Visual Art

A giant paper spiderweb containing an oversized morning glory flower covering the front of an abandoned house. A series of synchronized video monitors flashing various leisure activity options from an upper porch. A palm frond waving maniacally at passersby from a storefront window. A series of bright pink lawn ornaments made out of thrift store […]

Mention the Illinois State Fair, and things like corn dogs, lemon shakeups, the giant slide, concerts in the Grandstand, animal barns, dizzying rides and all types of food on a stick come to mind. But a professional art exhibition is also a stalwart of the Illinois State Fair. There has been a professional art exhibition […]

Some cities sponsor “art hops” where area residents “hop” between various venues on the same night to see a variety of art exhibits. In Springfield the Springfield Art Association (SAA) Collective is offering a multi-week “hop” between two venues to enjoy works by women artists. The two-gallery exhibit – one at the Springfield Art Association […]

“Please Touch the Art Gently” is not your typical sign posted in an art gallery. But, that is the message in a new exhibit at the Springfield Art Association from June 1-29. “What Art Feels Like” features metal and wood sculptures, paper, fiber, collage, glass, woodturning, ceramics and paintings made by 14 Illinois artists and […]

Pathways to Watercolor opens at the Springfield Art Association on April 5 and continues through April 27. Curated by Rod Buffington, the exhibit features highly diverse work by Sandy Meyer, Robert Mejer and Buffington – three artists applying very different techniques to create their art, but all using watercolor as their media. All are highly […]

The latest iteration of Springfield Art Association’s biennial “Shapes of Influence” exhibit stands as both an exceptional showcase for original ceramics work from across the country and an introduction to the show’s jurist – world-renowned ceramic artist Simon Levin, who settled in Springfield last November. Currently on display at the M. G. Nelson Gallery on […]

This Saturday marked the fifth annual Black Sheep Art Show held at the longstanding independent music venue Black Sheep Café, usually associated more with raucous punk rock concerts than visual art. This is the third year Black Sheep Café co-owner Clare Frachey has acted as primary coordinator for the show. “This year is the most […]

On Friday, March 9, the Springfield Art Association, along with the SAA Collective in the Hoogland Center for the Arts, combined forces with independent artist group The Pharmacy Gallery & Art Space to participate in a “Passport Gallery Tour.” Each location had an opening scheduled for that evening, and visitors were encouraged to obtain a “passport” […]

This past weekend, two of Springfield’s most vibrant creative organizations joined forces for a unique two-day show. The Pharmacy Gallery and Art Space – which for seven years has hosted seasonal exhibits featuring new work by its member artists in a variety of media – and the Southtown neighborhood’s Black Sheep Café – which for […]

This past weekend saw four separate, unique art events happening in Springfield at four different venues, each with its own flavor and focus, featuring artists working in multiple media, from this region and from elsewhere, some professional, others therapeutic. On Friday, the SAA Visual Art Center’s M.G. Nelson Family Gallery hosted “Morphology,” a collection of […]