Springfield Museum of Art

Springfield, Missouri

Design strategies for the Springfield Art Museum prioritize engaging art education experiences and address many existing facility needs that have accumulated over time. A central focus is creating connections to nature and establishing an extroverted museum presence within the community, ensuring the Springfield Art Museum remains a beautiful and connective destination for the arts and cultural heritage in the Springfield region.  

Integral to the project is the connection to Fassnight Creek and the native landscape, along with the history and heritage of Phelps Grove, dating back to George Edward Kessler’s work. The plan includes placing sculptures within the park landscape, activating the entire site and park with improvements to the amphitheater, and eliminating flood risks to the museum. The museum will become a beacon toward National Avenue and the broader community, unified into one cohesive solution and experience. It will offer moments of respite in what has been referred to as the “third place” within the museum, featuring an internal courtyard and private seating areas overlooking Fassnight Creek. These spaces will allow museum patrons to connect with nature, recompose, or contemplate after viewing art.  

Improvements include creating a welcoming entry to the west, filtered through the new Grove landscape, and providing ample gathering areas in the lobby for events, study, and connection to the park, blending the outside with the inside. New galleries with advanced technology, varied scales, and innovative lighting strategies will enable the museum to deliver unique art experiences unparalleled in Springfield.  Enhanced back-of-house curatorial and accessioning spaces will facilitate collaborations with other museums, further enriching the variety of art experiences for the museum and its visitors. The Springfield Art Museum, through innovation and human-purposed design thinking, will continue to be a steward of the land, and vital cultural hub, fostering engagement, education, and connection for the community.