Yoko Ono: Mend Piece

Exhibit Details

April 9, 2022 - July 10, 2022
Eldredge Gallery

Beginning in April 2022, the Springfield Art Museum invites our visitors to engage with the participatory exhibition, Yoko Ono: Mend Piece (Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York City version), from the Rennie Collection, Vancouver. 

Ono proposes communal mending as an act of healing. In a seemingly simple white room, shattered cups and saucers are placed on a table. Participants are asked to mend the fragments together using common household items: twine, glue, scissors, and tape. The resulting works are displayed on nearby shelves, evidence of the power of collective action.

Yoko Ono (b. 1933, Tokyo, Japan) is widely recognized for her pioneering conceptual art, which has encompassed performance, instruction, film, music, and writing. She also continues to work tirelessly for world peace.

Mend Piece embraces the metaphor of the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi, a technique of repairing broken or cracked pottery using brushstrokes of gold and silver, a philosophy that treats the breakage and repair as part of the object’s history - an important and precious detail, rather than something to disguise. With straightforward directions, the artist asks participants to let go of preconceptions and consider larger ideas: "Mend with wisdom, mend with love./It will mend the earth/at the same time.” 

This exhibition is organized by the American Federation of Arts (AFA).

The presentation of Yoko Ono's Mend Piece (Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York City version) is part of Art Room, an ongoing series of contemporary art installations organized by the AFA.

Exhibit Resources

View the Exhibition Photo Album

Example of Kintsugi from the permanent collection - on view in our Hartman Gallery.

Do-It-Yourself "Fluxus" Project Space: April 9 - July 10, 2022
Spratlen Gallery

Extend your experience in this hands-on project space inspired by core values of the Fluxus art movement including humor, chance, and active collaboration. All materials are provided. Free and open to the public.

Program Details

These programs - which include art workshops, mindfulness and awareness exercises, self-care practices, and litter cleanup - offer hands-on opportunities to engage with the exhibition’s theme of mending that which needs repair.   

Be Well Experience: Brain Health & Creative Expression:
Thursday, April 14, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday, June 8, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Auditorium

You deserve brain wellness in all spaces so you can arrive as your most authentic self. Join facilitators from Burrell Behavioral Health for interactive presentations with guided activities that bring brain science to life through connection, healing community, and the use of creative expression. Free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

John Cage Symphony Performance: Saturday, April 16, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Auditorium

Join us for a special performance of John Cage's 4'33" and Seven performed by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. This program begins with an introductory conversation between Museum Director Nick Nelson and Orchestra Conductor Kyle Wiley Pickett regarding John Cage, his influence on the 20th century Avant Garde visual and performance art of the 1960’s, and connections to the works of Yoko Ono. Free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

Kintsugi Workshop with Kyle Bird: 
Friday, April 22, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Friday, June 10, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Community Room

Join local ceramic artist Kyle Bird for a workshop that explores a modern take on the ancient Japanese tradition of Kintsugi. Registration is required. $25 workshop fee includes materials. Ages 15+

Slow Viewing with Shauna LeAnn Smith: 
Sunday, April 24, 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Sunday, May 22, 5:15 PM - 6:15 PM
Eldredge Gallery

Join us for Slow Viewing of Yoko Ono: Mend Piece. 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 participating, observing, and speaking about Ono's work, 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. Registration is required. Each session is limited to nine participants.

Art Journaling Workshop with Nicole Chilton: Saturday, May 14, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Community Room

Join local artist and author Nicole Chilton for a workshop that introduces the practice of mixed-media journaling and mindful intention setting. Participants will receive a journal and supplies, guidance on unlocking creativity, and exercises to further engage with their journal. Registration is required. $25 workshop fee includes all materials. Ages 12+

Fassnight Creek Litter Clean-Up & Fix-It Fair: Saturday, May 21, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Museum Grounds

Join the Museum, in partnership with City of Springfield Environmental Services, Community Partnership of the Ozarks, and Ozark Greenways, for a day of mending the Earth. We will work together to clean litter from the Museum's grounds, Fassnight Creek, and Phelps Grove Park. The Fix-It Fair will provide volunteer menders to help repair small appliances, bicycles, or clothes in need of mending. Free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

Tai Chi Workshop with Dee Ogilvy: 
Saturday, May 28, 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Sunday, June 5, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Auditorium

Learn Yang style Tai Chi from Shifu M. Dee Ogilvy. These sessions are suitable for ages 15+ and any physical fitness level and require no special equipment. Free and open to the public. Registration is required. 

Tai Chi Showcase with Dee Ogilvy:
Saturday, May 28, 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Sunday, June 5, 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Auditorium

Shifu M. Dee Ogilvy will demonstrate expert-level Tai Chi practice. This is a wonderful opportunity to watch a master Tai Chi practitioner demonstrate the art form at its finest. Free and open to the public. Registration is not required. 

Family Day: Saturday, June 11, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Family Art Lab & Book Nook

Join us for family-friendly art-making activities inspired by Yoko Ono: Mend Piece. Free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

"Plarn" Workshop: Sunday, June 19, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Community Room

Join artist Re Baker-Dietz, founder of Arrow Creative Reuse, for a workshop that will transform plastic bags into plarn (plastic yarn) that can be used in a variety of creative projects. Participants will also learn how to set up their own loom and weave their plarn. Registration is required. $10 workshop fee includes all materials.* Ages 12+  

*plastic bags will be provided; however, participants are welcome to bring their own stock of plastic bags, as well.