Past Exhibits
EXPRESSIONS featuring local artist Shelley Albrich
FUNCTIONAL ART Quilting, then and now
On display January 2017
Featuring selections from the Springfield Museum’s collection of antique quilts and creations from local quilters.
COMMUNITY ON PARADE
64 YEARS of the SPRINGFIELD CHRISTMAS PARADE
On display November-December 2016.
PEOPLE, PARKS & PLAY:
A history of Willamalane Park and Recreation District
On display September-November 2016.
BEHIND THE BADGE:
Law Enforcement in Lane County
The men and women of Lane County’s law enforcement community have serve and protected its citizens for over 150 years. Using photographs and artifacts, this exhibit highlights the long history of Lane County’s police agencies.
On display May-August 2016
Student Art Show Exhibition
Displayed March 11 – April 30, 2016
Highway 99 Revisited: A Photographic Journey along Oregon’s Scenic Highway 99
Displayed February 2016
First to Assemble:
The Oregon National Guard and the 162nd Infantry Regiment
On display November 11, 2015 – January 31, 2016
This exhibit highlighted the proud history of the Oregon National Guard through the story of the 2 -162nd Infantry Regiment headquartered at the Springfield Armory. Since its activation, the 162nd has enjoyed a long and storied history and has taken an active role throughout Southwest Asia in both Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003.
With the Richard E. Wildish theater in downtown Springfield, the Springfield Museum coordinated a public showing of an award winning documentary titled “Shepherds of Helmand,” shot from the perspective of several Oregon National Guard soldiers while deployed to Afghanistan. The film’s director and several soldiers from the film took part in a question and answer session following the film.
SMOKEJUMPERS: Firefighters from the Sky
On display August 14 – October 31, 2015
Sponsored by National Fire Fighter Corp.
For 75 years, the men and women of the Smokejumpers have served on the front lines against wildfires throughout the U.S. and Canada. This exhibit, Smokejumpers: Firefighters from the Sky, describes the evolution and role of smokejumping over the last seven decades, and the development of the techniques and technologies that has made aerial firefighting in the Pacific Northwest what it is today.
The exhibit begins with the history of wildland firefighting in the Pacific Northwest, and details various aspects of smokejumping’s early years through photographs and artifacts provided by the National Smokejumper Association. In addition to these wonderful historical references, the exhibit highlights some of the major fire events throughout the last 100 years as well as the unique dangers these brave men and women face on a daily basis.
Citizen Historians
On display July 2015
Presented by the Springfield Historic Commission, this exhibit highlights the group’s research into several of Springfield’s historic properties, as well as some of the people who helped preserve their historical legacies.
Gutenberg’s Legacy
On display May 8 through June 27, 2015
This exhibit discussed the artistry of early books as well as impact of printing on the world at large. The Springfield Museum’s exhibit featured more than a dozen rare books printed from 1540 through the late 1700s, as well as enlarged reproductions of the text and images within. Examples of books on display were a New Testament printed in 1540, a King James Bible from 1617, several works from Isaac Newton printed in 1765, a two-volume Cyclopaedia from 1740 and much more.
Student Art Exhibition 2015
On display March – April 2015
This exhibit featured art from high school students from within the Springfield Public Schools. The artists provided dozens of pieces from different media types including charcoal drawing, pastels, painting, watercolor, digital media and sculpture.
A Day in the Life
On display February – May 2015
A Day in the Life featured twelve front-page reproductions from the Springfield News covering major events from the election of Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, World War II, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the moon landings and more. Each edition highlighted not only the major world events of the period, but placed these events within the context of everyday life in Springfield.