Unconventional: Self-Taught Artists of the Permanent Collection

Dec 18, 2021 – Nov 13, 2022

Unconventional presents several works in the Springfield Museum of Art’s permanent collection created by self-taught artists, many of whom were from Ohio. Comprising both two- and three-dimensional objects, this exhibition explores the wide variety of techniques, styles, themes, and materials that make up self-taught art. Artists on display include William Hawkins, Levent Isik, Mary Frances Merrill, and Elijah Pierce.

On a Snowy Evening

Nov 2021-Winter 2022

Celebrate all things winter with this exhibition of snowy artwork from the Springfield Museum of Art’s Permanent Collection. The exhibition contains a number of pieces that have been featured on our past holiday postcards including work by Paul Sample and Dayton artists, David Smith and Robert Whitmore.

Accessible Expressions Ohio – 2022

Mar 26 – May 15, 2022

Returning for its second year, Accessible Expressions Ohio is an adjudicated, diverse, statewide exhibition of artwork by Ohio artists with disabilities. Artwork ranges from 2D to 3D pieces and features a wide array of subject matter. This exhibition is curated by Art Possible Ohio (APO), the statewide service organization for artists with disabilities.  APO works with artists of all ages who have disabilities to make arts and cultural experiences more accessible and inclusive. Together, they make art possible.

To learn more about APO, visit https://artpossibleohio.org/

Universe

Emily Sullivan Smith
Sep 25, 2021 – Apr 2022

Emily Sullivan Smith replicates the natural world with a new multidisciplinary installation. Following the events of 2020, Smith intimately observes what happens when there is an abrupt stillness of human activity and a quiet continuation of the ecosystem. Exploring ideas of permanence, change, and authenticity, these works memorialize a place and time both precedented and unprecedented in Earth’s history. They present hope in darkness and a path toward a future worth working toward.

Emily Sullivan Smith is an Associate Professor and Foundations Coordinator at the University of Dayton. Her studio practice is interdisciplinary including sculpture and printmaking, focusing on the effects of human behavior on the natural world. Sullivan Smith received her BFA and MFA from Kent State University. She has exhibited widely throughout the United States, and currently has work on display at the Akron Art Museum.

BLACK LIFE as subject MATTER II

Oct 23, 2021 – Feb 27, 2022

Curated by Willis Bing Davis, BLACK LIFE as subject MATTER II views all aspects of the Black experience as valid subject matter for creative expression. The visual voices presented in this exhibition are like griots – reflecting on the joy, pain, sorrow, visions, and hopes for today and tomorrow. BLACK LIFE as subject MATTER II features over 25 artists from around the state, including many from Dayton and Springfield.

Davis is a world-renowned artist and curator having exhibited at the Studio Museum of Harlem, the Renwick Gallery, the National Museum of Art of Senegal West Africa, and the United States Embassy Accra, Ghana. For over 40 years, Davis has dedicated himself to teaching art in a range of environments. He’s received numerous awards including Ohio Art Educator of the Year, and the highest art award in the state of Ohio, the Ohio Governor’s Irma Lazarus Lifetime Achievement Award.

BLACK LIFE as subject MATTER II has been made possible with generous funding from the Ohio Humanities Council and Arts Midwest.

75th Annual Juried Members’ Exhibition

Jul 31-Oct 3, 2021

SMoA is thrilled to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Juried Members’ Exhibition this coming summer. Since 1946, this exhibition has highlighted the talents of member artists, both professional and emerging alike providing an outlet for all skillsets. Nearly 90 members from our region will be showcased in the exhibition, which has been juried this year by Joann Moser, Senior Curator Emerita at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Opening Reception Saturday, Jul 31, 5-7 pm

Honor the work of our community of talented artists with an opening reception including local food trucks, cash bar, live music, and art! Festivities start at 5pm, galleries open at 5:30pm.

Members Free | Non-members $5.

Enter the Cosmos: An Exploration of Art and Space

Jun 26, 2021 – Jan 2022

Enter the Cosmos: An Exploration of Art and Space celebrates the Springfield Museum of Art’s Smithsonian Affiliation which includes working with Smithsonian and NASA related space research sites. The exhibition anticipates the Oct 2021 launch of the new James-Webb telescope by focusing on artworks that relate to images collected by telescopes. Artworks from the permanent collection are joined by photographs and objects from Wittenberg University’s Weaver Observatory.

Discarded/Sourced

Through Aug 28, 2022

Highlighting objects from the permanent collection, this exhibition explores how artists use discarded and sourced materials to make art. Artists in this gallery include Purvis Young, Barbara Chavous, Angelo Ippolito, and Gus Lobenwein. Also, among the works in this exhibition is the large-scale Red Painting by Mark Bradford, on generous loan from the collection of Angela and Scott Crabill.

Mark Bradford’s Red Painting

Through Aug 29, 2021

The Springfield Museum of Art is thrilled to present Red Painting by renowned mixed media artist, Mark Bradford. On loan from the collection of Angela and Scott Crabill, Red Painting will be on display through the end of August as part of the exhibition, Discarded/Sourced.

Widely considered one of today’s most influential artists, Bradford is known for his large-scale paintings of printed materials and mixed media. Through his practice, Bradford explores the complexities of urban life including socio-economic, racial, gender, and political structures.

Nurturing Reverence

Char Norman
Apr 24 – Oct 31, 2021

Nurturing Reverence features environmental fiber sculptures created by Columbus artist, Char Norman. Combining found objects both man-made and natural, including fiber, paper, seed pods, and twigs, each sculpture serves as a relic and a tool to explore the symbiotic relationship between nature and humans.

Char Norman is an accomplished fiber artist specializing in papermaking and fiber sculpture. She received a Master of Fine Art from Claremont Graduate University and a Bachelor of Art from Scripps College. Throughout her career, Norman has lectured and exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally. In addition to creating, she has developed workshops for all ages, serves as a consultant to area schools and community art organizations, and has held the positions of Associate Provost and Dean of Faculty at the Columbus College of Art & Design. Currently, Norman works as a full-time studio artist located in Columbus, Ohio.