The Smith College Museum of Art (SCMA) presents “Learning How to Desire,” a lecture by artist Finnegan Shannon, on March 26, 2026, at 5 p.m. at the Smith College Alumnae House, 33 Elm Street, Northampton. The talk will be followed by a conversation with curator Lauren Leving, moderated by Charlotte Feng Ford '83 Curator of Contemporary Art Emma Chubb. There will be a public reception at the museum following the lecture from 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.Rooted in SCMA's exhibition "Don't mind if I do", which has been expanded to include drawings from architect Phyllis Birkby's archives in the Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College Special Collections, Shannon will give a talk about where fantasy lives in their practice. They'll touch on sensory pleasures, the luxury of options, and the ways that Birkby's notion of the "messiness of life" makes fantasies richer and more potent.
Finnegan Shannon (b. 1989, Berkeley, CA) is an artist experimenting with forms of access. They intervene in ableist structures with humor, earnestness, and rage. Some of their recent work includes Alt Text as Poetry, a collaboration with Bojana Coklyat that explores the expressive potential of image description; "Do You Want Us Here or Not", a series of benches and cushions designed for exhibition spaces; and "Don’t mind if I do", a conveyor-belt-centered exhibition that prioritizes rest and play.
They have done projects with MUDAM Luxembourg, the Queens Museum, moCa Cleveland, the High Line, MMK Frankfurt, MCA Denver, and Nook Gallery. Their work has been supported by a Wynn Newhouse Award, an Eyebeam fellowship, a Disability Futures Fellowship, a United States Artists Fellowship, and grants from Art Matters Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts, and the Disability Visibility Project. Their work has been written about in "Art in America", "BOMB Magazine", "the Believer", and "Out Magazine". They live and work in Brooklyn, NY.
The Miller Lecture in Art and Art History is an endowed program established by Dr. Michael Miller in memory of his wife, Dulcy Blume Miller, who was a member of the class of 1946. Each year, SCMA invites a distinguished artist, art historian, or curator to deliver a public lecture.
Photo credit of Finnegan Shannon by Marissa Alper
For disability access information, accommodation requests, or to request a sign language interpreter, contact [email protected].
For further information visit: https://scma.smith.edu/calendar/2026-miller-lecture-art-finnegan-shannon
Event Venue
33 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01060-2913, United States
Tickets
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