Artful Adventures with Black Art at Smith College

 

The photo above shows sixth graders immersed in the ‘Beacon to the World art exhibit by the Campus School of Smith College (@campusschoolofsmithcollege).

Artful adventures are vital to normalizing and integrating art into an educational experience. Smith College Museum of Art’s (SCMA) art-making activities and engagement with the artworks are primary paths to enjoying the museum. We were impressed that ‘Beacon to the World,’ our Black (African American artists) art gifts on exhibit, inspired art-making projects and provided learning opportunities. 

Art museum learning allows people to open up to new ways of seeing, experiencing, and connecting to themselves, others, and the broader world. In the museum setting, the young and old learn from each other, as well as from docents and guides, museum educators, artists, and professionals.

Here’s an excerpt of how SCMA’s activities and programs direct the local school children and people of all ages:

-Do Art-making at the museum. Visitors are encouraged to use supplies like pencils, crayons, clipboards, and drawing paper from the cart in the coatroom to sketch and write in the galleries.

– Dialogue is encouraged. Visitors are directed to “Add your thoughts and ideas to the Talk Back: Art in Conversation installation on the museum’s lower level. While you’re there, don’t miss the artist-designed restrooms!” 

-Engagement with the art is supported. “Ask children questions to spark discussion. I’m wondering what’s going on in this picture. What do you think? What do you see that makes you say that? What more do you see? What do you think might happen next in this picture? Why? With abstract works of art, invite them to name the feeling that the artwork evokes.”

-Participation is an important activity, especially in SCMA’s family programs, such as Free Second Friday (hands-on art-making for all ages, inspired by works on view).

“Take breaks and return as often as you like.” The atrium next to the museum is available for snack breaks.

-Extend your artful adventure by exploring the beautiful Smith College campus’s outdoor sculptures and the Botanic Garden.  

-For more ideas about visiting with children, email us at museduc@smith.edu

Thanks to a generous gift from alumnae, the Smith College Museum of Art is free to the public.

Second Friday Art-making

Here are some photos from the Second Friday at SCMA in July. Richard Watson’s “Maxine” inspired the art-making activity—photos by Cloud Osmond ’24. 

 

Gallery Talk on Art and Activism with Students

I was honored to lead a ‘Gallery Talk’ with students on campus about the art my husband Byron and I gifted to Smith College. The students explored art and read labeled histories to discover our shared humanity and community.

I was prepared to discuss the arts and activism from a personal perspective. I also wanted to discuss the ‘white gaze’ and the ‘Black Feminist Gaze.’ We will get to those ‘gaze’ topics another time. 

I discussed the Black Arts Movement (which I am a product of), a global cultural arts movement from 1965 to 1975 that was a response to American white supremacy and a way to fortify black – and African American culture. We considered the Black Arts Movement an extension of the Harlem Renaissance in New York. The movement’s goals were artistic, self-empowering, and community-oriented. It included establishing Afrocentric repertory theater companies, discovering and supporting visual artists, and public art projects, and going high-gear into publishing, literary, creative ventures, filmmaking, dance, theater, and more.

Most of the artists featured in our collection were leaders and part of the Black Arts Movement. The Black Arts Movement included Black artists in many genres—painters such as Betty Blayton and Romare Bearden, writers such as Sonia Sanchez, a UMass and Amherst College professor, and a poet called the ‘mother of the Black Arts Movement,’ a person whom I lived with and worked for as an au pair to her twin sons. 

We discussed racism and colonialism, why few Black artists were featured in museums and mainstream galleries, and the reparative and restorative work currently taking place in museums like SCMA.

Here are some of the Student Questions

  • How did you get started collecting art?
  • Do you remember the first piece of art you bought?
  • How did you approach adding pieces to your collection?
  • Are you more drawn to subject matter, artists, etc.?
  • Is there work that you still want to add to your collection?
  •  Please talk about your current and past experience and legacy at Smith.
  • What prompted the creation of BSA (Black Student Association), and what impact do you think BSA should have now?
  • You and your peers advocated, self-governed, and took action to establish spaces for Black students when such efforts faced significant resistance.
  • What strategies or principles would you recommend to today’s students who want to create transformative change in their communities or institutions, particularly in environments that may not always be receptive?
  • How has the role of BSA evolved over the years, and why do you believe it is still essential for Black student communities in predominantly white institutions to have such alliances? 
  • With growing emphasis on STEM fields as pathways to economic mobility, how do you see the role of Black students in the arts, dance, and theater as equally vital?
  • Why is it important for Black voices and stories to continue flourishing in these creative spaces, especially in a world that increasingly values STEM
  • Looking back at your impact at Smith and beyond, what gives you the most pride? 
  • Is there anything that you would like to see today’s Black Smithies continue or take in a new direction?

