About SOFA

Leigh Fagin

Jean and David W. Wallace Foundation Director

Leigh Fagin is the inaugural Jean and David W. Wallace Foundation Director of the Office for the Arts at Smith College. She is an interdisciplinary arts and culture producer with over 20 years of experience in arts administration and programming for arts and cultural institutions, nonprofits and higher-education spaces. Before arriving at Smith in Fall 2022, she was the Senior Director of Programming and Engagement for the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago, where she worked for over 13 years providing leadership for collaborative arts projects and programs that contributed to the creative culture at the university while supporting the artistic work of students and faculty. In her role, she oversaw university arts engagement including the UChicago ArtsPass program, coordinated exhibitions, performances, artist residences and grant programs, and chaired the UChicago Arts Programming Committee.

Recent projects include Carrie Mae Weems: A Land of Broken Dreams; Hypocrisy of Justice: Sights and Sounds from the Black Metropolis; Jenny Holzer’s YOU BE MY ALLY; CinéVardaExpo - Agnès Varda in Chicago, What is an Artistic Practice of Human Rights?, Centennial Brooks, Envisioning China, a Philip Glass Residency, and Let’s Get Working: Chicago Celebrates Studs Terkel. Leigh also curated the Logan: On Display exhibitions program. During her tenure she launched the Logan Center Bluesfest and the Blues programming initiative, the Logan Collaboration Grant and the Arts & Innovation Series in collaboration with the Polsky Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and was acting Program Director of eXp, the Experimental Performance Initiative. In 2017, she oversaw the strategic planning process for the Logan Center as part of the five-year anniversary.

Prior to UChicago, Leigh worked at the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, where she oversaw the DanceBridge Residency program, helped launch Chicago Artists Resource and coordinated Chicago Artists Month, which included over 220 visual arts events every year across the city. She has previously worked at MASS MoCA, The Kitchen, Performing Arts Chicago, Lucky Plush and Young Audiences/New York. She has a masters in art education from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a degree in art history from Wellesley College.

Shawn Reming, Jr.

Program Manager

Shawn Reming Jr., Ph.D. is the first program manager for the Smith Office for the Arts (SOFA) at Smith College. With a background in student engagement, arts programming, and leadership development, Shawn supports faculty, students, and staff in creating and amplifying arts initiatives across campus. His work includes developing funding opportunities, piloting new arts programs, and fostering connections between students, academic departments, and community partners.

Shawn holds a Ph.D. in social anthropology from the Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland. He also earned an M.A. in history with a focus on modern Ireland, film studies, and social inequality from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and a B.A. in history and cultural anthropology from Saint Vincent College.

Shelley Latham

SmithArts Marketing & Communications Manager

Shelley Latham has been supporting the work of Smith College’s arts departments since 2019. In her position as the SmithArts Marketing & Communications Manager she is responsible for the publicity for all public facing campus events for music, theatre, dance, film and media, art, and SOFA. Shelley is a passionate advocate for the role that the arts play on campus—building community, challenging assumptions, creating joy, and affirming our humanity. She is excited to be part of the team welcoming students, faculty, staff, friends, families, and community members to connect with the arts at Smith.

Nicole Longhi

Administrative Coordinator, Department of Art and SOFA

Nicole Longhi is the administrative coordinator for Smith Office for the Arts (SOFA) and the Department of Art. She has worked in arts administration at nonprofits throughout the Valley for over a decade, specializing in event planning, marketing and communications, and database management. She’s passionate about elevating the creative work of artists across all disciplines, as well as building communities and cultivating resources that support their growth.

Eleyna Bayer ’26

SOFA Intern

Eleyna is currently a senior studying art history and museum studies, she also works as the president of emulate the smith arts and literature magazine. She plans on working in community art and engagement after graduating Smith.

Kaia Austin ’26

Art

Kaia is an art history major with a museum concentration and works in the SCMA. Kaia loves spending time making, discussing, and being surrounded by art.

