The Creamery Exhibition Hall

The Creamery Arts Center Exhibition Hall is open from Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and is also available for rental for special events for corporate, educational, and private groups.

In addition to the large open gallery at the center of the building, the Creamery has a smaller exhibition space inside the offices the Springfield Regional Arts Council.

Exhibitions change monthly, with opening receptions in conjunction with the First Friday Art Walk each month from 6-9 p.m. that feature both group and solo shows of painting, photography, fiber art, ceramics, and fine craft.

Pictured above is the “Colors of Cambodia” show and private art auction of October, 2011. For a full exhibition schedule, inquires about exhibition opportunities, or inquires about special event rentals, visit the Springfield Regional Art Council Exhibitions at the Creamery webpage.

Exhibitions at the Creamery are managed by the Springfield Regional Arts Council and are supported by the Missouri Arts Council, a State Arts Agency and corporate sponsor underwriters.

More photos, click on a thumbnail to see slideshow:

Triangulum by Richard Hunt

Triangulum, a bronze sculpture by Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt, is a sometimes forgotten gem located in field between the Springfield Art Museum and a historical column-flanked stone stage. Although there is no landscaping or garden paths around the sculpture, it’s worth the walk to view the sculpture from all sides to appreciate the dramatically different three-dimensional viewpoints.

Richard Hunt’s career in sculpture began in 1955, when as a student, he began to exhibit sculpture around Chicago at art fairs, in small galleries, and local art centers.

During the next twelve years he worked as a independent studio artist, and in 1967, began to work on his first commissioned sculpture that launched his career as a public artist.

Hunt, one of the foremost African-American sculptors of his time, has completed commissions and public art throughout the United States, been the subject of a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, and his work has been included in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.

In 2009 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award by the International Sculpture Center, publisher of Sculpture magazine. He is often quoted speaking about the public art process.

[blockquote]Outside the studio, the sculptor’s horizons broaden to the limits of the possible; that is to the extent the sculptor can conceive of, and master, the interactive possibilities. These possibilities are often realized through the creative interaction of the artist with patrons, or patron groups in their conception, and with engineers, technicians, and tradesmen in their execution. Outside of the studio, the sculptor’s internal dialogue gives way to the dialogue that a sculpture sets up with the environment the sculpture is created for.[/blockquote]

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[blockquote]Public sculpture responds to the dynamics of a community, or of those in it, who have a use for sculpture. It is this aspect of use, of utility, that gives public sculpture its vital and lively place in the public mind.
- Richard Hunt
reproduced from Richard Hunt, New York: Dorsky Gallery, 1989.[/blockquote]

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Related links:

Richard Hunt – his studio website

New York Times article about the 2008 restoration Hunt’s 5,500 pound sculpture, Harlem Hybrid, by the city Park Department’s Arts and Antiquities program.

Springfield Art Museum

History

Incorporated in 1928, the Museum was first operated entirely by volunteers and still relies heavily on community support in a variety of ways. The Museum has had several homes along the way. The present Museum, on the edge of Phelps Grove Park, opened in 1958.

A 392-seat auditorium was completed in 1974 and extensive renovation of the Museum was completed in 1984.

In 1994, the Jeannette L. Musgrave Wing with four new exhibition galleries and storage for the permanent collection of some 8,895 art objects including special collections of 19th, 20th, and 21st century American paintings, watercolor, sculpture and prints was completed.

Watercolor U.S.A., Regional and Changing Exhibitions

In addition to its collection, the Springfield Art Museum is known for hosting the Watercolor U.S.A. competition. Held annually since 1962, the competition draws more than 1,000 entries every year. Thousands of visitors flock to the museum each year to view the entries. Every other year the Museum hosts the MOAK 4-State Regional Exhibition, and throughout the year has many other changing exhibitions. For information about the upcoming exhibition schedule, go to the Art Museum page on the City of Springfield website.