 

Students and director hosted a special luncheon for me and we talked about BSA and affinity groups - photo is at Mwangi Center posing under art that I donated to BSA
Students and L’Tanya Richmond, Dean of Multicultural Affairs, hosted a special luncheon for me after the ‘Gallery Talk’ to discuss the Black Student Alliance (BSA) and affinity groups. This photo was taken at Mwangi Center, posing under art I donated to BSA. It is called ‘The Keeper’ by artist Charles Bibbs and is a limited edition print. The artist believed that we are ‘keepers’ of our culture. His artwork creates a sense of spirituality, majesty, dignity, strength, and grace.

(The Gallery talk was co-sponsored by Smith College Museum of Art and the Mwangi Center, c/o the Office of Multicultural Affairs.)

Gallery Talk Photo Highlights

“The Keeper,” a limited print by artist Charles Bibbs, was donated to the Black Student Alliance (BSA) by Sylvia S. Lewis ’74 and her husband, Byron E. Lewis Sr. It is currently displayed at the Mwangi Cultural Center, inside the director’s office at Smith College, @mwangi_smith. The artist said that we are ‘keepers’ of our culture. His artwork is known for African American images that convey a feeling of spirituality, majesty, strength, and dignity.

 

Sylvia ‘Cookie’ Lewis ’74 with Jonelle Dennis, Alumnae House Art Gallery Director; Development Department.

Tea with Jonelle

Thank you, Jonelle, for the fun and impromptu tea party and private tour of Alumnae House. I forgot I had vertigo as you led me through the new interiors on several floors! I enjoyed the whirlwind giggles, delicious pastries, and tea. It was a perfect prelude before the gallery talk.

For decades, Jonelle Dennis was the first person I looked for whenever I visited campus. I claim her as my cousin-in-law because she’s a Cape Verdean like my husband, Byron. Jonelle is the Vice President of Keeping It Real Insights, a title I made up. I don’t know her exact title, but I’m confident it does not capture her many jobs and roles.  She is a counselor, friend, and multi-departmental liaison for students and staff, especially alums and newcomers who need a safe place to regroup. Jonelle is a cheerful repository of campus knowledge, having worked on campus through several presidents, policies, and the pandemic. She knows where all the bones are buried!

Jonelle is kind, creative, and an ambassador for Black alums like me. She is the director of the Alumnae House Art Gallery and a Development department staffer.

– Sylvia Lewis ‘74

 

 

Class of ’74 Enjoys 50th Reunion with Art

The star attraction of the ’74 Reunion Weekend festivities was the Sylvia & Byron Lewis art acquisition aptly called ‘A Beacon to the World’ exhibit. The Class of 1974 returned to Smith College this past May for their 50th reunion with friends and fellow alums for a weekend filled with joy and nostalgia. Smith College Museum of Art (SCMA) hosted a special reception and private ‘behind the scenes’ tour. The exhibit ran from February through October 2024. This show attracted hundreds of visitors to the museum–the largest number ever,” said a SCMA security official who has worked there for decades.

“Since its February opening, the Lewis & Lewis art exhibit has drawn unprecedented visitors, especially during the Reunion weekends. The diverse audience, including alumnae, faculty, staff, art professionals, and even local school children, created a vibrant energy and inclusive atmosphere. This unique collection brought together a community eager to experience the beauty and significance of African American art,” an SCMA official said.

Witnessing this historic African American art installation and reception was poignant and a day of pride. The Class of 1974 was a historic group because it featured Smith College’s largest class of African American women—10%—100 Black women out of the 1000 classmates! Celebrating half a century since their graduation in a space where Black students and visitors were once unwelcome was a welcomed change. 

Alumnae Comments

“Beautiful, impactful, exceptional, and generous. Blessings to you and Byron.” Denise Wingate Matierre ’74

“I can’t express how wonderfully impactful and generous your art collection will be for art lovers for generations. I am getting goosebumps just thinking about it.” Martha Yar boro Coates ’74

“Hi Sylvia, I made time last week to visit your and your husband’s exhibit at SCMA. I have to be honest and admit I don’t know much about art, but I enjoyed viewing the pieces and especially reading about each artist. I loved the vibrant colors in many of them and was drawn to the smaller pieces grouped. My time in the gallery also calmed and slowed me down–something I rarely do during a busy work day. Thank you for that time. The SCMA is a gem; your generous donation is much appreciated.

I look forward to welcoming your classmates back to campus and the museum. My best, Jodi Fallon Fern, Class of 1974

Many alums marveled at the college’s growth and development. They were incredibly impressed that art and museum studies are now vital to a Smith College education.

Finally, African American artists are included in the American art canon, where, for centuries, we were relegated to the margins of the art world.

The “Beacon to the World” exhibit was a powerful testament that reflected themes of love, hope, interconnection, and growth that resonated throughout my 50th reunion’s spirit of building community.

A gift photo book featured Class of 1974 reception for the Lewis & Lewis art acquisition.