Museum Programs and Tours
Explore the rotating exhibitions at SMoCA through programs that promote critical thinking and artistic discovery.
SMoCA Discovery Program
Contemporary art reflects the culture and society of today, offering teachers, students, and audiences opportunities to explore current ideas and reconsider the world around them. Using Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art’s rotating exhibitions, tours encourage observation, reflection, and inquiry through dialogue, play, and collective meaning-making.
The Discovery Program combines a classroom workshop with a Museum field trip. In the classroom, students participate in a studio-style, hands-on lesson that introduces key themes through active artmaking and discussion. At the Museum, a guided tour of SMoCA’s exhibitions deepens this learning through inquiry-based dialogue and interactive in-gallery activities.
Together, these experiences foster curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity while supporting Arizona Visual Arts Standards in creating, responding, and connecting through art.
Length: Classroom visit — 1 hour; Museum visit — 2 hours
Grades: 3 and up
Capacity: Three classrooms, 30–75 students total
Ratio: 10 students per 1 adult
Cost: No cost
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