Outdoor Pubic Art

The museum is located adjacent to the beautiful 31- acre Phelps Grove Park that has a walking fitness trail, wading pool, rose garden, xeriscape garden, tennis courts, picnic tables, and children’s play areas. Only one sculpture, Triangulum by Richard Hunt, is located on the land bordering the Park – others are located to the south and east of the Art Museum building.

2008 Expansion of the Art Museum

A $3.3 million 10,000-square foot wing with new galleries, entry hall, gift shop and a new library was added to the Art Museum in 2008, funded through private donations raised by director Jerry Berger. The four largest donors – those gifting more than $300,000 – have galleries in their names: Eldridge, Spratton, Armstrong and Hartman. Some benefactors’ individual gifts reached as high as $700,000. New galleries include:

• The Eldridge gallery – Artist and teacher William Maurice Eldridge bequeathed the museum with proceeds from property sales and five of his original paintings
• The Hartman gallery – Collector and patron Joan Cousins Hartman had a distinctive flare for Oriental pieces and donated historic artworks.
• The Armstrong gallery – Springfieldian Bill H. Armstrong’s work has appeared in more than 50 national and regional exhibits and four international exhibits. Armstrong has received eight Watercolor USA awards, the 1990 Missouri Arts Council’s lifetime achievement award, and the 2004 Springfield Regional Arts Council’s Ozzie Award for industry advancement.
• The Spratlen gallery – Collector and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderveer Spratlen has donated more than 420 pieces to the Springfield Art Museum, including many Western Americana works came from her Denver home.

New Director Search

Jerry Berger, Springfield’s Art Museum director for more than two decades at the museum, has announced his retirement on October 14, 2011. The City of Springfield and the Board of Director of the Springfield Art Museum are in the process of a new director search.

Related link: What do you see as the Museum’s Vision?

The Springfield Art Museum, 1111 East Brookside Drive, Springfield, MO 65807 417.837.5700 is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM, with extended hours Thursday until 8 PM, and Sunday from 1 to 5 PM. Admission is free. For information about the upcoming exhibition schedule, go to the Art Museum page on the City of Springfield website.

Information for this article from the City of Springfield website, the Springfield News-Leader, and the Springfield Business Journal

Robert E. Smith mural

Robert E. Smith, a new book published by Moon City Press, edited by Eric Pervukhin, Professor of Art and Design and artist Carla Stine will be featured at an editors’ and contributors’ reception on Monday, September 19, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. in the Creamery Art Center Exhibition Hall, 411 N. Sherman Parkway. Formal book sales will begin at the Missouri Literary Festival, September 23-25, 2011. For more information, go to this article on our News page.

Robert E. Smith is a nationally known folk and “outsider” artist.  His paintings have been featured at New York City’s prestigious Museum of American Folk Art and sold at distinguished galleries coast-to-coast.  he has also been featured in The Museum of American Folk Art Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century American Folk Art.  His unique visions, brimming with color, humor and incident, represent a triumph of the imagination over a strenuous and difficult life.

In 2007, the Missouri State University Art & Design Gallery had a retrospective show of his work that drew visitors and collectors from as far as Chicago, Omaha, and Nashville. In 2010 Smith was posthumously awarded the Ozzie Legacy Award by the Springfield Regional Arts Council. For more information and links to his work, go to the Robert E. Smith, artist website

Based on the original painting by Robert E. Smith, this mural on the corner of Campbell & Walnut Street was painted by Chris Friese on the side of the former Corner Printing, now home of Fresh – a collective gallery of fine art and craft. The project was commissioned by the Springfield Program for Public Art, and funding was raised by an art auction of Robert’s painting and through the support and donations from many supporters of Smith’s work, both in Springfield and around the country.

