College students

Smith students are at the heart of SCMA’s mission and vision. There are many ways to get involved at SCMA. Learn, connect, contribute…we invite you to make the museum your own!

Participate in a program

SCMA hosts a range of programs throughout the academic year. Keep an eye on our events page, social media, and E-Digest for more information. Find some information about our exclusive student program highlights below.

Art After-Hours: Student Evenings at SCMA

Save the dates for our monthly after hours events designed exclusively for Smith students in collaboration with students & student orgs across campus. Enjoy artful evenings filled with music, art making, social connection, and more!

Save the dates: March 28, 5–7 PM, April 25, 5–7 PM.

Cromwell Day

Cromwell Day provides dedicated time and space for reflection and education about diversity, racism and inclusion. SCMA participates in this day of programming each year, connecting the museum’s collections and resources to these campus-wide dialogues. Visit the Cromwell Day website for more information.

Craft an experience of your own

Visit with a group

Bring a group of friends, housemates, or your student organization to visit the museum. SCMA welcomes group visits during open hours Tuesday through Sunday 11AM–4 PM. The museum is always free and Smithies are always welcome.

Paid opportunities

Student Employment Opportunities

Departments across the museum offer Smith College students employment opportunities that provide behind-the-scenes work experience. Check for the latest postings and apply through Workday.

Student Museum Educators (SMEs) are paid educators who are trained to lead preK–12 students in looking at and thinking about art through guided conversation, multisensory engagement and writing in the galleries. In this challenging but rewarding position, students can experiment with new ideas and hone a creative teaching practice as they bring their unique interests, personalities and backgrounds to their work. SMEs are supported by extensive training and coaching balanced with hands-on experience. SCMA’s team of SMEs are committed to nurturing an inclusive, accessible and joyful educational experience in the galleries.

Research and study

Museums Concentration

For Smith College students, a concentration combines academic and practical experience, and may be added as an additional program of study. The Museums Concentration gives students a foundation in the history of museums and the critical issues they engage.Through a combination of coursework, practical experiences and independent research, students analyze how institutions shape knowledge and understanding through collection, preservation, interpretation and display of material culture. The Museums Concentration provides a unique opportunity at the undergraduate level for students from a broad range of scholarly disciplines to consider how their academic studies might connect to their future lives and careers. Students are introduced to issues such as community access, cultural ownership and public accountability—areas of study that will be important whatever they decide to do after Smith.

Visit the Museums Concentration website for more information and how to apply.

The Cunningham Center for the Study of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs

The Cunningham Center for the Study of Prints, Drawings and Photographs houses SCMA's collection of more than 23,000 original works of art on paper, dating from the 15th century to the present day. Individuals and groups of up to 30 people are welcome to visit the Cunningham Center by appointment to study or simply enjoy the collection. email us at ccenter@smith.edu to make an appointment or to consult with a staff member about using the collection.

Search the museum’s online database to discover new works on paper on your own. Then, make an appointment to see them for yourself.

Accessing Object Files

SCMA welcomes all visitors, by appointment, to consult collection objects in storage and related research files. To schedule those appointments, please visit: Search the Collection.

Explore the Collection

Learn more about the 29,000+ works of art in the SCMA collection. Explore the museum's full collection through the Five College Collections Database. To view only SCMA’s collection, select Smith College from the drop-down menu. For academic users with Artstor access, images of many of the artworks in our collection are available through that resource.

If you are interested in seeing a painting or sculpture, please contact Robyn Haynie, Collections Manager/Registrar to make an appointment.

If you are interested in accessing prints, drawings or photographs in storage, please contact the Cunningham Center for the Study of Prints, Drawings and Photographs.

Stay in touch

Sign up here to receive our NEW student newsletter–created by Smithies, for Smithies–to get the most up-to-date information about exclusive events and opportunities for students at SCMA.

Follow SCMA on Instagram and Facebook.

Awards

At the end of every academic year, SCMA awards monetary prizes to Smith College students for student art and writing. Learn more about the Tryon Prizes for Writing and Art.