Sculpture Walk Springfield is dedicating a portion of its 2022-23 collection to acknowledge and honor the local health-care community and its work during the pandemic, the group announced Monday. The title for the initiative is “Celebrate Sculpture. Honor Others.”
“A section of our ‘walk’ will contain pieces that reflect various aspects of mental health and compassion,” said Avery Parrish, Sculpture Walk’s executive director. “This initiative is a group effort. Representatives from Cox Hospital, Mercy Hospital, Burrell Behavioral Health, Ozarks Technical Community College, Missouri State University’s McQueary College of Health Services and Jordan Valley Community Health Center, along with city representatives Maurice Jones and Tim Rosenbury, assisted us in curating this unique group of sculptures.”
Sculpture Walk is a free, outdoor, fully accessible and self-guided “museum.” Its current collection includes nearly 40 installations across Downtown Springfield, Jordan Valley Park and the Rountree neighborhood.
“As Springfield’s Community Mental Health Center, we were honored to be a part of the selection committee for this year’s Sculpture Walk in support of this healthcare initiative,” Gabrielle Martin, executive director of the Burrell Foundation, said. “It is timely that we integrate healthcare, both mental and physical, into the arts community and we truly look forward to supporting these efforts.”
Sculpture Walk Springfield will host a free public event April 23 to mark the opening of its new exhibit, consisting of 37 works from 33 artists. More details will be announced at a later date.
