Springfield, MA Museums Holds 2 Simultaneous Van Gogh Exhibitions

The Springfield Museums in Springfield, Ma. are opening two Van Gogh exhibitions on July 20.

One of the exhibitions, ‘Van Gogh and Japanese Prints’, focuses on Van Gogh’s fascination with Japanese culture. He collected and copied Japanese woodblock prints, as well as took artistic inspiration from their vibrant colors and innovative compositions. In an 1888 letter from Van Gogh to his brother Theo, the artist wrote, “all my work is based to some extent on Japanese art.” This focused exhibition will explore the influence of Japanese art on Van Gogh’s oeuvre by comparing reproductions of the artist’s paintings to authentic Japanese prints from the internationally renowned Raymond A. Bidwell Collection at the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts.

The Second exhibition, ‘Van Gogh for All’, immerses visitors in the works of the world’s most famous painter. Designed to engage 21st-century audiences in the 19th-century art of Vincent van Gogh, this experientially-rich exhibition uses modern technology and participatory learning to immerse new audiences in van Gogh’s genius, his personal struggles, and his creative process. There will also be a docent talk about this exhibition on August 5. Read more here.

Discover the unusual perspective of van Gogh’s Bedroom
Get behind the shutters of van Gogh’s Yellow House
Become part of one of van Gogh’s famous landscapes
Manipulate a 12-foot-wide, interactive version of van Gogh’s Starry Night
Produced and designed by the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation, in collaboration with Luci, and fabricated by Ravenswood Studios.

Related events

Summer Docent Lectures

July 22, 1-1:30 pm Docent Talk: Self Portraits
Throughout history artists have always painted self-portraits as a method of introspection. Robin Stolk will discuss Arnaldo Roche-Rabell and Carlos Collazo self-portraits in the Modern and Contemporary Gallery and how famed artist Vincent van Gogh painted over 30 self-portraits.

July 29, 1-1:30 pm Docent Talk: Night Scenes
Judy Battista will talk about the nightscape painting by Hermann Herzog in Blake Court, that illustrates the illuminating effect of the light’s reflection on Niagara Falls under moonlight in comparison to Vincent van Gogh’s famous nightscape paintings The Starry Night and Night Café.

August 5, 1-1:30 pm: Docent Talk: Van Gogh and Japanese Prints, August 5, 1–1:30 pm
Vincent van Gogh was captivated by Europe’s popular fascination with Japanese culture. Join Pat Bertone-Gross when she discusses the Japanese woodblock prints on view that complement the special exhibit Van Gogh for All in the Wheeler gallery. Free with museum admission!

August 12, 1-1:30 pm Docent Talk: Millet and Van Gogh
Join Kate Belhumeur when she talks about Jean-François Millet’s influence on Vincent van Gogh while discussing Summer, the Gleaners in the 19th Century French gallery. When Van Gogh was interned in a mental asylum in Saint-Rémy de Provence he made over twenty paintings that were “translations” of the work of Jean-François Millet including Siesta.

Class Series: Van Gogh: Print, Paint & Plant

Thursdays, September 12, 19, 26 (three classes), 6-8 pm; Museum School

Register for any or all three classes. Be inspired by Van Gogh’s paintings and the Japanese prints he collected. Each class features wine, light refreshments, and a chance to view the Van Gogh for All exhibit.

Print – Wendy Staples; September 12 – Learn simple print-making techniques to create your own sunflower prints.
Paint – Tiago Finato; September 19 – Paint a Van Gogh-inspired still life with acrylic paints on canvas.
Plant – Heather Sullivan; September 26 – Create a stunning floral arrangement using seasonal sunflowers and mums from Durocher Florist

Van Gogh: The Life, a lecture by Steven Naifeh

Friday, October 11; 12:15 pm

Artist and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Steven Naifeh will talk about the book that he and his partner Gregory White Smith wrote on the great Dutch artist, a book that the New York Times called “magisterial” and the Van Gogh Museum called “the definitive biography for decades to come.” He will talk about the ways that Van Gogh’s tortuous but wholly interesting life helps us see his work more intensely and the discoveries that he and Smith made during their ten-year-long odyssey.

Van Gogh for All Exhibit Closing Celebration

Saturday, October 12; 10 am-5 pm

Activities will include:
• Living Artwork entertainer Linda Peck will dress as Starry Night
• Make Your Own Sunflower Prints in the Art Discovery Center using real flowers
• Explore the Universe: Filtered Light – how scientists use different colors to look at the stars