Springfield Art Museum

🌈 Happy Friday Pride Day from the Springfield Art Museum!

This week we look at LGBTQ+ artist Jimmy Wright’s “Pompeii Blue No.1,” proudly part of the Springfield Art Museum’s permanent collection and was part of 2009’s "Jimmy Wright: Twenty Years of Paintings and Pastels", a solo exhibition celebrating this body of work, as well as in "Decades: 90 Years of Collecting."

"Wright stumbled upon the sunflower as subject matter in 1988 when his partner was diagnosed with AIDS. Overwhelmed by the physical and mental energies needed to care for him, Wright looked for a way to maintain his own sense of self within his new role as caretaker. A chance purchase of sunflowers at the market led to a full-blown series of still lifes featuring the flowers." - Extended Label Text from “Creating an American Identity”

While the Museum is closed for construction, you can continue exploring the collection online at https://www.sgfmuseum.org/27/Enjoy

Image credit: Jimmy Wright, “Pompeii Blue No. 1” 2008, pastel on paper. Copyright Jimmy Wright. Permanent collection of the Springfield Art Museum.

Hanging out at The Gillioz Gallery during First Friday Art Walk is so much fun! Swing by from 6pm to 9pm to listen to great music, and pick up an art project to work on from The Springfield Art Museum!

The Gallery at the Gillioz transforms into a pop-up jazz lounge during First Friday Art Walk! 🎷

Sip a drink from the bar, mingle with our incredible resident companies, and enjoy a live jazz set from Missouri Jazz Orchestra (MOJO) beginning at 6:30 PM. Plus, the Springfield Art Museum will be on-site with a fun, hands-on art activity you won’t want to miss!

Free to attend | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Watercolor USA is once again is on display through July 25th at Spiva Center for the Arts! Congratulations on a great opening and exhibition!

https://spivaarts.org/annual-exhibits/watercolor-usa-2026/

Thank you for including the Springfield Art Museum and the Friends of the Springfield Art Museum in this amazing day!

We are so excited to announce the release of "A History of the Springfield Art Museum", a comprehensive new publication authored by Curator of Art, Sarah Buhr. As the Museum approaches its 100th anniversary in 2028, this richly detailed volume provides an essential resource tracing the institution’s evolution from its early beginnings in 1926 to its role today as a vibrant cultural anchor for the region.

Interested in purchasing a copy? The book retails for $29.95, and you can call the Museum at 417-837-5700 to place an order.

In addition to purchasing the book directly through the Museum, the public is invited to a special panel discussion and book signing led by Sarah Buhr and featuring Kaitlyn McConnell, Kait Baird, and Nick Nelson, on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at The Library Center’s Hatch Auditorium at 3:30 PM. More details about the event will be announced soon.

Learn more at: https://sgfmuseum.org/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/231

Thanks for sharing! Don't forget to mark your calendars for the music event of the summer!

This Memorial Day, we honor those who gave their lives, and to those who kept their memory alive through art.

This quilt, made by the Ladies of the G.A.R. (an auxiliary to the Union veterans' group that helped establish Memorial Day), preserves veterans' names and ranks through embroidery.

Museum offices are closed in observance of the holiday.

Image source: Quilt, c1897, gifted in 1933 to the Springfield Art Museum permanent collection

Time to take a brief pause and look around: what's a little lopsided, slightly topsy turvy and uneven? We're encouraging you to look for something asymmetrical in your space right now. Share with us!

As always, we hope these moments foster creativity and inspire wonder. We love seeing what you share each week!