"Breath, Light, and Distance"
An exhibit opening April 20 at the Springfield, Missouri Art Museum is aimed at improving the mental and physical health of those who view it.
Breath, Light, and Distance features 18 cloudscapes from the museum’s permanent collection. Museum officials say it uses the science and psychology of viewing art and cloud watching to create a positive experience for viewers’ mental health and physical well-being.
The cloudscapes feature a range of media, including oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings, prints and photography by a variety of artists.
The exhibit was guest curated by the Springfield Art Museum’s museum affairs officer for audience development, Joshua Best. He says they’ve placed “pulse points” throughout the gallery that prompt visitors to note their heart rate, respiratory rate and mindfulness levels as they move throughout the exhibit.
Breath, Light, and Distance will run through September 1.
Related public programs:
FREE Take-Home Project Bag: Mindful Making, Clouds & Zentangles
Registration Opens May 17, 2024
Practice mindful art-making, examine your emotions, and experience stillness and purposeful contemplation with cloud-making and Zentangle activities. Register for your free project bag and then pick it up in the Museum's Lobby during normal hours of operation. You can share your work in progress or completed project with the museum on social media using the hashtag #sgfprojectbag
Curator Talk and Tour
Friday, May 24, 2024, 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Join guest curator Joshua Best as he discusses the impetus for this special exhibition, the process of working with the Museum's permanent collection, and take a tour of the exhibition. Free and open to the public.
Slow Viewing with Shauna LeAnn Smith: Untitled Kakejiku
Thursday, July 25, 2024, 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Slow Viewing is a supportive practice for anyone who wants to develop their skills of interpretation, observation and discussing art. Guests spend an hour carefully observing and speaking about the works on view, resulting in a deeper understanding of how they and others relate to the artwork and to each other. This program is facilitated by artist Shauna LeAnn Smith. This program is free, but space in-gallery is limited so registration is required.
"Renaissance Works on Parchment and Paper"
Another new exhibit opening April 20 at the Springfield Art Museum is Renaissance Works on Parchment and Paper. It highlights the museum’s collection of Renaissance manuscripts and prints. Those range from hand-lettered and letterpress Bible pages to finely engraved pieces by some the tradition’s most celebrated artists, according to museum officials in a news release.
They say the works "allow viewers to explore the transition from manuscript to print, strides in print technology and technique; and the priorities, fashions, language and storytelling of an age that, in many ways, shaped the values of our own."
The special exhibition is in collaboration with Missouri State University. It was guest-curated by MSU Art and Design Professor Mitzi Kirkland-Ives.
Renaissance Works on Parchment and Paper runs through September 1.
Related public program:
Curator Talk
Thursday, June 6, 2024, 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Join Dr. Mitzi Kirkland-Ives for a discussion about Renaissance Works on Parchment and Paper. Dr. Kirkland-Ives, who guided the curation of this exhibition, will share information about the curatorial process and the works featured in the exhibition. Free and open to the public. Registration is not required.
