Smith College Museum of Art Exhibit Explores Access

“I have pain when I’m standing and walking,” explains Brooklyn-based artist Finnegan Shannon, “and I had this fantasy of being able to go into a gallery, and, instead of me having to move from artwork to artwork, I sit somewhere comfy and have the artwork come to me.” And just like that an idea was born.

Don’t mind if I do at the Smith College Museum of Art (SCMA) brings Shannon’s fantasy to life. The exhibit features a 25-foot conveyor belt loop that presents 30 small sculptures by eight different artists. There are plenty of seating options all around the room, and the objects on the conveyor belt are touchable.

SCMA’s iteration of Don’t mind if I do features work by Shannon, Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo, Pelenakeke Brown, Sky Cubacub, Emilie L. Gossiaux, Felicia Griffin, Joselia Rebekah Hughes, and Jeff Kasper. Some work in disability art, but not all. The artists were chosen in various ways; some made works specifically for the exhibition, while others contributed existing pieces. 

The project began as a long-distance residency program called Getting to Know You at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland in 2019, organized by curator Lauren Leving. “Finn was the second in this series,” says Leving. “I had been a fan of their work for a long time and just reached out to them. I knew that this was going to be a great relationship.”

Leving’s instincts were right. She has continued to work with Shannon, expanding the initial residency into a full-scale exhibition, which has toured to three previous locations before coming to Smith: MoCA Cleveland, University Library Gallery at Sacramento State, and University of Illinois Gallery 400.

“One of the things that’s been exciting to me is that there’s been a kind of new element in each of the iterations of the show,” says Shannon. “In California and Chicago, there were local artists who were added to the conveyor belt, and, here at Smith, we are really lucky to show drawings from the papers of architect, filmmaker, activist, Phyllis Birkby.” 

“It’s really important that it is adapted to the venue,” adds Leving. “This project is specifically prioritizing the audience in a way other exhibitions oftentimes do not. We think about how we can support local artists, and how the exhibition is resonant to the institution or museum community at the location.”

Emma Chubb, Charlotte Feng Ford ’83 Curator of Contemporary Art, says Don’t mind if I do is a perfect example of an artist at the forefront of pushing boundaries and reimagining possibilities. “One of the things that excites me about this project is the way that it looks at access in a playful, but also very serious way,” says Chubb. “We have a mission to connect people to our ideas and each other, and there are so many ways that can happen. So, how do we open more doors and create more ways in—I think that is important.”

The public is asked to wear masks to view Don’t’ mind if I do, in deference to visitors who are immunocompromised. Smith students, under Shannon’s guidance, created several DIY air purifiers (Corsi-Rosenthal boxes made from box fans and air filters), as an extra precaution.

Future projects for Shannon include delving into correspondence art—distributing and engaging with artwork through the mail. “I am excited to see more disabled people have the resources and opportunities to share their perspectives and visions,” says Shannon. “I’m biased, but I really do believe in museums working with disabled artists as ways to culturally shift the relationship to accessibility.”

Don’t mind if I do runs from January 30 to June 28, 2026, at SCMA.