FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Springfield, MO. (April 10, 2023) – The Springfield Art Museum is pleased to exhibit the first grouping of works from Exquisite Corpse, a suite of 18 lithographs by visiting artists to the Tamarind Institute at the University of New Mexico between 2000 and 2015. Beginning Wednesday, April 12, six works - comprising two “bodies” - will rotate on view in Creating an American Identity, the Museum’s permanent collection exhibition. The first six artists included are Nick Cave, Elena Climent, Gendron Jensen, Enrique Martínez Celaya, Osmeivy Ortega Pacheco, and Robert Pruitt.
Also referred to as “exquisite cadaver,” the portfolio is based on a popular parlor game of the same name, which became a favored game in the 1920s in artistic circles, especially among artists of the Surrealist movement. Each lithograph depicts a figure composed of three separate parts: a head, torso, and legs. The parlor game generates collaborative and free-form compositions. This portfolio similarly promotes creativity through the variety of options for installation. New figures are created through mixing and matching the three components of each lithograph.
The Museum previously announced the acquisition of this portfolio in its July-September 2022 Newsletter. Exquisite Corpse further develops the Museum’s collection of prints, while providing a more diverse representation of printmakers by introducing 15 new artists into the permanent collection. This suite of work was purchased with funds from Art In Bloom 2022, and in recognition of Kate Baird’s tenure as Museum Educator from 2013-2021.
Art In Bloom returns to the Museum April 28-30, 2023. All proceeds from sponsorships, paid events, pop-up retail merchandise, and People’s Choice Award vote sales benefit the Museum’s art acquisition and exhibition efforts. Since 2018, Art In Bloom has raised over $62,000 for art acquisitions. Museum Affairs Officer Joshua Best notes, “This is just another example of how the community’s support makes a real impact on our programs. Something as simple as purchasing a People’s Choice Award vote can translate into 18 new works of art by 15 new artists. That’s really exciting. When we pool our resources, we can accomplish big things.”
The Springfield Art Museum is located at 1111 East Brookside Drive. Admission is always free. Donations are gratefully accepted.
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The Springfield Art Museum is Springfield, Missouri’s oldest cultural institution, founded in 1928. A department of the City of Springfield, the Museum invites you to connect with the world, your community, and yourself through active engagement with art objects. For more information, please visit www.sgfmuseum.org or contact Joshua Best, Museum Affairs Officer at (417) 874-2859 or jbest@springfieldmo.gov.