Press Releases

More than 50 years ago, the Cat in the Hat arrived at the doorstep at the Queen Alexandria Solarium in Saanich, a 1957 first edition signed by Dr. Seuss himself...

The Springfield Museums will be open seven days a week starting June 24, with extended hours on Thursdays.

The black leather jacket is cultural shorthand for “cool.” Everyone from rebel outsiders to fashion insiders have made their mark by slipping on this second skin. Some of the more famous and outlandish leather jackets have been gathered together into the new exhibit, Worn to Be Wild: The Black Leather Jacket, on display at the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts from June 22 – September 22. Media sponsors are Kix 100.9 FM and the Valley Advocate. MassMutual is the 2013 Premier Sponsor of the Springfield Museums. To accommodate the demand to view the exhibit, the D’Amour Museum and the Blake House Café will remain open until 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays through the summer.

The Springfield Museums have received a $13,350 grant from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts to present Art Picnic, a public arts project designed to beautify Springfield and give local art students the chance to collaborate with established artists. Picnic tables on the Quadrangle green will be transformed into unique works of art through a selective process that is scheduled to begin later this month. By funding this program, the Community Foundation will further enhance the beauty of one of downtown Springfield’s landmarks while also providing much needed incentives to local artists and valuable experience to art students.

The story of the Irish in the Connecticut Valley is a rich and distinct tale of trial and triumph for one of the many immigrant groups of the area. A new exhibit at the Springfield Museums titled The Irish Legacy: Immigration and Assimilation in the Connecticut Valley during the Industrial Revolution explores the experience of the Irish community in the Connecticut Valley through various artifacts and images including books, musical instruments, religious objects, and photographs. The exhibit will be on view in the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History from June 11 to August 25, 2013. MassMutual is the 2013 Premier Sponsor of the Springfield Museums.

On Tuesday, May 14 at 11 AM, the Springfield Museums hosted a public announcement of their accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for a museum or museum consortium. The event took place in the Blake Court of the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts. Attendees included Mayor Domenic Sarno, Congressman Richard Neal and other elected officials, as well as members of the Museums board and staff, volunteers, and donors.

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Museums consortium joined the ranks of the most prestigious in the country by recently earning national accreditation through the American Alliance of Museums, officials announced on Tuesday.

Every spring, butterflies migrate to New England from their winter homes in Mexico and points south. This spring and summer, the Springfield Science Museum will be the gathering point for more butterflies (and butterfly fans) than usual, thanks to the upcoming special exhibit titled Amazing Butterflies and a live walk-through enclosure titled “The Butterfly House.” Both will be open May 25 through September 2, 2013. MassMutual is the Springfield Museums 2013 Premier Sponsor.

Two exhibitions featuring Japanese woodblock prints are now on display at the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts. Prints for the People: Japanese Ukiyo-e and Currier & Ives features Japanese and American prints from the 19th century, while Skin Deep: Tattooed Warriors and Fantastic Beasts includes images that have inspired tattoo artists for over 150 years. All of the images in the new exhibits are from the D’Amour Museum’s acclaimed print collections, and both feature works that in some cases have not been on display in recent years.