Robert often hand-wrote stories to accompany his paintings, sometimes taped to the back of the canvas along with a cassette-recording of the story. Below is the written story that accompanies the original painting:

The Colonial Hotel and Downtown Park Central Square by Robert E. Smith

This story painting is about the Colonial Hotel in 1975 and Downtown Park Central Square. The year 1975 when I first moved here from Columbia, MISSOURI: Lime Music Company and Television VIDEO was on the corner of Jefferson Street and McDaniels Street. But you couldn’t see McDaniels Street in the painting. The Music Company had a PIANO advertised and a MOVIE VIDEO Advertised in the store window. Continued on page 2

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Sky Gallery

Sky Gallery is the public art component of the new Springfield-Branson National Airport. As an addition to the airport’s permanent collection of art, Sky Gallery is a series of changing exhibits. Core to the exhibition space is the ArtPort — a free-standing architectural installation designed and built by Drury University architecture students Patrick Butler, Daniel Renner, Justin Bruce, and Austin Abbott and professors Traci Scooter and Stan Rone and coordinated with help of the Springfield Regional Arts Council.

Constructed of materials that echo the Ozarks nature theme of the interior of design of the airport, the ArtPort is a three-sided structure with gallery lighting and hanging system to accommodate changing exhibits. Open doorways on each side allow visitors to pass through the structure freely, being “teleported” temporarily into a room-sized environment to view the artworks on a more intimate level. Built-in seating on one side allows visitors to face either the art work or the baggage claim carousels.

In addition to the ArtPort, Sky Gallery display area includes two seating alcoves for smaller art and the southeast and northeast walls that accommodate large scale two-dimensional artwork. Situated out the security areas of the airport, all areas of public art are accessible to visitors either arriving or departing the terminal and make waiting for baggage almost a bonus!

Changing Exhibitions

Exhibitions in Sky Gallery change several times a year, rotating between exhibits sponsors by the Springfield Regional Arts Council, Missouri State University Art + Design Department, Drury University Art Department, and the Springfield Public Schools. For current exhibition information, visit the Springfield-Branson National Airport fine art webpage.

Photographed above is the Fall 2010 exhibition which was curated from the Springfield Regional Arts Council online artist registry featuring artists Kat Allie, Dolores Bauer, Roxie Castro, Elizabeth Chapman, Cindy Dawson, Gary St. Ivany, Kyle McKenzie, and Denene Taliaferro.

Online Artist Registry

The registry is included as a membership benefit for all artist members of the SRAC. For this and other exhibition opportunities, artists who have not submitted digital images to the new website which went online in June 2010 can find more information on the SRAC Artist Registry webpage.

Kinetic Man by Russ RuBert

Kinetic Man sculpture (also known as K-man) by Russ RuBert is 23′ tall and turning a gear on the side of the base will make his arms, legs move and head spin. The base is encased in plexiglass, so children can watch the custom crafted gears turning to made the sculpture move.

The sculpture was originally commissioned for the Walt Disney Children’s Arts Festivals. After traveling for several years, the sculpture was purchased by the Southeast Rotary Club of Springfield and donated to Jordan Valley Park as part of K-Park, an interactive park designed to spark creativity and imagination.

K-Man and K-Park is located adjacent to the Creamery Arts Center on Sherman Ave., just across the street from Hammons Baseball Stadium. On the evenings of home games for the Cardinals, firework displays in the stadium explode behind K-Man’s head, illuminating the vivid patterns in the metal surfaces.

Art of Space

If you missed this event during the March 2011 First Friday Artwalk, check out the video. This Art of Space installation was constructed in the basement of Gelato Mia by Drury University architecture students over a two-week period using about 200 rolls of clear packing tape and was open to the public for only one night.

The project was directed by Gerard Nadeau, Visiting Assistant Professor and Chantal Drennen, Drury Alumnus and Gelato Mia owner, in collaboration with the Urban District Alliance, Holland Building and community volunteers. It is the first of what they hope will blossom into an ongoing community public art project structured around First Friday Art Walk. Visit their facebook page for photos of the construction and the Art of Space manifesto.

