On October 9, the Springfield Art Museum announced a new multi-million dollar 30-year master plan.

In January of this year, the museum hired the esteemed architecture firm BNIM, out of Kansas City, to develop the master plan of the museum’s structure and grounds.

It started with a group of women

The Springfield Art Museum is the result of the hard work and dedication of Deborah Weisel and a small group of women, who formed the Art Study Club in Springfield in 1926.

Two years later, in June 1928, the club founded the Springfield Art Museum.

The Art Study Club deeded the museum to the city in 1946, after which it continued to expand. The museum found its current location, in Phelps Grove Park, shortly thereafter.

The future of the Art Museum

The 30-year master plan for the museum includes the establishment of the Family Learning Center, improvements to pedestrian and biking access around the grounds, expanded parking and more.

Photo via Springfield Art Museum.

Measures will also be taken to alleviate flood risk, with improved naturalization and connection to the neighboring Phelps Grove Park.

These changes come from public requests for improved outdoor facilities and concerns of flooding.

As for the museum building itself, there will be a number of changes, including a dramatic roof line inspired by the flowing waters of nearby Fassnight Creek, floor-to-ceiling windows and a new second story.

The building’s circulation will also be improved, eliminating the building’s several “dead ends” with connected hallways and more entrances to wings and rooms.

The education wing, constructed in 1958, will also see considerable expansions. It will transform into a space for hands-on learning and a place for hosting activities and community events.

“The overall plan is estimated between $17 million and $19 million, depending on phasing,” said the Springfield Art Museum’s Development and Marketing Coordinator Joshua Best. “The museum anticipates a mix of public and private funding to accomplish this project.”

As of right now, according to Best, the museum is in its early stages of planning fundraising campaigns. No fundraising strategies have been announced as of yet.

Visit in the meantime

The museum is hosting the “4×4: 2018 Midwest Invitational Exhibition” until Nov. 18.

“This biennial show presents contemporary bodies of work from four artists representing the four-state region,” said Best.

There is also a special 90^th anniversary exhibition, titled “Decades: 90 Years of Collecting,” which will run through Feb. 17, 2019.

On Dec. 7, the museum will welcome “El Grabado: Contemporary Cuban Printmaking,” which will remain until March 17, 2019.

Admission to the Springfield Art Museum is free and will remain free even after the master plan is implemented. (Of course, donations are always gratefully accepted.)

The museum is located at 1111 E. Brookside Dr., Springfield, Mo. Find it by the abstract yellow sculpture.

Operating hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The museum has extended hours on Thursday nights, when it is open until 8 p.m. Hours are abbreviated on Sunday, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit www.sgfmuseum.org.

Written by Forest Swisher.