculty co-curators invite visitors to look beyond traditional narratives and discover new ways of engaging with Japanese woodblock prints.

Join us for the celebratory reception of Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, a special exhibition at SCMA featuring paintings from the world's largest public collection of Alma Thomas's work. Organized around the themes of Space, Earth, and Music, the exhibition invites you to experience Thomas's radiant use of color and the joyful vision that shaped her singular artistic practice. 

Enjoy an evening of refreshments, friends, and the galleries as you explore these luminous paintings. Registration is encouraged, but not required. Save your free spot. 

Register

Join Friends of the Museum for a special guided tour of Beyond the Floating World: Viewing Japanese Prints with Smith Faculty. Led by Clara Cho Wun Ma, Jane Chace Carroll Associate Curator of Asian Art; Charlene Shang Miller, Educator for Academic Programs; and Henriette Kets de Vries, Cunningham Center Manager & Associate Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs. 

Before the tour, join fellow SCMA Friends in the museum lobby beginning at 11:00 a.m. to enjoy seasonal fall treats and browse special finds during SCMA Friends Discount Days, where Friends receive 20% off Museum Shop purchases. 

Register

Join SCMA Curator Emma Chubb and Landscape Curator at the Smith Botanic Garden Lily Carone for a virtual SCMA Conversations program exploring the connections between Alma Thomas's vibrant abstract paintings and landscape design. Through conversation and close looking, they'll examine how rhythm, pattern, color, and the natural world shape both gardens and abstraction.

This event is part of SCMA Conversations: A series connecting audiences with SCMA’s collection. 
Explore art and spark discovery—no matter where you are.

Registration required.

Register

Join Friends of the Museum for a special guided tour of Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Led by Emma Chubb, Charlotte Feng Ford 83 Curator of Contemporary Art, this tour offers a closer look at Alma Thomas's vibrant paintings while exploring the stories, themes, and artistic innovations behind the exhibition.