The Art of Space proposes to organize quarterly community art installations created by Drury University students, faculty and alumni to transform existing spaces in downtown Springfield using common materials and community effort to produce striking spatial and aesthetic results.

Using common materials that have an immediate connection to everyday life but are not normally associated with fine art or permanent construction serves as a counterpoint to the art-object consumption that typifies the First Friday gallery walk. By giving First Friday attendees the opportunity to collaborate in creating art installations, the Art of Space hopes to increase the spirit of participation and aesthetic immersion.

Future projects include an event for the First Friday Art Walk 10th Anniversary Celebration and Summer Arts Festival in collaboration with the Springfield Regional Arts Council and Community Foundation for the Ozarks and an event in November for the re-opening celebration of Park Central Square.

Sounds of Springfield by Todd Lowery

The Sounds of Springfield mural by Todd Lowery is a tribute to famous Springfield musicians. It was completed in 1999 with the help of Springfield Program for Public Art, the Missouri Arts Council, Springfield Public Schools, the Kelley Family, and Hertz Equipment Rental.

The large mural is located at the corner of Jefferson Ave. and Water Street and can be easily seen from Founders Park across the street.

First Night Springfield 2011

The Lion Dance is an ancient Chinese folk dance that symbolizes happiness and good luck. The performers from Fu Hok studio will help us ring in 2011 with this unique cultural celebration and dance.

First Night Springfield 2011 is a New Year’s Eve celebration of the arts with live music, theater, and fireworks finale. 11 downtown locations and performances including Arzo Tureaud, Berch, Chris Sligh, Fu Hok Studios – Chinese Lion Dance, Grupo Latinoamericano, Hing Wah Hatch, Japan America Friendship Group, Kellswater, Lowdown Fancy, New Monster’s Collective, Retrognomes, Skinny Improv, Y.E.S. Troupe, Someone Still Loves you Boris Yeltsin, SuperCharge, and Voices of Deliverance

First Night Springfield! is sponsored by the Springfield Regional Arts Council and managed by the Urban Districts Alliance

Video thanks to Russ RuBert for SpringfieldArts.com

Sculpture at Temple Hall

This 16′ tall reinforced concrete sculpture designed for the entrance of Missouri State University’s Temple Hall was constructed and poured on site by artist Jerry Hatch with student help — in what Hatch calls a “technical experiment:”

The technical bits that interested me were the forms possible using only the hot-wire, the ability to enlarge the molds easily from smaller scale versions and learning to use concrete, a cheap and reasonably durable media, combined with other materials like copper and bronze.

The mold for the sculpture was designed to be filled from the top by a concrete delivery truck. Using a hot wire, Hatch carved the columns and fossil imagery into styrofoam sheets. An armature was designed by the campus architect/engineer to insure safety and welded to an underground foundation. The styrofoam mold was assembled around the armature and reinforced on the outside with plywood and 2×4′s.

“When the concrete truck arrived it was decided not to risk damaging the lawn so a student and I had to offload all the concrete into 5 gallon buckets, load those onto a cherry-picker and pour them in ourselves, one at a time. It had to be done fast as the concrete was setting and had to be vibrated into place. Turned into an endurance thing. We barely made it.”

Copper pipe was tied into the mold so it, and the wire ties, were left exposed. Black pigment was added to the concrete mix to adjust the color. The column imagery alludes to the name of the adjacent building, and the carved details refer to local fossil forms and the science departments housed inside Temple Hall.

The installation of the sculpture was timed with the artist’s solo show at the Springfield Art Museum. Jerry Hatch is currently a professor in the Fine Art Department of Missouri State University. His work has been shown at art galleries and universities throughout the region, is part of collections including the Sheldon Memorial Gallery, the Springfield Art Museum, and the University of Tennessee.

