Brick City Gallery will host the All-School Exhibition, which showcases a wide variety of artwork from Springfield-area schools. It's typically held at the Springfield Art Museum, but that facility is closed for renovation.
The event occurs mainly in March to celebrate both Youth Art month and Women’s History Month.
The exhibit contains work from public, private and parochial schools, as well as occasional submissions from homeschool cooperatives. “So it's really a collaboration between the school communities and the art museum,” said Joshua Best, museum educator, who has been working with the organization for 10 years.
“And now, while the art museum is temporarily closed, [we have] a partnership between our host venue, Missouri State University's Brick City Gallery,” he said.
It's actually the longest running exhibition initiative at the art museum, according to Best.
"We were founded in 1928, and we started exhibiting student artwork in 1932. So almost as long as the museum existed, we've made a commitment to engaging with and displaying student artwork from our community,” he said. “We have grandparents whose work was in the show, and then their parents are in the show, and then the kids are in the show. And so, it's really become like a cross-generational project.”
Best explains that submissions aren’t based on skill but rather on the artworks' ability to show “the range and depth of learning that’s happening in our school communities.”
They want to showcase individual expression as well as how art educators are using art to connect to other curriculum areas.
“I think there's definitely a point of pride for the students. A lot of times we're stuck behind our computer screens like everyone else and aren't seeing that direct impact. But when you get in front of the audience, it is a really special moment,” said Best.
The showcase is open to the public, and admission is free.
For more information on the show, as well as the museum as a whole, visit the museum's website.
Springfield Art Museum can also be found on Instagram and Facebook.
