Press Releases

The Springfield Museums have announced their slate of activities for the upcoming school vacation week, February 16-20, 2015. The week-long program, titled All About Animals, will feature family-friendly performances and live animal demonstrations along with hands-on activities and planetarium shows. All activities are free with the price of museum admission unless noted otherwise.

The Springfield Science Museum’s large rooftop telescope will be open for public sky gazing on Friday, February 6 at 7:30 pm as part of the “Stars Over Springfield” observatory series. These programs are organized by the Museum and the Springfield Stars Club, and take place on the first Friday of each month.

Later this month, the Springfield Museums will host a new traveling exhibit designed to challenge the perception of traditional origami. Above the Fold: New Expressions in Origami, a ground-breaking exhibition of large-scale origami installations by nine visionary master folders, will have its North American debut at the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts from January 20–April 12, 2015. The Springfield Museums are also hosting a related exhibit, Origami Interpretations: Gloria Garfinkel, at the nearby George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum.

"Hanabi" means "fireworks" in Japanese, and the word is an appropriate title for a series of four small sculptures by Gloria Garfinkel in Springfield.

Staff and independent specialists at the Springfield Science Museum have identified a bone from what appears to be an entirely new species of tyrannosaur. The discovery was made earlier this year by paleontologist Sebastian Dalman, who has also been researching collections at the Beneski Museum of Natural History at Amherst College over the past few years.

Gloria Garfinkel's art can be seen as a celebration of life where vibrant colors, dynamic shapes, viewer participation and the pure joy of creativity rules the day. Then there are other works that bring forth the frailty of nature's balance in all its majestic splendor. This scope of interest suggests a broad experimental approach indicating a person who looks for inspiration in distant or divergent lands where the cultural and geographic divide is extreme.

The Springfield Museums and hundreds of other local nonprofits are participating in the third annual Valley Gives Day scheduled for December 10, 2014. Valley Gives is an innovative fundraising event that encourages individuals to donate money online in support of their favorite charities over a twenty-four hour period. Last year, Valley Gives raised over $2 million dollars from over 11,000 people who supported over 350 local nonprofits. This year’s goal is to exceed that dollar total while doubling the number of overall donors in support of vital charitable services in our region.

Origami Interpretations, an exhibit of twenty-five vibrant paintings, sculptures and prints by New York artist, Gloria Garfinkel, will be on view at the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum from November 18, 2014 – April 26, 2015. The works, produced in the late 20th century, feature bold color, energetic patterns, and abstract compositions inspired by Japanese designs and origami forms.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, the Springfield Museums is offering free general admission to current or retired members of the military on Tuesday, November 11. Extra fees for special programs like planetarium shows may apply - at the time of entry, respondents must show a military ID documenting that they are active duty, retired, or reserve from Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, or National Guard. Veterans who left military service before retirement can bring a copy of their honorable discharge paperwork (DD Form 214).