In 1926, a small group of women started an Art Study Club. Two years later, they incorporated the Springfield Art Museum, and immediately introduced Springfield to traveling exhibits from New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis and more. Eighteen years later (1946), the Art Study Club deeded the museum to the city.
Today located in Phelps Grove Park, the Springfield Art Museum continues to honor the legacy of the Art Study Group by expanding community outreach and introducing people of all ages to the beauty, wonder and imagination of art.
The Springfield Art Museum has been collecting since its incorporation in 1928 with the purchase of two paintings, landscapes by Philadelphia artist, Mary Butler. With these works, the Museum began a focus on American art from the 18th century onward; however, over the years and due to the increasingly diverse patronage of the Museum, the collection has broadened to include a variety of work spanning numerous time periods and cultures.