What do you hope to bring to the Arts Liaisons program?
I hope to bring some joy and whimsy. Art institutions can feel stale or pretentious, and I would like to demolish any semblances of that at Smith.

What’s one thing you love about the arts at Smith (or the arts in general)?
I love the access we have to the museum. I love seeing a work of art in real life as opposed to on a screen.

Sophie Biderman ’27

Dance

Sophie is an interdisciplinary student working toward a dance and biology double major. She practices street styles, contemporary/modern, composition, and ballet across the Five College Dance Department.

What do you hope to bring to the Arts Liaisons program?
I hope to bring appreciation for my peers and the wider artistic community at Smith, as well as information about Smith and Five College Dance events, performances, and more!

What’s one thing you love about the arts at Smith (or the arts in general)?
I love the connections that the arts at Smith and in general have brought to my life! I’m so grateful for the wonderful community of artists I get to build.

Sophie Chamblin ’27

Music

Sophie is a singer, composer, audio engineer, and filmmaker. She loves collaborating with others on creative works and learning from the people around her. She’s very passionate about engaging her community with the arts.

What do you hope to bring to the Arts Liaisons program?
I hope to bring a positive and inviting attitude. I’d love to engage as many students as possible with the arts, regardless of whether or not it’s in an academic capacity. I’d also like to help bridge the connections among the arts and humanities departments at Smith!

What’s one thing you love about the arts at Smith (or the arts in general)?
I love how supportive and passionate the arts community is at Smith. There’s always an opportunity to work with new people and form connections.

Aurelia Lindkvist DuShane ’27

Aurelia Lindkvist DuShane is a junior majoring in film and media studies and economics at Smith. She serves as the president of the college’s one and only film production club, Don’t Blink Media, where she has worked as a writer, director, producer, production manager, and animator. She hopes to take her experience as a queer creator to the film industry after she graduates. There, she hopes to work in production and development advocating for multidimensional representation and inclusive storytelling.

What do you hope to bring to the Arts Liaisons program?
I want to make arts accessible to all students and remind them that there is a space in the creative world for all people. I hope that through my work with the Smith Office for the Arts students know that there is a place to create, to engage with, and to learn from the arts, not just on campus but in the world around them.

What’s one thing you love about the arts at Smith (or the arts in general)?
I love the community, and the fact that you can engage with any sort of medium you want. Whether that be dance, acting, filmmaking, or traditional fine art forms, such as painting, sculpting, or ceramic, there is a creative medium for you.

Audrey Weir ’26

Theatre

Audrey is a theatre major and education minor with a passion for performing arts education. In theatre, they have experience acting, directing, teaching, and more. They think everyone can and should be involved in the arts!

What do you hope to bring to the Arts Liaisons program?
A passion for creating arts access to people of all abilities and interests, especially by focusing on visibility of events and uplifting student groups.

What’s one thing you love about the arts at Smith (or the arts in general)?
There are so many opportunities to get involved in arts at Smith if you know where to look. Even if you aren’t involved in a department, you can still pursue and learn about so many disciplines and meet awesome artists as you do!

Katie Wilson ’26

Theatre

Katie Carrington Wilson (she/her) is a senior at Smith College pursuing a B.A. in theatre and computer science. As a playwright and actor, she creates work that uplifts underrepresented voices and explores themes of identity, community, and belonging. Her recent projects include PICKLED and Ziona, both produced through Smith’s Theatre Department New Play Reading Series (NPRS) and one produced by Smith’s BIPOC theatre org, Thank You, Five.

What do you hope to bring to the Arts Liaisons program?
I hope to bring a collaborative spirit and a commitment to amplifying diverse perspectives in the arts. Through my experience as a playwright, performer, and student leader, I want to help create more accessible, inclusive, and engaging spaces where students can see their stories reflected on stage and across campus.

What’s one thing you love about the arts at Smith (or the arts in general)?
I love that the arts at Smith encourage experimentation and authenticity, they invite us to take creative risks while building community through storytelling. The collaborative energy here reminds me that art is not just about performance, but about connection and shared imagination