Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art

This post is part of our At Home In Metro Phoenix series. Each month, we explore local businesses, attractions, events and people that call our wonderful community home.

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Okay, let’s be clear from the get-go. We aren’t the best museum goers. We’re those people staring at the art on the white wall internally saying, “Um… What am I missing? I don’t get it…” It’s not that we don’t appreciate art at all. It’s just that standing in a museum, viewing some contemporary artwork, we might not have the most eloquent observations to share. And, our legs and attention spans grow fatigued far too quickly.

Given that, we didn’t know what to expect of the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA). But, we were willing to give it a go, especially given the fact that we scored free admission via an Act One Culture Pass. (Sidenote: At many Metro Phoenix libraries, library cardholders can check out Culture Passes, which offer free admission or tickets to participating arts and cultural institutions around the Valley. More reasons to love your local library.)

It turns out, SMoCA was a great museum for our crowd. It’s small, and we like that. You can get just the right dose of contemporary art, architecture and design without feeling overwhelmed or fatigued. On our recent visit, we enjoyed the curation and thoughtful presentation of the exhibitions. Each of the galleries had something different to offer from a set of dramatic video installations to vibrant kinetic sculptures and paintings to sound art.

Though we may still have a ways to go elevating our cultural sensibilities, we certainly walked away having awakened our senses. If you’re interested in a dose of inspiration to kindle your own creativity, a visit to SMoCA might be right for you. Standard admission (without the awesome Culture Pass) will only set you back $7/adult and $5/student, and Thursday admission is free along with Friday and Saturday after 5 p.m.

Visit SMoCA – 7380 East Second Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 • (480) 874-4666