Since the end of stay-at-home orders issued by the state of Missouri and the City of Springfield and Greene County, the Springfield Art Museum has developed rigorous reentry protocols that include heightened facility maintenance and sanitization, maximum gallery occupancy monitoring, mask, glove, and sanitizer procurement for staff and patrons, and changes to the drop-in procedures of the Family Art Lab in order to ensure the health and safety of all museum patrons, staff, and the works of art at the facility.

Beginning June 9, the museum will reopen to limited walk-in traffic for the following exhibitions (during normal hours of operation):

  • Framed: The Art of the Picture Frame
  • Watercolor USA 2020
  • Storytelling Through Visual Art: Students’ experiences and perspectives during the homestay order
  • Anne Lindberg: tilted sky
  • Dale Chihuly: Autumn Persian & Feather Chandelier

During this time museum patrons can expect:

  • A security officer with a counter stationed at the front door to admit visitors according to the following procedures:
  • 40 visitors inside the museum at any time (This number is based on occupancy guidelines for retail businesses detailed in the City of Springfield Recovery Order Phase II. This number will be updated based on guidance from the City of Springfield.);
  • Visitors will be allowed in on a first-come, first-served basis;
  • Visitors will be admitted on an "equal or less-than" basis as visitors leave (For example, if three people leave the museum, three or fewer can be allowed into the museum);
  • Gallery attendants will monitor occupancy levels in individual galleries. Patrons may be asked to wait before entering a particular gallery if its occupancy is at capacity.
  • Visitors will be discouraged from congregating and lingering in the parking lot.
  • Visitors and visitor groups will be encouraged to practice appropriate physical distancing by standing at least 6 feet apart;
  • Staff must maintain proper physical distancing and wear masks and gloves, where appropriate.
  • A sneeze guard was installed at the museum’s reception desk and the public will be encouraged to stand at least 6 feet away from the reception desk. Staff will remain behind the sneeze guard. Front desk surveys are suspended until further notice.
  • Visitors will be encouraged to use hand sanitizing stations and proper respiratory etiquette;
  • High-touch surfaces, furniture, and fixtures will be cleaned immediately after contact with visitors;
  • Visitors with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 will be asked to return home and not enter the museum per the City COVID-19 Signage Policy;
  • Signage with new guidelines for visitors will be prominently displayed at the front entrance and throughout the museum. Signage encouraging the use of hand sanitizer will be posted adjacent to hand sanitizing stations. Signage will comply with City COVID-19 Signage Policy.

If patrons foresee any issue following these guidelines, the museum staff respectfully ask that they refrain from visiting the museum at this time. Please be prepared to wait to enter the museum. Marked pathways may be located along the floor to indicate the best route between galleries. Security officers, gallery attendants, and other museum staff will be available to answer questions and help patrons navigate these changes to procedures.

All museum public programs (tours, workshops, classes, etc.), special events, and event rentals remain canceled until further notice. Limited on-site public programming is tentatively scheduled to resume on or after July 7.

  • The Musgrave Wing, which currently houses the permanent collection exhibition Creating an American Identity, will remain closed until July 7.
  • The Family Art Lab will remain closed until July 7, at which point it will reopen by appointment only.
  • The Hartman Gallery, which currently houses selections from the museum's Asian Art Collection, will remain closed until October 17.

Additional refinements to the museum's disease prevention and pandemic response procedures will be made as necessary.

For more information and guidelines for COVID-19, please visit the Springfield-Greene County Health Department’s website (https://www.springfieldmo.gov/5068/Coronavirus) or the CDC’s website: (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html).

The Springfield Art Museum is at 1111 E. Brookside Drive. Donations are gratefully accepted.

The Springfield Art Museum is Springfield’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, (417) 874-2859 or jbest@springfieldmo.gov.