Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art celebrates its 25th anniversary

The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, or SMOCA, celebrates it’s 25th anniversary of operation this year.

SMOCA, which is highly regarded as a beacon of the arts community in Scottsdale, was originally a run-down movie theatre that was bought and renovated into what is now a museum.

Jennifer McCabe, a curator at SMOCA, joined us on Arizona Horizon to talk about the museum.

Mccabe mentioned how SMOCA’s architect, Will Bruder, went around the country visiting other contemporary art spaces so that they could get the best venue for a contemporary art museum space.

“There is a lot of nods to the history of the building, in the design, in the architecture. And like any institution, it took an incredible amount of effort to bring the museum to fruition,” said McCabe.

Mccabe also talked about the two new exhibits the museum will be hosting to celebrate its anniversary opening on Feb. 9: “Dorothy Fratt: Colora Mirage” and “Carolina Aranibar-Fernández: Oleaje.” The former artist, who passed away in 2017, had lived nearby in Paradise Valley.

Along with the new exhibits, SMOCA will also have signature cocktails available, treats from Pinwheel gourmet rolls food truck, and live music. This event will run from 7 to 9 p.m. and is free to all those who RSVP.

For more information on SMOCA’s event, visit their website here.