An exhibit at the Springfield Art Museum, featuring works from the permanent collection, was put together by several people—36 co-curators in all.
Museum employees and close partners were asked to tour the vaults with curator Sarah Buhr for the exhibit, Humanities, Vol. 1 "and see if any of the works sparked a connection with them, and if it did, that was the work they picked, and that's what's on view now is seeing what those connections are that people have made with our collection," she said.
Joshua Best, museum affairs officer, is one of the co-curators. He chose a dress, circa 1920s, that was donated by the museum’s founder.
"I'd seen a thumbnail image of this in our online collection many, many, many times and just scrolled right past it," he said, "but when she (Buhr) opened the box and the colors jumped out, it was immediate. I was, like, 'oh, this is the one."
The exhibit includes the artwork—49 pieces—along with a photo of each person who chose the piece and a description, in their own words, of why they chose it. Some couldn't decide on one, so they chose two.
Humanities, Vol. 1 showcases a variety of media, including paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs, textiles, decorative arts and furniture.
The exhibit is at the Springfield Art Museum through November 13.
Upcoming events associated with the exhibit include a slow viewing, a collaborative curation discussion panel, a gallery talk with museum director Nick Nelson and workshops.
