Pretty neat little museum. Only three exhibits so I'd suggest only going on Thursday after 5pm, because it is free then. Small and theme based.
Small but definitely a fun place to visit. It’s free and it is in old town Scottsdale so you can walk around the shops as well. We had a layover and visited this place and then rented the lime bikes and road around old town.
Thoughtful and truly contemporary art. SMOCA pushes past the edges in a fantastic way with their installations and never disappoints. Some exhibits I love and some I so not but it’s NEVER dull, uninteresting or non-provocative to spend time here.
Honestly, I want to give this place 3 stars but that's kinda unfair because it just didn't meet my expectations. I came here after seeing the Phoenix art museum (Go there, go now, MY GOD is that place wonderful) and really there is just no variety here compared to the Phoenix Art museum. That's not to say that this place isn't good. I mean it isn't, but it's not bad. It's a cute little museum to maybe bring your girlfriend to if she really wants to go. But the spinning cone chair is magnificent! I had so much fun spinning on that chair! Anyway just check it out for yourself, you know, if you're an art buff :)
Small but unique exhibits. Australian Aboriginal art for example. Where else could you possibly find that?
Ocean of lights is what brings everyone in. Hit on Thursday and entry is free. The other exhibit is modern art
Very neat place. The Ocean of Light exhibit is fun. Okay place for kids, except for the light exhibit and lounge room I was having to stop my kids over and over from touching exhibits. The museum is small and you can see it all in under an hour. There is a gift shop and large clean restrooms. Kids 14 and under are free. The shops, restaurants and grounds around the museum are nice. You will find the large LOVE exhibit outside behind the museum, great photo spot.
What the museum had to offer was good. Well planned and executed exhibitions. But the place is advertised to be much larger than it is. Thankfully we went on a Thursday which is free admission to the public. It costs $7 for students, with student I.D., and $10 for adults.
It is always a treat to be able to visit the art museums and look at the preserved art. The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art is the only permanent museum in Arizona which presents the best of contemporary art from around the world. The museum also collaborates with other museums of art and art centers in Arizona and other states. They also have regular exhibitions which rotate continually and they use the process to create educational experiences for all ages. The outdoor courtyard of the museum is a natural showcase of beauty of nature and it added to my enjoyable visit.
Me and my 10 year old daughter went the other day and it was just okay. We made a special trip to go that way and it was just three rooms and we didn't enjoy the exhibit that much. I would be more upset if it wasn't free thanks to the culture pass. The gift shop was the best part.
There really wasn't much to look at. In all honesty if we hadn't gone on Thursday when it was free it wouldn't have been worth the price of admission for my husband and I.
The price is not worth the short amount of time a person would usually spend in there. The exhibits just aren't usually that great or that enthralling. Staff could work on being more friendly, or at least more polite.
Nice architecture on the outside, though!
Scheduled docent tours didn't occur. Some individual pieces in the recent acquisitions and conservation projects exhibition were interesting but couldn't see any theme or point. I can understand why the artists in the remembering exhibition couldn't remember because the photos and film footage were so mundane.
I've been to Contemporary Art museums across the country but I think the one in Scottsdale is the most approachable. It offers a variety of programming to reach out to different groups of people (including teenagers). I appreciate the community outreach.
It is conveniently located in Old Town and they have a GREAT Gift Shop. Plan on bringing a few bucks to get a memorable gift on your way out.
Many of the exhibits are interactive so I was able to get lost in the experience for a bit. Great times.