Hidden Gems: Meet Jennifer McCabe of Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer McCabe.

Hi Jennifer, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) is an artist-and audience-centered institution that brings communities together under the shared philosophy that art has the power to engage our imaginations, challenge our perceptions, and inspire change. Opened in 1999, the Museum has established itself as a leader in the arts presenting innovative exhibitions and educational programs.

Designed by award-winning architect Will Bruder, SMoCA’s minimalist building (an ingenious transformation of a former movie theater) has five galleries for showcasing rotating exhibitions and works from the Museum’s growing permanent collection. Always on view is a Skyspace by Arizona-based artist James Turrell—who is heralded internationally as one of the most significant artists of our time.

SMoCA engages with emerging and established artists from around the world and from our own community to support new commissions and encourage dialogue about the art of our time. The result is a lively community space that is a laboratory for creative thinking and new ideas. By embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion as organizational values, SMoCA, together with creatives across platforms, promotes cross-cultural dialogue and fosters mutual understanding and respect.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Well, the arts are chronically underfunded, so we are always working to raise money to produce the incredible exhibitions and events that we are passionate about!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art?
We are a small but mighty contemporary art museum—the only museum in the valley focused on contemporary art, architecture, and design. We earned the accolade of Best Museum by the Phoenix New Times in 2022, an award we are proud of, considering we are not the biggest or most visible institution.

We are also proud of our work directly with artists to bring new artwork to the valley. We collaborate with local, national, and international artists on presenting anything from a traditional painting to a reproduction of an artist’s living room. We strive to help visitors make connections with the art of our time and we love to surprise you with the unexpected!

Pricing:

• Pay What You Wish
• $10 online/$12 walk up
• Discounts for students, teachers, veterans, seniors, and active military.

Contact Info:

• Website: smoca.org
• Instagram: @_smoca
• Facebook: Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA)
• Youtube: @TheSMoCA

Image Credits
Studio No. 5, Charles Darr, “Knight Rise” Skyspace by James Turrell, Sean Deckert, “Phillip K. Smith III: Three Parallels.” Photo by Lance Gerber