WELCOME FROM THE DIRECTOR :

SMoCA brings art, architecture and design to Arizona to challenge expectations. We are not a museum filled with random selections of art from the past; rather we engage the thoughts and concerns of the present. The ideas that interest, trouble and perplex you are the same that artists investigate in exhibitions at the museum.

What is a museum? A place to view and think about art, certainly. But SMoCA strives to be much, much more. With last year's opening of SMoCA Lounge--a space designed by Janis Leonard and programmed by our capable staff--the Museum officially announced that it exists as a community space for creativity, imagination, fun and contemplation. The Lounge provides us a venue to present a new film series curated by No Festival Required; twine the words of writers and live music during our new Lit Lounge events; educate about the history of art while eating lunch throughout a Brown Bag Lunch lecture; give money back to the art community by voting at the end of a Good 'N Plenty Artist Grant event; and arm wrestle for a work of art. If all of this activity sounds like too much for one space, visit and you will discover that we offer even more. Many of the exhibitions this seasons also examine the nature, limitations and possibilities of community. West of Center: Art and the Counterculture Experiment in America, 1965-1977, Architecture + Art: Hector Zamora and Paolo Soleri: Mesa City to Arcosanti all emphasize the unique ways the western landscape and heritage has informed our communities. And this fall we are adding a new member to our SMoCA community: Emily Stamey, Ph.D. Emily will be our new Associate Curator and her first major exhibition will be presented throughout the summer of 2013. Stamey's exhibition titled Stocked: Contemporary Art from the Grocery Aisles will present some of the most talked about artists in the contemporary art world. If you are not familiar with the artists, however, you will recognize their smart and often humorous riffs on grocery store products.

Join us, join the fun. 
Tim Rodgers, Director, SMoCA

ARCHITECTURE :

Designed by award-winning architect Will Bruder, SMoCA's minimalist building (an ingenious renovation of a former movie theater) has five galleries for showcasing changing exhibitions and works from the Museum's growing permanent collection.

Global in its focus, SMoCA is a gathering place for experiencing contemporary art and culture. We connect visitors to dynamic art and ideas of our time and explore the possibilities of innovation, creativity and expression. As a unique and vital cultural resource for the southwest, SMoCA offers a variety of exhibition-related programs and special events with activities for lifelong learners, from preschool to adulthood. The tailored programs (lectures, docent-led tours, workshops and classes) are designed to serve as a forum for interpreting culture through contemporary visual art.

SMoCA BOARD 2012-2013 :

Oscar De Las Salas
Michael DiGrazia
Sydney Dye
Paul Giancola
Dawn Kennedy
Laura Kennedy
Dorothy Lincoln-Smith
Susan Magee
Genny Matteucci
Michael Medici, (Chair)
Tom Morgan
Alice Olsan
Nancy Sage
Michelle Stuhl
Dena Walker

CORPORATE PARTNERS LINK

The Scottsdale Cultural Council, a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) management organization, administers the arts and cultural affairs of the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, and manages the Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and the Scottsdale Public Art Program.