The newest exhibition at the Springfield Art Museum, “Humanities, Vol. 1,” features 49 works from the museum’s permanent collection selected by 36 co-curators. But it’s not just about the art.
“Humanities, Vol. 1” opens at 10 a.m. July 23 and runs through Nov. 13. It includes a full slate of public programs, like an opening day, gallery talks, panel discussions and art-making workshops.
It’s the first in a series — the “Humanities” — that seeks to investigate the “spark” that begins a connection with art by examining disparate works in the museum’s collection with a wide range of community members. The “Humanities” exhibitions are curated and facilitated by Sarah Buhr, curator of art at the Springfield Art Museum.
It takes a wide variety of staff roles to run the museum. Those roles include everything from security to custodial, curatorial to education and development to administration to keep the museum running smoothly.
“Regardless of job duties, everyone at the museum works in some capacity alongside the permanent collection,” said a Springfield Art Museum press release. “Does this impact relationships with the art objects on view? What connections with art are made as the building is secured, contracts are managed, school tours are coordinated, and grants are written? This exhibition seeks to answer these questions by highlighting the people who keep the museum moving forward, including staff, board and committee members, and community partners, as illustrated through a range of objects they have selected from the Museum’s collection.”
“Humanities, Vol. 1” is organized around five themes:
- Formal art technique
- Curiosity
- Memory
- Personal identity
- Home
Each work is accompanied by expanded text from each co-curator describing their connection to the work of art on view.
“These themes are not based on the objects, but are based on the type of connection each participant made from the work,” Buhr said in the press release. “A major factor between these levels of connection is time. If you only have 10 minutes to walk through an exhibit, you will likely remember the work or works that jumped out for their formal considerations … but if you have an hour, you might have a memory sparked as you look longer.”
Featured works include paintings, prints, photography, sculpture, ceramics, decorative arts, and textiles. Featured artists include Julie Blackmon, Paul Cadmus, Dwaine Crigger, Morgan Frew, Thomas Hart Benton, Hasui Kawase, Anne Lindberg, Michael Naranjo, Robert E. Smith, Wendy Red Star, and Kara Walker, among many others.
The Springfield Art Museum, 1111 East Brookside Dr., is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, call 417-837-5700 or visit the Springfield Art Museum website.
Public programs for “Humanities, Vol. 1”
Opening Day: July 23, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Slow-Viewing with Shauna LeAnn Smith: July 30, 10:30-11:30 a.m.; Aug. 20, 2-3 p.m.
Collaborative Curation Discussion Panel: Aug. 10, 6 p.m.
Abstract Oil Pastels Workshop: Sept. 1, 6-8 p.m. (registration required and fee)
Gallery Talk with Nick Nelson: Sept. 29, 6 p.m.
Linocut Workshop: Oct. 8, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (registration/fee)
Monotype Workshop: Nov. 2, 6-8 p.m. (registration/fee)
For registration information, workshop fees, and full event details, visit the Springfield Art Museum website.