The Springfield Art Museum’s permanent collection contains more than 10,000 objects from artists past and present. Starting on March 1, the museum will temporarily display more than 400 works from the artists of the future.
The 92nd annual All School Exhibition opens with a student showcase for middle school and high school students at 5:30 p.m. on March 1. A showcase for elementary students in grades K-2 is March 2 at 2 p.m., followed by a showcase for grades 3-5 at 3:30 p.m.
The All School Exhibition opens in March to coincide with Youth Art Month and the artwork will be on display through April 21.
All School Exhibition attracts more than 14,000 patrons
The 400-plus works of art are divided into elementary, middle school and high school sections. The artists are all students in Springfield’s public, private and parochial schools, as well as local homeschool cooperatives.
First held in 1932, the All School Exhibition annually brings in more than 14,000 patrons to the Springfield Art Museum, which displays the work in one of its primary gallery spaces — the Weisel Gallery, named after museum founder and art educator Deborah Weisel — to “highlight the importance of arts education and honor the accomplishments of young artists,” according to a press release. Those artists include Mianna, from Bingham Elementary.
“If you make a mistake in art, you can make it a happy accident,” Mianna said in the press release. “In art, our mistakes don’t define us.”
Sunshine Elementary artist Aadin said, “Art is a way to say how you feel without saying it.”
Exhibition also reflects the work of ‘incredibly talented teachers'
It’s not just the students who are celebrated at the show, however,
“The All School Exhibition also reflects the work of the incredibly talented teachers in our community, many of whom are practicing artists themselves,” the press release said. “As the art teachers who work with these students know, art is a powerful educational tool. In addition to creativity and self-expression, the arts team problem solving, critical thinking, innovation, imagination and collaboration.”
Faculty members from participating schools and home school cooperatives select the artwork for the exhibition and a team of teachers and students from participating schools install the art in the galleries, with assistance from from the museum’s curatorial and education staff.
Will there be a 93rd annual All School Exhibition?
The Springfield Art Museum will close for three years, starting in September 2024, for a major renovation project. What will that mean for the All School Exhibition?
“As a part of our ongoing exhibition collaborations with Missouri State University, we are happy to let you know that the All School Exhibition will continue to be hosted by the Springfield Art Museum in Brick City’s galleries when our current facility is closed for construction,” Joshua Best, the museum’s affairs officer for audience development, said in an email to the Daily Citizen.
Want to go?
What: 92nd annual All School Exhibition
When: The middle school and high school student showcase is March 1 at 5:30 p.m. A showcase for elementary students in grades K-2 is March 2 at 2 p.m., followed by the showcase for grades 3-5 at 3:30 p.m. The art will be on display during the museum’s regular hours March 1-April 21: Wednesday-Friday, noon-8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday, 1-5 p.m.
Where: Springfield Art Museum, 1111 East Brookside Drive
Admission: Free. Donations are appreciated.
For more information: Call (417) 837-5700 or visit the Springfield Art Museum website
