SAA Collective

About

A department of the Springfield Art Association. The SAA Collective in the Hoogland, holds rotating exhibitions of local art artists in all media. Free!

Story

The SAA Collective, located in the H.D. Smith Gallery in the Hoogland, exhibits the work of the juried artist members. Holding 7 rotating exhibitions per year, there is always something new to see. The gallery is free and open to the public.

The Springfield Art Association is committed to fostering community awareness and participation in the visual arts.

SAA Collective, a division of the Springfield Art Association, is an art gallery located in downtown Springfield and a professional hub for artists based in Springfield and Central Illinois. SAA Collective began as the Prairie Art Alliance in 1979 as an artists' support group called the Women's Art Alliance. Its purpose was to encourage and promote local women artists by providing exhibition opportunities, workshops, and artistic development. The Alliance incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1985 and changed its name in 1995 to reflect the admission of male artists. Beginning in 1996, it opened a gallery and classroom on the grounds of the Springfield Art Association, just north of downtown. In 2004, the PAA moved to downtown Springfield in the newly established Hoogland Center for the Arts, where it resides today.

In January 2016, the Prairie Art Alliance merged with the Springfield Art Association. This merger between Springfield's two largest visual arts organizations has inspire a new era of collaboration and fosters a unified spirit among the artists of Springfield.