SMoCA Discovery Program

Contemporary art (or art of the NOW) reflects culture and society today. Teachers, students, and general audiences thus have a unique opportunity to consider and discuss current ideas by rethinking what is familiar to us. Using SMoCA’s rotating exhibitions as a learning resource, our tours develop skills in observation, reflection, and inquiry through dialogue, play, and collective meaning-making.  

Using SMoCA’s rotating exhibitions as a learning resource, this three-part exploration includes a pre-visit in-classroom lesson; a field trip to the museum; and a post-visit in-classroom activity. Each engagement opportunity directly addresses Arizona Visual Arts standards by creating, responding, and connecting to visual art.  

Before the museum visit, our educator facilitates an in-classroom lesson to introduce the topics that will be discussed and familiarize students with contemporary art concepts and the current SMoCA exhibitions. The museum field trip includes an hour-long exploration of SMoCA’s rotating exhibitions in which visitors gain a greater understanding of how to look at contemporary art through inquiry and in-gallery activities. After the visit, students participate in an in-classroom visual arts workshop related to themes explored during the tour.  

Length: three one-hour sessions
Grades: best for schools and K–12 learners
Capacity: 30 students
Cost: $100 per classroom

Museum programs are fully booked this year. We will begin taking bookings for the fall exhibitions on August 12, 2024.

SMoCA Gallery Tours

The SMoCA Gallery Tour is an hour-long exploration of SMoCA’s rotating exhibitions. Through inquiry and in-gallery activities, visitors better understand how to look at contemporary art.

Length: one hour
Capacity: 20 people
Cost: $5 per person plus museum admission

SMoCA school programs sponsored by: