The Springfield Arts Commission will host a grand opening to celebrate its new Young Artists Gallery during Springfield’s Second Friday Art Walk from 5-7 p.m., on February 14, 2020 at Springfield City Hall, 225 5th Street. The Young Artists Gallery is located on the wall across from City Hall Gallery near the main entrance to the building. Featured are the nearly 1,800 entries submitted to the 2019 Springfield Public Library Bookmark Competition from K-12 students.
“Encouraging and celebrating creative expression are at the core of the Springfield Arts Commission’s mission,” said Summer Young-Jelinek, chair of the Young Artists Gallery committee of the Springfield Arts Commission. “As the only space dedicated to showcasing youth artwork year-round in Lane County, the Young Artists Gallery gives us a unique opportunity to legitimize the work of children and young adults and show that their creative contributions are an important part of our artistic and cultural richness.”
The Springfield Arts Commission partners with children’s organizations and art programs such as the Springfield Public Library, the Academy of Arts and Academics, Lane Arts Council and others to organize shows for the Young Artists Gallery. Currently, shows are by invitation of the commission and must be pre-curated by an adult representative, such as an art teacher or program director, who is responsible for managing how artwork for the show is created, chosen, prepared for display and installed.
“Our intention is not to dictate what each show should explore or how, but to facilitate the public exhibition of diverse art curricula from a wide variety of sources,” said Young-Jelinek.
On display during the grand opening celebration of the Young Artists Gallery are the entries to the 2019 Springfield Public Library Bookmark Competition, which was themed “Imagine Your Story: Fairy Tales, Folktales & Ancient Mythology,” to correspond with the 2020 Summer Reading program. The show runs through February 28, 2020.
“We received a record 1,798 entries to this year’s contest from local students and, as always, are amazed by the creativity displayed in the slogans, characters and designs the kids developed to express themselves,” said Taylor Worley, youth services librarian at Springfield Public Library. “We are thrilled to partner with the Springfield Arts Commission so that all the entries can be displayed and the community can join us in giving them the recognition they deserve.”
Library staff chose 18 winning designs, which will be highlighted as oversize prints in the gallery show and will also be printed and distributed as bookmarks in the library throughout the year. The winners are Leah Siefke, Chloe Pearl Innis-Hintz, Olivia Rose Bishop, Neveah Fonseca, Janett Lopez, Maddie Johnson, Yenifer Miranda Marroquin, Fryda Martina Morales-Garcia, Juliet Leslye Devenport, Olivia Dahl, Bella Liesse, Adilyn Quinlan, Kora Lee Flanders, Emma Sahalie Buhr, Ella Jordan, Esteban Arellano, Theodore Caughlin and Keagan Hughes. The winners will be recognized at the Springfield City Council Meeting at 7 p.m., Monday, February 3.
The Young Artists Gallery grand opening will be held as part of the February 2020 Springfield Second Friday Art Walk and will include light refreshments and live music by Meadowlark Wind Trio. “Awaken,” a show of abstract and surrealist photographer by Kaylee Prebeck, will be concurrently featured in City Hall Gallery.
Organizations interested in showing in the Young Artists Gallery may contact the Springfield Arts Commission Liaison, Amy Orre, at the Springfield Public Library, 541.726.2246 or aorre@springfield-or.gov.
About Springfield’s City Hall & Young Artists Galleries
Located on two walls just outside the entrance to the Springfield Library, City Hall Gallery and the Young Artists Gallery are seen by approximately 3,700 visitors each month. Since 1989, City Hall Gallery has featured monthly shows by regional artists chosen by the Springfield Arts Commission. The Commission issues a call to artists each year.
A new addition to City Hall, the Young Artists Gallery is the only year-round space in Springfield dedicated to showcasing the work of children and young adult artists. The Commission collaborates with youth-related organizations throughout Lane County to represent the diverse creativity of young people in our community.
About the Springfield Arts Commission
The Springfield Arts Commission is an all-volunteer board committed to the belief that art is an important part of the shared identity and economic development of Springfield, Oregon. The nine-member commission manages the City Hall and Young Artists Galleries; administers the Heritage Arts Grant program; maintains the murals of Art Alley in downtown Springfield; and supports youth arts program in collaboration with the Springfield Public Library. The commission is funded by City of Springfield room taxes and special gifts. More information is available at springfieldartscommission.org.