Free – registration required.

Join poet and educator Jan Freeman for one of these free Writing Through Art: Poetry Workshop at the Smith College Museum of Art. Together, we will experience the new exhibition Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and, weather permitting, we will visit the Capen Gardens on the Smith College campus as well. Poets will write drafts using paintings by Alma Thomas as portals to open memories, emotion, and experiment with fresh ways of using language.

Experience the many ways that visual art opens inspiration, perception, memory, and language. New and experienced poets, ages 18 and up, may attend. Wear comfortable walking shoes, and please bring a notebook and sharpened pencils (no pens are permitted in the museum galleries). Maximum enrollment: 14

This workshop will take place at the Smith College Museum of Art, 20 Elm Street, Northampton, MA. Please register at this link.

Space is limited, and registrations are processed in the order received. Please note that your registration does not automatically confirm your enrollment. You will receive a confirmation within 2–3 business days.

Questions? Please email [email protected]

This workshop is presented in conjunction with the SCMA exhibition Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, on view July 24, 2026 – January 10, 2027. This workshop is funded by the Art Bridges Foundation Access for All grant.