Art + Design Blog

A sampling of works included from the Springfield Art Museum's collection.
A sampling of works included in the collaborative exhibitions at Springfield Art Museum. See detailed image credits below. Photo credit: Springfield Art Museum. Accessed via https://www.sgfmuseum.org/274/Missouri-State-University-Collaborations

Museum Studies Collaborative Exhibitions On View at Springfield Art Museum

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The first of two student-curated exhibitions is currently on view at Springfield Art Museum, marking the conclusion to an exciting collaborative project between the museum and Missouri State’s Department of Art + Design. Art in Motion, curated by Naysa Adams, Cam Mahnken, Anna Shackelford, and Hannah Robinson, is open through July 9 in the museum’s Hartman Gallery.

A glass prism sculpture with colorful beams of light sits on a pedastal in front of a framed art piece hanging on a wall.
The sculpture piece, “New Limit,” by artist Ray Howlett is featured in “Art in Motion”

The selection and installation of two exhibition concepts is the final step in a multi-part project led by University Galleries Director of Exhibitions Jodi McCoy. The project allowed students enrolled in Jodi’s fall 2021 Museum Studies class (MST 381) to work directly with the art museum and gain first-hand experience in bringing an exhibition from concept to reality. The class split into four groups to explore the museum’s vaults, form an exhibition theme, conduct research on the exhibiting process, and write all accompanying label text. Each group presented their final project proposals to a panel of judges to make the final decision on which project would be installed and open to the public.

Originally, it was planned that only one exhibition would be chosen, but the quality of the proposed projects (and luckily, some extra room in the museum’s exhibition schedule), led to the judges selecting the top two exhibition concepts. Art in Motion, on view now, and Blue on White, set to open later this year, were ultimately decided on. “The Art in Motion team not only presented and sold their exhibition masterfully, the work they selected perfectly encapsulated the theme of the exhibit. Blue on White was also well researched, and presented novel idea. The presentation was solid and utilized items in the collection that often don’t get exhibited,” Jodi explains.

Art in Motion explores artistic portrayals of motion, as well as the movement of the viewer through the gallery space. The exhibition features paintings, drawings, sculptures, and prints by artists including Garo Zareh Antreasian, Jacob Burmood, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Sylvia Glass, Ray Howlett, and Anne Lindberg.

A man draws on a pedestal in front of a wall of framed artwork.
A gallery visitor interacts with the “How did you experience motion?” activity included in “Art in Motion.”

Blue on White, curated by Hanna Henroid, Jenna Fallert, and Emily Hughes, will be the next collaborative exhibition on view at Springfield Art Museum. The exhibition will focus on pieces from the museum’s Asian art collection. Blue on White will be on view July 22–December 3 in the museum’s Hartman Gallery.

This special project allows students to see their work come to fruition in a unique, meaningful way. Jodi adds, “I couldn’t be more proud to see my students apply what they learned in class to something that they can tangibly point to and say, ‘Hey, I did that’ . . . Anyone in a museum studies class can use physical models and technology to plan an exhibit, but to be able to see it live and direct in the museum is on another level. It’s real, and it’s validating to the work itself and the work put into learning.”

Springfield Art Museum is located at 1111 E Brookside Dr, Springfield, MO 65807. For more information about Museum Studies, contact the Department of Art + Design at 417-837-2330 or email Jodi McCoy at JMcCoy@MissouriState.edu.

Taylor Ladd is a graduate assistant for the Department of Art + Design. She is working towards her master’s degree in writing at Missouri State University with professional interests in writing about art, culture, and food.

Feature image credits (left to right): 1. Ray Howlett, New Limit. 1999, Springfield Art Museum. 2. (Detail) Anonymous (English), Delft Food Plate, ca. 1725-50, Springfield Art Museum. 3. Anonymous (Egyptian), Ushabti of Shed-Su-Hor Funerary Figure, ca. 1085 – 945 BCE (21st Dynasty), Springfield Art Museum.                      .