The Wilkes Art Gallery in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, is hosting a career-spanning exhibition titled “From Reality to Realism, A Lifetime Perspective,” featuring the works of veteran artist Ward Nichols. The opening reception on April 17 will include a jazz performance and an indoor/outdoor celebration that involves the closure of Ward Nichols Way, a street recently renamed in the artist's honor.
The article highlights a series of upcoming art exhibitions and festivals in Springfield, Illinois, running from late August through September 2025. Key events include the Springfield Art Association's 37th Annual Edwards Place Fine Art Fair, the solo watercolor exhibition “Perceptions of Nature” by Donald Landry at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, and the “NOIR V: Resilience” exhibition at the Illinois State Museum. Other featured shows include “Confluence” and “PLEIADES” at the SAA Collective, and the “Statewide: Illinois Artist Showcase” at the M. G. Nelson Gallery. The Fae Folk Art Collective also presents its fourth festival, Mythical Creatures, at Union Square Park.
Central Illinois is hosting a diverse array of art and cultural exhibitions across several key institutions and galleries this spring. Highlights include the "Art on the Offense" group show at the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, the "Lights, Camera, Fashion!" exhibition featuring the Lois Jett Historical Fashion Collection, and multiple annual student showcases at University Galleries and Merwin & Wakeley Galleries. Local spaces like the McLean County Arts Center and Eaton Studio Gallery are also actively engaging the community through regional artist spotlights and educational outreach for local students.
Gallery A3 in Amherst, Massachusetts, has issued an open call for its 10th Annual Juried Show, scheduled for August 7–30, 2025. Submissions will be accepted online from May 19 to June 21, with a theme of "United We Stand: Art for Divisive Times." The juror is Billy Myers, Artistic Director and Curator of the Art for the Soul Gallery in Springfield. Accepted artists will exhibit in the downtown Amherst gallery, with an opening reception on August 7 and a free public Art Forum on August 21.
The Renew Jordan Creek revitalization project in downtown Springfield has severely impacted Fresh Gallery, an award-winning local art space. Extensive road closures on Boonville Avenue and ongoing construction noise have cut off the gallery from its usual pedestrian and tourist traffic, leading to a drastic decline in sales and foot traffic. To combat these challenges, the gallery has launched a GoFundMe campaign and is attempting to reinvent its business model to survive until construction concludes in mid-2024.
Downtown Springfield is set to host its First Friday Art Walk on March 6, featuring extended gallery hours and a wide array of new exhibitions across multiple venues. Highlights include the 2026 All School Exhibition at Brick City Gallery, student showcases at the Carolla Arts Exhibition Center, and solo presentations by artists such as Rick Atwell, Brandy Harris, and Tom Beale.
The Pharmacy Gallery and Art Space in Springfield, Illinois, is set to participate in the international Slow Art Day on April 11. This grassroots event encourages visitors to move away from the typical museum-going experience of rushing through exhibits, instead focusing deeply on a small selection of works. The Springfield location will feature concurrent exhibitions by Bob Waldmire and photographer David Schwartz, whose work will be featured on upcoming Route 66 Centennial stamps.
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) is hosting the Emerging Young Artists and Designers 2026 Juried Exhibition. The virtual opening and awards ceremony will be held on February 6, featuring 100 works selected from over 550 submissions by high school students across New England. Award winners will have their work displayed in the CVPA Campus Gallery from February 14 to 22.
A new art installation has opened at Springfield Town Center in Fairfax County, Virginia, featuring seven works by three local artists—Tumôhq Abney, Jován Bethel, and Isabella Merlos. The exhibition, titled “ArtsFairfax Presents at Springfield Town Center,” is a collaboration between the mall and ArtsFairfax, the county's official arts agency, and was unveiled on October 16, 2025, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The show is part of ArtsFairfax’s month-long artoberVA celebration, organized in partnership with CultureWorks, and will remain on display through March 31, 2026, with all works available for purchase.
The Springfield Art Museum has launched its annual All-School Exhibition, a long-standing tradition that showcases artwork from public, private, parochial, and homeschool students across the Springfield area. Due to ongoing renovations at the museum’s main facility, the 2026 edition is being hosted at Missouri State University’s Brick City Gallery. The exhibition coincides with Youth Art Month and Women’s History Month, featuring a diverse range of student work selected to highlight educational depth rather than just technical skill.
The Springfield Art Museum has launched its 2026 All School Exhibition, a historic community tradition that has showcased student artwork since 1932. This year's iteration, hosted at Missouri State University’s Brick City Gallery due to museum renovations, features selected works from elementary, middle, and high school students across 57 local public, private, and parochial schools. The exhibition is a collaborative effort, installed by a team of local educators and students alongside professional curatorial staff.
Springfield's February First Friday Art Walk is set to feature a diverse lineup of exhibitions and events across multiple downtown venues. Highlights include the Annual Foundations Exhibition at Brick City Gallery showcasing Missouri State University student work, a photography exhibition on English medieval architecture by Tom Russo at Drury Pool Arts Gallery, and a fifth-anniversary celebration for the artist collective Formed. Other participating locations include Hotel Vandivort, Obelisk Home, The Creamery Arts Center, and the Carolla Arts Exhibition Center, which will host a 40-year ceramic art retrospective by Keith Ekstam.
The Springfield Art Museum, closed for over a year for renovations and expansion, is offering guided hard hat tours starting April 25, 2026. Led by Museum Director Nick Nelson and Foundation Executive Director Kate Francis, the free tours require advance registration and safety gear, and will run on select Saturdays through August and Tuesdays through September. The project includes a new special exhibition gallery, collection study room, and a naturalized creek and trail, with a second phase pending city funding.
Gallery at the Vault in Springfield, Vermont, is hosting a reception for its "Open Wall" exhibition titled "A World of Color, A World of Wonder" on Friday, April 24. The event offers the public a chance to meet participating artists and learn about their work.
The Springfield News-Leader, in partnership with the Springfield-Greene County Library District, is publishing a historical photograph from its archives. The 1961 image shows Kenneth M. Shuck, director of the Springfield Art Museum, examining Civil War artifacts—including a saber, a drum, and a painting of Union General Nathaniel Lyon—in preparation for a centennial exhibition.
Artist Harriet Millar is launching a site-specific exhibition featuring a series of paintings dedicated to Christchurch’s local dairies. In a creative turn, Millar has leased the abandoned Cranford St Dairy, which has been closed since 2021, to serve as both the gallery space and her future art studio. The collection includes oil and acrylic works depicting various neighborhood convenience stores, such as the Springfield Discounter and Clyde Road Dairy, captured with bold brushstrokes and geometric focus.
Effingham Artists, a new local organization founded by Lindsey Gerow, is hosting an art exhibition on February 6 at a studio on Laurel Street in Springfield, Georgia. Artists in Effingham County have until January 30 to submit their work for the show, which aims to provide a dedicated venue for painters, sculptors, and other visual artists to display their talent.
The Museum of Art is planning a grand finale event for its popular current exhibition, as reported by the Springfield News-Sun. The museum aims to celebrate the exhibition's success with a special closing program that will attract visitors and highlight key works on display.