Humanities, Vol. 2

Exhibit Details

September 17, 2022 - February 12, 2023
Weisel and Kelly Galleries

What sparks a connection between you and a work of art? Is it color? Is it form? Is it story? What moves you to look longer? 

This exhibition began with these questions, and more specifically, directing these questions towards the Museum’s collection of over 10,000 objects. 

What does our collection mean to Springfieldians? What works in the collection speak to you? What do we mean when we talk about collection connections? To seek answers to these questions, Curator of Art Sarah Buhr invited three local artists in different disciplines – musician Jin J. X, poet Kate Murr, and dancer/choreographer Sarah Wilcoxon - to tour the Museum’s vaults and look at art together. These tours, and the conversations they produced, have resulted in an exhibition that begins to investigate that spark, while also illustrating different ways in which we might connect with a work of art. 

Each artist has selected a group of objects from the collection, those works that spoke to them amongst the thousands they saw during their tours. Their selections are exhibited alongside new work each artist has created in their own medium in response to, and inspired by, the collection objects. 

Every object has a story to tell. Here are a few captured by Jin, Kate, and Sarah that we would like to share with you.   

This exhibition is the second in a series that seeks to connect disparate works in the Museum’s collection with a wide range of community members, facilitated and organized by Curator of Art Sarah Buhr.  

Exhibit Resources

View the Exhibition Photo Album

Related Programs

Opening Day:
Saturday, September 17, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Museum Galleries

Join us in celebrating the opening of Humanities, Vol. 2. Drop-in for hands-on activities. Free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

Slow-Viewing with Shauna LeAnn Smith:
Wednesday, October 5, 6:00 PM, AV Model by Ernest Trova  
Wednesday, November 9, 6:00 PM, Middle Class Values by Frieda Logan  
Wednesday, January 11, 6:00 PM, Dahlem Recycled by Susi Steinitz Ettinger
Museum Galleries

Join us for Slow Viewing of select works on view in Humanities, Vol. 2. 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 pre-registration is required.

Artist Talk & Performance with Jin J. X:
Thursday, October 13, 6:30 PM
Weisel Gallery

Artist Talk with Sarah Wilcoxon:
Thursday, October 27, 6:00 PM
Weisel Gallery

Curator Talk with Sarah Buhr:
Thursday, November 10, 6:00 PM
Weisel and Kelly Galleries

Artist Talk & Reading with Kate Murr:
Wednesday, December 7, 6:30 PM
Weisel and Kelly Galleries

Movement Workshops:
Adults (ages 15+): Thursday, January 5, 6 PM

Join faculty from the Springfield Ballet for a participatory workshop that combines visual art and dance. Taking cues from artwork on view in Humanities, Vol. 2, participants will explore their bodies’ connections with and responses to art, guided by dance professionals. No experience or ability required. $10 workshop fee. Pre-registration is required. Maximum of 15 participants per session.