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Exhibition Program

The Smith College Libraries’ exhibition program supports the sharing, interpretation, and promotion of collections to enrich and educate the Smith College community and the general public. Different from basic displays, the exhibition program offers an opportunity for the Libraries to showcase its own rare and unique collections, student and faculty scholarship, and student-driven areas of interest and expression. The program is particularly focused on curricular and co-curricular themes and is currently limited to physical exhibitions in Neilson Library. 

After a successful pilot (2021 - 2024), the Exhibitions Program is suspended as of June 2024.

Hours & Locations

All exhibits on display are free and available for viewing during library open hours.

Exhibitions are located on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Neilson Library; the building is fully accessible. Here is a floor-by-floor guide to the Neilson Library.

Submit an Exhibition Proposal

Installing an exhibition requires pre-planning and an understanding of our Exhibition Program. Please review the following documents before submitting an exhibition proposal:

When you are ready, you may fill out the exhibition proposal form to have your proposed exhibition topic reviewed by the exhibition committee. The exhibition committee is diligent in reviewing exhibition proposals and the standard reply time is ten business days. Please note that proposal acceptances are at the sole discretion of the exhibition committee and filling out the form does not guarantee that an exhibition will be accepted into the program.

After a successful pilot (2021 - 2024), the Exhibitions Program is suspended as of June 2024.

Submit Proposal

Special Selections

Special Selections is a bi-monthly rotating exhibition of student picks from our Special Collections. Selection winners are chosen by lottery and any student, regardless of major or exhibition experience, can submit their picks for consideration. The program is a fun and easy way to get involved with Special Collections and engage with exhibitions work. For more details, read our Purpose and Procedures information. 

When you are ready, you may enter the lottery for Special Selections by filling out the following short form.

Submit Special Selections

Contact Us

For updates on events, deadlines, opportunities, and exhibitions, subscribe to the Exhibitions Program Newsletter!

Subscribe to Newsletter

Please reach out to specialcollections@smith.edu for more information or to offer feedback about the exhibition program.