The Garden

The Garden is a public art installation created by Jennifer and Nathan Falter of Springfield Pottery and installed in 1999 with the help of the former Springfield Program for Public Art. It is a massive 12′ x 16′ mosaic composed of thousands of fragments of recycled tile donated by ACME Brick. For many years, it stood alone in the back parking lot of Wheelers Furniture on the corner of South Avenue and Walnut.

Although the Falters designed the mural in pieces in case it ever needed to be moved, when PriceCutter took over the lower floor of the building and opened the Bistro Market in the summer of 2010, they not only kept the mural in place — they added a concrete patio, public seating, and an information plaque with the history of the artwork.

While making the mural, the Falters said they believed the creation of the piece paralleled the renewal of downtown Springfield, both physically and spiritually. Having opened Springfield Pottery just one year before, they indeed had their finger on the pulse of the arts community and remain big contributors to its vitality.

Springfield Pottery is a community clay center at 416 S. Campbell that offers ceramic arts classes for children and adults, visiting artist workshops, a residency program, a traveling educational Claymobile, a fine art gallery and changing exhibitions.

Jump! at the Creamery

Watch Russian photographer Sergey Tsygankov as he photographs children jumping into the air at an afternoon workshop at the Creamery Arts Center. His unique concept of capturing a moment of unexpected emotion and spontaneity as they jump is captured in this video by artist Russ RuBert.

Sergey’s lifelong passion for photography began when he was 14 years old, and his uncle gave him his first camera. However after entering compulsory service in the Russian Army at the age of 18, he couldn’t continue his creative work.

Later assigned to the elite sector of Special Forces, he was punished because he would not take the required oaths because of his new-found Christian religion. Punished and later discharged from the army on medical grounds, he became a master glass-blower for a nuclear institute in Moscow.

Returning to photography, his work was noted by a famous professional Russian photographer. In that business partnership, Sergey’s technical and conceptual skills flourished. Through a network of friends, Sergey found himself in Springfield, Missouri, and volunteered to visit several Springfield public schools and to conduct the Jump! photography workshop at the Creamery Arts center.

Sergey says that his favorite photography subject in Russia is weddings, because weddings are the only place where Russians are freely allowed to express joy and celebration. Sergey’s desire is to express the celebration, laughter, and joy of the human spirit in photography.

Michael Stelzer – Forged Metal Sculptor

As President of Marlin Co. Michael Stelzer helps make household names of national products. As an artist and sculptor he gives back to his community.

To help Camp Barnabas, a camp for kids and teens with life-threatening illnesses and disabilities, Stelzer created a sculptural metal entrance gate using symbolism of a butterfly emerging from a caterpillar and taking flight.

This video is part of a Creative Minds series by Springfield photographer and videographer Bob Linder for the NewsLeader.

First Night Springfield! 2010

Video highlights from the 20th anniversary of First Night Springfield 2010. First Night is a family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration of the arts featuring live music, theater, galleries, and fireworks finale at 11 downtown locations and 25 events. Scenes include the Forbidden Opera, SuperCharge, Jah Kings, 1984, Wingtips, Skinny Improv, Low Down Fancy, Young Artist & Youth Players, Children’s Hands-on Activities, and a spectacular Fireworks Grand Finale featuring Kim Crosby at Jordan Vally Park in Springfield, Missouri.

Night Springfield! is sponsored by the Springfield Regional Arts Council and managed by the Urban Districts Alliance. The 2010 event was supported by corporate sponsors Empire Bank, Conco, Med-Pay Inc., Ridewell Suspensions, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Rick’s Automotives, the Daily Events, Good Girl Art, Hawthorne Galleries Inc., Liberty Bank, Home Builders, Neale & Newman, Springfield First Community Bank, KSPR, 88.3 The Wind, Star 105.1, 92.9 Bass Country, Great Southern, Ozarks Bottling Company, Second Baptist Church, Central Assembly, Cox Health, Bancorp South, Food Equipment Company, O&S Trucking, CID, and the Missouri Arts Council.