Smart Museum of Art University of Chicago

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UChicago students

Meet friends, get creative

Outside the classroom, the Smart Museum engages with University of Chicago students to create a vibrant and creative community on campus.

Get creative, hang out, and escape the grind with free art-looking and art-making activities on Thursday nights. Fuel your morning with a cup of the finest coffee on campus, find a quiet spot in the sculpture garden to read in the afternoon sun, and escape the stacks for an inspirational evening study break with friends.

Or just drop by and discover all we have to offer—the Smart is always free and is open to all.

Video: UChicago students decorate cakes at the Feast-inspired I Eat You Eat Party at the Smart on April 12, 2012.
 

Thursday nights

Meet up with your friends and fellow UChicago students on Thursday nights at the Smart. We're open until at least 8 pm every Thursday during the school year, and offer a range of free creative and inspirational programs on select nights.

Spring 2013 student programs

Thursday, March 14, 9 pm–1 am
Study at the Smart
The Smart's galleries are transformed into a late-night study hall. Free coffee, pizza, and snacks. Join and share on Facebook »

Thursday, March 21, 5:30–7:30 pm
Third Thursday
Join a docent for a calming look at a pair of clay figurines from China, called mingqi, during this relaxing evening of art-looking and -making activities. Create your own object from clay and paint a mini-replica of a mingqi figurine to take home. Join and share on Facebook »

Thursday, April 11, 8–10 pm
Art on the Move: Party at the Smart
Make art in support of tolerance and free speech and enjoy performances organized in partnership with the South Asian Students Association. Join and share on Facebook »

Thursday, April 18, 5:30–7:30 pm
Third Thursday
Create a unique work of art inspired by Sahmat’s Gifts for India project by using found images to create a small box sculpture “gift.” Join and share on Facebook »

Thursday, May 16, 5:30–7:30 pm
Third Thursday
Look at an abstract painting by Mark Rothko and then experiment with Rothko’s meditative process by carefully layering thin coats of paint to create a color field painting of your own. Join and share on Facebook »

Thursday, June 6, 9 pm–1 am
Study at the Smart
The Smart's galleries are transformed into a late-night study hall. Free coffee, pizza, and snacks. Join and share on Facebook »

Free and open to all UChicago students. All art-making materials provided. Check in with us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest.

Student programs at the Smart are supported by the UChicago Arts Pass and the University of Chicago Arts Council.

Study at the Smart

Once a quarter during reading period, the Smart's galleries are transformed into a late-night study hall open to UChicago students.

Tables, chairs, and power outlets are scattered throughout the Museum, offering you an inspirational environment where you can prepare for finals next to modern masterpieces, ancient Chinese vessels, Old Master paintings, and contemporary sculpture.

The late night sessions include free coffee, pizza, and snacks.

Study at the Smart, 2012–2013 academic year

• December 6, 9 pm–1 am
• March 14, 9 pm–1 am
• June 6, 9 pm–1 am

Student advisory committee

The Smart's education team works together with a student advisory committee to produce UChicago-oriented programs that make social, intellectual, and creative connections across campus. Open to a select group of UChicago students, the advisory committee meets regularly to plan events, build audiences, and evaluate the results. The committee offers students an opportunity to gain museum-world experience and build marketable skills around the public and educational operations of a cultural institution.

Interested? Applications to join the student advisory committee will be made available in early winter quarter.

Job opportunities

Through our student docent and internship programs, the Smart Museum has played a vital role in cultivating and training a generation of museum professionals, educators, and scholars. The employment opportunities are numerous—over ninety students work at the Smart each year—and include long-term internships in a variety of departments, docent positions, and other jobs that are crucial to the day-to-day operation of the Museum.

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