Art + Design Blog

Rodney Frew's painting called Self, My 65th Year, 1998, Oil on canvas. Self-portrait showing a figure with white beard, round glasses, and long black hair.
Rodney Frew, "Self, My 65th Year", 1998, Oil on canvas. Gift of Morgan Frew and the Estate of Rodney Frew. Collection of the Springfield Art Museum. Copyright Estate of Rodney Frew.

Rodney Frew exhibit at the Springfield Art Museum

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Rodney Frew, professor emeritus, taught printmaking, drawing, and painting at Missouri State University from 1963 to 1997. An exhibition of his work opens November 26 at the Springfield Art Museum (SAM) and remains on view until March 19, 2023. The work featured in this exhibition is pulled largely from the museum’s permanent collection.

Morgan Frew, will be giving an artist talk at the museum about his father’s work Saturday, December 3, at 11 a.m.. Morgan is an MSU alumni, who graduated in 2006 with a BFA in Art degree and an emphasis in painting. The talk is free and open to the public.

From SAM’s website: “Rodney Frew . . . developed a reputation for not only his talent as a printmaker, but his ‘penchant for depicting the human condition in a no-holds-barred manner.’ His focused attention on the absurdities of life were informed by humor and sarcasm. He noted, ‘I’ve never been enamored of the pretty. Cake icing has no appeal to me. Regardless of what subject or medium I’m working with; I try to get beyond the surface.’ ”

The Springfield Art Museum is located at 1111 E Brookside Drive, Springfield, MO.  Hours: Sunday 1 – 5 p.m.; Monday & Tuesday Closed; Wednesday – Friday 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; closed city and national holidays. For more information about the exhibition, contact the museum: 417-837-5700,  artmuseum@springfieldmo.gov .