After 5: Arts council announces 2008 daytrip series

Those stops are just part of a recently announced slate of monthly daytrips that begin in May and run through October.

First up is a May 24 trek to the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis for a spring view of the gardens.

The gardens have been a previous Arts Adventures stop, according to SRAC Executive Director Sandra CH Smith.

During the visit to the Missouri Botanical Gardens, visitors will be able to see “Niki” an exhibit of 40 larger-than-life mosaic sculptures with colorful materials, by artist Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002).

SRAC’s Smith said Springfield artist Christine Schilling, who also works in mosaics, will serve as tour guide and present information about de Saint Phalle and her work on the way to St. Louis.

In June, adventurers will head to Oklahoma City, where “Roman Art of the Louvre” will be on exhibit for the fianl stop of its first tour outside of Paris.

The Oklahoma City Museum of Art will display the exclusive exhibit through Oct. 12.

Springfield arts enthusiasts Dudley and Kay Martin have signed on for several of this year’s adventures. The Martins actually suggested the Oklahoma City trip for this year’s lineup after reading about it in a newspaper.

“How many times does that sort of thing get that close to Springfield?” Kay Martin says about the Louvre exhibit, which includes sculptures of Jupiter and Athena, jewelry worn by Rome’s elite, and artifacts of daily Roman life.

Martin noted that she and her husband will probably go on all six trips, because they’re good opportunities to visit interesting places.

“This (series) is nice, because we don’t have to drive. We can just relax and meet new people,” she says.

“We’re all in the van together, and we sometimes just break off into little groups and talk. … Some of the same (patrons) are there, but maybe we don’t see them until the next trip.

“It’s fun to renew friendships,” Martin adds.

Many of the arts excursions begin with an early morning coffee reception at the SRAC’s Creamery Arts Center offices, 411 N. Sherman Parkway, and Martin says champagne is served on return trips, often accompanied by chocolate, strawberries or other tasty treats.

Still, even without the extra amenities afforded by the SRAC group travel, the Martins would likely go along.

“Whenever we travel, we usually, if we have time, find a museum and go there,” she says. “You get a lot of education from them.”

Choose an Adventure

Six daytrips are on the 2008 Arts Adventures series. The cost per person, including facility admission, is listed parenthetically; any meals during travel are an additional expense.

• May 24 – Missouri Botanical Gardens, St. Louis ($80)

• June 21 – “Roman Art of the Louvre” at Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma City ($80)

• July 19 – Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and Liberty Memorial, Kansas City ($60)

• Aug. 16 – Philbrook Museum of Art, a mansion-turned-private art museum, Tulsa, Okla. ($60)

• Sept. 27 – Sprint Center, Kansas City, and Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, Kan. ($60)

• Oct. 25 – Gilcrease Museum of Art, Tulsa, Okla. ($60)

To register, call (417) 862-2787

Source: Springfield Regional Arts Council[[In-content Ad]]