After 5: Adventures in the Arts

The business travels of local art collectors Dudley and Kay Martin during the past 30 years always included visits to various art museums in Cleveland, Chicago, New York, Kansas City, St. Louis and other cities.

“When we hear about an exhibit somewhere, we communicate with the Arts Council,” says Dudley Martin, a Springfield attorney.

“(Our) love for art has increased my appreciation over the years,” adds Kay Martin.

That’s the motive behind a Springfield Regional Arts Council initiative this year called Arts Adventures. Three upcoming trips will take travelers in pursuit of good art to Oklahoma City, St. Louis and Kansas City, respectively. (A fourth trip was scheduled to take place March 31 to Sedalia’s Daum Museum of Contemporary Art. See below for more about the Daum Museum.)

The initiative is the work of Sandra CH Smith, executive director of the Springfield Regional Arts Council, and William Brandon “Bucky” Bowman, director of An Arts Patronage Initiative.

A key element to the trips is the educational sessions that will be conducted en route to the museums.

During the trip to Oklahoma City to view “Napoleon – An Intimate Portrait,” J. Howard Fisk, noted local collector of Napoleonic artifacts, will speak about his personal Napoleonic collection. Bowman will be the on-board speaker for the Kansas City and St. Louis museum trips.

The idea for these guided tours came from a combination of memories of the museum trips guided by Bowman three years ago, requests by local arts patrons – including the Martins – for out-of-town tours and SRAC Director Smith’s interest in “becoming better acquainted with museums in Missouri and the four-state area.” Smith recently relocated from Eureka Springs, Ark., to take the SRAC job.

“I was in my office trying to dream up some new things the Arts Council could offer to the community,” Smith recalls. “I thought ‘What fun if we could take some bus trips around to some of these fabulous museums in the area.’ I went to Bucky and asked him if he would help organize these trips.

“The basic thing about these trips is that people don’t have to drive, they don’t have to worry about parking, they don’t have to even worry about which exit to take off the highway. With expert narration on each trip, as we travel, we learn as we roll along,” she says.

What is the Daum Museum?

The Daum Museum of Contemporary Art on the campus of State Fair Community College in Sedalia contains a permanent collection of abstract paintings, drawings, prints, and works in clay and sculpture created since the mid-20th century, according to its Web site, www.daummuseum.org. Much of the work is from the private collection of the museum’s benefactor, Harold F. Daum.

The 20,000-square-foot museum, which opened in 2002, contains nine galleries and a three-story atrium featuring a chandelier by renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly.

Museum hours are 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1–5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free. Guided tours are available upon request. For more information, call (660) 530-5888.

Arts Adventures

April 7

Destination: Oklahoma City Museum of Art

Exhibit on display: “Napoleon – An Intimate Portrait”

Speaker en route: J. Howard Fisk, on his personal collection of Napoleonic artifacts

Cost: $60

Perk: Champagne and coffee served on the coach

RSVP deadline: April 4

April 21

Destination: St. Louis Art Museum

Exhibit on display: “Waking Dreams: The Art of the Pre-Raphaelites”

Speaker en route: Bucky Bowman, on Impressionism and pre-Raphaelite art

Cost: $60

Perk: Champagne served on the coach and docent-led tour of French and American Impressionists

RSVP deadline: April 18

June 30

Destination: Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum

Exhibit on display: The Bloch private collection of 30 Impressionist paintings never before seen en masse, in the newly opened Bloch Building wing; also, Hallmark Card’s Victorian photograph collection

Speaker en route: Bucky Bowman

Cost: $60

Perk: Champagne and coffee served on the coach

RSVP deadline: June 27

For reservations, call the Springfield Regional Arts Council at (417) 862-2787 or send e-mail to sandra@springfieldarts.org.