FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Springfield, MO. (July 8, 2019) – The Springfield Art Museum is pleased to announce its third straight year of record-breaking attendance, welcoming 63,379 visitors since last July. Continuing a trend begun in 2017, the Museum is routinely serving 10,000 more patrons annually than the previous record set in 2004 when the Museum hosted a touring exhibition of Ansel Adams photographs.
Museum Director Nick Nelson notes, “These attendance figures demonstrate consistent, day-to-day use of the Museum as a valuable educational resource. These figures aren’t tied to some outside ‘blockbuster show’ or event. We are proud that our visitors are making real connections with our collection, in addition to all the exciting traveling exhibitions and community events happening at the Museum.”
The continued growth in activity-based attendance helps demonstrate the need for the Museum’s new 30 Year Master Plan which was announced in October of 2018 during the Museum’s 90th Anniversary Year. The Museum’s master plan includes reconfiguration of existing structures, as well as improvements to the grounds intended to accommodate the increased volume of use, mitigate flood risk, and create connections between the surrounding environs including Phelps Grove Park, the Water Wise Garden, and the Fassnight Creek Greenway Trail.
Nelson says, “We are excited to bring some of this record-breaking attention and energy to our surrounding amenities, not only to make our building and grounds more user-friendly, but to create a museum campus destination experience.”
The timeline for completion of the Museum’s master plan is contingent upon funding. 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, Development and Marketing Coordinator at (417) 874-2859 or jbest@springfieldmo.gov.
Image credit: Conceptual rendering of Museum facade facing National Avenue. Courtesy of BNIM.
