William Simpson Fine Arts Series

September 23-November 18
William Blizard Gallery
Second Floor, Herbert P. Blake Hall, Open Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM

In this lyrical exhibition, artists LESN101 and Madge Evers position the gallery as an evolving site of creative inquiry. Emphasizing artistic freedom, they are given the option to test, revise, and reimagine their work over the duration of the show. Interactive elements extend this inquiry to the public, creating “wiggle room” — a generative space between intention and constraint where participation, experimentation, and unexpected possibilities can emerge.

Learn about the artists and upcoming exhibition events

Join us for the Closing Reception at the William Blizard Gallery on Wednesday, November 18, from 4:00 to 5:30 PM.

Artwork by LESN101 (left) and Madge Evers (right)

Thursday, October 1, 7:00 PM
Appleton Auditorium, Fuller Arts Center

Come join us for a screening of the film Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World, followed by a Q&A with Sasha Waters, the film's director.

If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Celebrated best-selling poet, Pulitzer Prize-winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, openly queer but intensely private, Oliver was America’s unlikely contemporary mystic, stalking the ponds and forests of Cape Cod for nearly 50 years in order to open herself—and her readers—to the known and unknowable world. From a lonely childhood to literary fame, Oliver’s life was shaped by devotion to nature, paying attention, and the long journey toward learning to love and to be loved. Her poems inspire liberals and conservatives, atheists and believers, naturalists and urbanites, speaking directly to contemporary anxieties about attention, presence, and the human relationship with the natural world—issues that feel especially pressing in an era of climate crisis, digital distraction, and social fragmentation. 

Sasha Waters is a professor of Film at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts in Richmond, Va.

This event is free and open to the Springfield College community and the public.

Monday, October 26, 7:00 to 8:00 PM
Cleveland E. and Phyllis B. Dodge Room (B), Flynn Campus Union

At this event, Nina MacLaughlin will be reading from her published works. She is the author of Wake, Siren (FSG), a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award and the Massachusetts Book Award, as well as Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice (Black Sparrow), winner of the Massachusetts Book Award. MacLaughlin’s first book was the acclaimed memoir Hammer Head (W.W. Norton). Her most recent book is the monograph Burning in the Eyes of the Maker (Phaidon) on the work of the artist Celeste Dupuy-Spencer. 

MacLaughlin has worked as a journalist and a carpenter. Her work has appeared in the Paris Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, n+1, Orion, and elsewhere. She lives in Cambridge, Mass.

This event is free and open to the Springfield College community and the public.

Photo Credit: Kelly Davidson

December 7, 2026-January 15, 2027*
Supported by the William Blizard Gallery*
Department of Visual and Performing Arts, second floor, Blake Hall
Second Floor, Herbert P. Blake Hall, Open Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Join us on December 7 from 4:00 to 5:30 PM for our second annual Art Crawl through the corridors of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts in Blake Hall. Come see what the students in the studio art courses have created this semester! Refreshments will be provided.

Please join us for the Opening Reception Art Crawl on Monday, December 7, from 4:00 to 5:30 PM on the second floor of Blake Hall.

*Please note, the William Blizard Gallery will be closed during the Springfield College winter break.

December 11-13
Friday and Saturday, 7:30 PM.; Sunday, 3:00 PM
Appleton Auditorium, Fuller Arts Center

Join us for an exciting evening of faculty and guest artist works featuring the Springfield College dancers and special guests! The concert will feature the choreographic work of guest artist Ephrat Asherie. 

Ephrat Asherie Dance (EAD) is dedicated to honoring the ethos of the underground club community. EAD is rooted in Black and Latine vernacular dance, including breaking, hip hop, house, waacking, and the New York-style hustle. A two-time National Dance Project awardee, EAD has presented work at 92NY, Apollo Theater, ChangMu International Festival (Korea), El Festival Internacional Cervantino (Mexico), Firatarrega (Spain), Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Joyce Theater, Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences, La MaMa, La Mercé Festival (Spain), River to River Festival, New York City Center, New Victory Theater, New York Live Arts, Spoleto Festival USA, Vail Dance Festival, White Bird, Works & Process at the Guggenheim, and The Yard, among others.

The evening will also feature a diverse array of works by Springfield College Dance faculty members Noel Staples-Freeman, Maureen Shea, and Sarah Zehnder. Following Saturday’s dance performance, attendees will have an opportunity to ask the choreographers and dancers questions during a Q&A session.

These events are open to the Springfield College community and the public.
Tickets: General admission: $10, students: $5, senior citizens and children: $3

December 14, 2026-January 29, 2027*
William Blizard Gallery
Second Floor, Herbert P. Blake Hall, Open Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM

In partnership with the Springfield Public Schools, Springfield College ​will host the ​third annual juried exhibition of art and design work created by area high school students. The work ​will be juried for entry into the exhibition by professor Meghan Gaul, program director for the Art and Design program, and Kellie Murphy, William Blizard Gallery director. The jurors will present awards for Best 2D work, Best 3D work, Best Digital work, and Best in Show.

Please join us for the Closing Reception at the William Blizard Gallery on Thursday, January 21, 2027, from 4:00 to 5:30 PM.

*Please note, the William Blizard Gallery will be closed during the Springfield College winter break.

Tuesday, December 15 at 7:30 PM
Marsh Memorial Chapel

Join members of the Springfield College Department of Music for their annual winter concert featuring the Springfield College Community Chorus, the Springfield College Band, and soloists from across the music program. Seasonal music and other popular favorites will surely get you moving and singing along.

This event is free and open to the Springfield College community and the public.