Looking for Art in Downtown Springfield

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I recently enjoyed an afternoon looking for art in downtown Springfield, MO. Check out my first post about the city’s Sculpture Walk HERE.

Springfield features sculptures in their beautiful downtown area, an exhibit that changes yearly. It’s fun to start at Park Central and walk the blocks surrounding it, looking for unique sculptures that tell interesting stories.

This is part two sharing some of the art that I discovered on my trip.

Sculpture Walk Springfield

Sculpture Walk Springfield launched in April 2015 with 13 sculptures installed throughout the downtown area. This year the 2022 exhibit showcases 41 sculptures…29 temporary ones that will change out next year and 12 permanent installations.

Their vision: to create a museum without walls with access to all.

Their purpose: when placed outdoors, integrated in full public view with existing structures and landscapes, sculptures add to a city’s heritage, character, and sense of place and diversity; it adorns a city with distinction, adding to pride of place and a sense of identity. Public art rejuvenates public spaces by transforming them into destinations.  Sculpture Walk Springfield will play a major role in the economic rejuvenation of Springfield.

Their mission: to encourage the artistic transformation of Springfield through outdoor sculpture, thus enhancing our quality of life and promoting economic vitality.

Looking for Art in Downtown Springfield

Park Central Square is the place to start for the art hunt. There is free parking available nearby and a variety of shops, restaurants, cafés and pubs in the area for a meal or a refreshing drink.

You can visit the Sculpture Walk Facebook Page or the website HERE to download a map or you can park near Park Central Square in downtown Springfield and simply start walking. The sculptures are identified by a small plaque near each one, that lists the artist and a brief description of the inspiration for the art.

Here are more sculptures that we found.

Folded Weight I

Artist: Matthew Csernansky

Matthew’s art utilizes modern materials to capture the minimalistic shapes of nature that often get overlooked. He seeks to provide the viewer with a way to experience those natural shapes.

Folded Weight I  is meant to remind us of natural and man-made objects that awe us with their scale, weight, and presence. The shape is reminiscent of a piece of paper, folded into a new form. Folded Weight I represents shelter, a moment of rest and balance. It encourages reflection and meditation.

Agatha’s Contest

Artist: Timothy Pease

This is Timothy’s first public art piece. The nurses fighting on the frontlines against COVID provided inspiration for his art. The nurses tirelessly continue against the virus, never wavering in their desire to triumph in this contest.

Grandpa S

Artist: Matt Miller

Matt has created art for 12 years while also spending time in the classroom, teaching art to others. He enjoys a constant connection with this form of expression. 

This sculpture is inspired by his wife’s grandfather, who whittled slingshots out of sticks.

Never Too Far

Artist: Joe Duggar

Joe’s inspiration for this piece is feeling of separation from the ones we love and how a memory pulls those we miss to us again. This is his second work in the sculpture program.

Ozarks Jubilee Park

While looking for this year’s sculptures, Greg and I discovered other art pieces in the area. There is a massive cube-like sculpture in Park Central Square. And we found this intriguing piece in Ozarks Jubilee Park, a few blocks away.

The base is similar to those supporting the 2022-2023 Sculpture Walk pieces, leading me to believe this is an entry from a former exhibit, that became a permanent installation.

We had fun walking around this beautiful park, playing on the interactive musical pieces there.

More Art to Discover

I’ve shared less than half of the sculptures from this year’s exhibit. Which means, I’ll return to Springfield Missouri soon, when temperatures are below the 100 degree mark, to find more sculptures.

I look forward to the discoveries and the opportunity to try out another new to me restaurant downtown.

Do you have a Sculpture Walk in your city…or a town near you?

Springfield finds from Amazon:

 

 

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