FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Springfield, MO. (April 28, 2016) - Springfield Art Museum Director Nick Nelson has described the commercial burglary of seven iconic Andy Warhol Campbell’s Soup Can screenprints as feeling like “the loss of a family member.” Colorado artist Lindsey Wohlman is no stranger to that feeling. She lost her mother, sculptor Robin Starkey, to cancer at the age of twelve. Her mother’s passion for drawing and sculpting led Wohlman to become an artist herself.
In an open letter to Nelson on her website, Wohlman, moved by the recent theft of “public health and happiness,” offered to donate a set of works from her “Warhol Naked and Unlabeled” series to fill the void left in the Museum’s collection. Nelson notes, “We were touched and inspired by her generosity, as well as her understanding of what the loss of cultural property means to a community. We continue to be humbled by the outpouring of support from the artistic community, both local and national, as we navigate this difficult time.”
Indeed, the Museum faces a delicate balance of how to best secure the works of art entrusted to its care, with the need for art to remain open and accessible to the public. “We could become very internalized, or we can continue forward on our current trajectory, adamant in our resolve that our primary mission is one of community outreach and education through the public display of art.”
Wohlman’s willingness to share her art with a community, that she is admittedly far-removed from, is a powerful confirmation of the healing power of art and the positive social impact that the artistic community engenders. “In that vein,” says Curator of Art Sarah Buhr, “we are mounting a temporary exhibition of her work titled ‘Warhol Uncanned.’ This collaboration inspired us to transform our loss into a response that addresses a real need in our community. Locally, we are partnering with Ozarks Food Harvest to address key themes expressed in Wohlman’s work: food insecurity, food deserts, and GMOs.”
Christy Claybaker, Community Engagement Coordinator at Ozarks Food Harvest notes, “One in six adults and one in four kids right here in our community are food insecure, often unsure of where their next meal is coming from. At some point, 67 percent of households in the Ozarks have had to make the choice between paying for utilities or buying food.”
“Food drives help to raise awareness of food insecurity in a tangible way,” says Claybaker. “While hunger is a big problem facing our community, partnerships like this are one way to make a real impact on solving this critical issue.”
Wohlman notes that she felt the need to reach out because the Museum’s “bare walls…call out (to me).” The Springfield Art Museum stands resolute in our conviction that we will tolerate no bare walls in our community. See “Warhol Uncanned” at the Springfield Art Museum from May 4 through August 28, 2016. Donations of non-perishable food items will be gratefully accepted in the Museum’s lobby, and through Ozarks Food Harvest, will be distributed to over 200 hunger-relief organizations across 28 Ozarks counties.
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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, we are dedicated to enhancing the education and documenting the cultural heritage of the people of southwest Missouri through the collection, preservation, and exhibition of art objects. For more information, please visit www.sgfmuseum.org
For more information, please contact Joshua Best, Development and Marketing Coordinator, 417-837-5700 ext. 224 or jbest@springfieldmo.gov
Lindsey Wohlman is a fine artist, commercial designer, and photographer located in Lafayette, CO. For more information about her work, please visit www.distilledartdesign.com
Ozarks Food Harvest is the only food bank serving southwest Missouri. They provide food, supplies, funding, infrastructure grants, training and support to over 200 Ozarks nonprofit organizations and food pantries. For more information, please visit www.ozarksfoodharvest.org