6 FROM THE DIRECTOR The ability to compare different states of a print allows us to consider the artist’s goals, and the techniques used to communicate those goals. In April, we invited several scholars and faculty, along with students and other guests, for a morning of close looking and conversation, a discussion that is helping us think through the programs and scholarship these impressions will generate. SCMA is proud to be one of a very small number of museums that claim multiple impressions of this print, London’s British Museum and the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., among them. Also new to our collection is Morning in the Bowl of Night, a painting by the late American artist and teacher Alma Thomas. Because she left much of her work to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Thomas’ works are relatively rare. So when this painting came out of a private collection and onto the market, we knew we had to act. Her work enriches our under- standing of how artists were exploring abstraction in the mid-20th century and this painting opens an exciting pathway for new scholarship. The title is taken from a 12th-century Persian poem, signaling the breadth of Thomas’ own intellectual and artistic engagement and, specifically, her interest in Islamic and Byzantine art, which has not been widely studied or understood. This striking work is currently on view in Targan Gallery and central to its reinstallation, which very much reflects Emma’s vision. One more important and generous gift I’d like to call out is from Lesley Dill M.A.T. ’74, who is giving us a comprehensive archive of her work in print (page 53). SCMA is honored to be the chosen steward of this legacy, just as we were when artists Joyce Kozloff and Nina Yankowitz entrusted us with their personal collections, which we highlighted last year. It’s a responsibility we take seriously, and we are immensely grateful for the opportunity. As donors, leaders, mentors and more, alumnae enrich our many efforts. We are always seeking new and improved ways to engage Smith graduates—specifically those working in cultural institutions—as we try to smooth the path for our students making their way into the field. When Rebecca Rabinow ’88 came to campus last year to receive the Smith Medal, she met with students to share her experience as one of the nation’s top curators and director of the Menil Collection in Houston. It’s fantastic to see more and more alumnae adopt this practice of “learn and return,” and we will continue to do all we can to be a facilitator and connector, including supporting alumnae in their desire for more Reunion class programming at the museum. As we approach our 100th year as a leading academic museum, it’s a marvelous opportunity to ex- amine our past and imagine our future. The centennial in 2020 gives us much to celebrate, and we will! Most of all, however, I am excited to look ahead, to launch our second century and to embrace the work before us. Here’s to intention and serendipity! Jessica Nicoll ‘83 Director and Louise Ines Doyle ‘34 Chief Curator