History

Springfield Museum of Art expands creativity and vitality by connecting art and communities.

The Springfield Museum of Art (originally the Springfield Art Association) was incorporated in 1952 by a group of concerned artists and citizens who felt a need for a visual arts facility in the community. In the early years, exhibitions were held in borrowed spaces. The organization responded to the community’s demand and began offering art classes to both adults and children.

When the Association was able to erect its own building in 1967, it was designed for the express purposes of exhibitions and art educational programs. A permanent collection of art work was started, and the name was changed to the Springfield Art Center. Additions to original building were completed in 1973 and 1994, more than doubling exhibition galleries to the current 6,700 square feet. In 1989, the name was changed again to the Springfield Museum of Art, to more accurately describe how it had been actually functioning for many years. In 1977, the Museum achieved initial accreditation by the American Association (now Alliance) of Museums, and has been re-accredited in 1986, 1999, and 2012. The Museum was accepted into the Smithsonian Affiliates program in 2012, currently the only art museum in Ohio to bear this distinction.