“Working Springfield”, a new temporary exhibit on display at the Springfield History Museum February 10, 2023, through July 1, 2023. Curator Maddi McGraw says that this exhibit is “a celebration of Springfield’s labor history over the past 175 years, and of the people who have made Springfield into the community it is today.”
The exhibit draws from the Museum’s collection of photographs and archives, showcasing many items that haven’t been exhibited previously. But the real power of the exhibit is the stories it shares. Local labor historians Marcus Widenor and Bob Bussel have interviewed Springfield residents from a variety of work fields, including customer service, healthcare, community organizing, teaching, and more. Visitors will be able to watch these interviews in the Museum and read the transcripts, allowing them to feel connected to the workforce of Springfield in powerful new ways.
The exhibit will be installed in the Kathleen Jensen Gallery. Guests are encouraged to also view ILLUMINATION, a special exhibit on display in the 6th Street facing windows, through March 11, 2023.
Join us Friday, February 10 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. during the Downtown Springfield Second Friday Art Walk to celebrate the opening of the exhibit and meet some of the Springfield residents interviewed for the project.
Current Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. As always, admission is free!
Check back soon!
Check back soon to learn about Marcus Widenor and Bob Bussel.
Springfield Public Library | 225 5th Street [Inside City Hall] | Springfield, OR 97477-4636 | (541) 726-3766
Regular hours resume Tuesday, Feb. 21
As the Springfield Public Library and History Museum develops its areas of focus for the next five years, we are eager to invite our community members to share their thoughts to help determine our future areas of focus. The strategic plan helps to guide year-over-year services, and a major part of the planning includes essential feedback from the community.
We hope you will take a few minutes to share your thoughts via our survey. The survey is open through February 13, and is available in English at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/English-Springfield.
La Biblioteca Pública y Museo de Historia de Springfield están en el proceso de desarrollar sus áreas de enfoque para los próximos cinco años. Como parte de este proceso, estamos muy interesados en invitar a los miembros de nuestra comunidad a compartir sus pensamientos para ayudar a determinar nuestras futuras áreas de enfoque. El plan estratégico ayuda a orientar los servicios anuales, y una parte importante de la planificación incluye los comentarios esenciales de la comunidad.
Esperamos que dedique unos minutos a compartir sus opiniones a través de nuestra encuesta. La encuesta está abierta hasta el 13 de febrero y está disponible en español en: https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/Espanol-Springfield