Springfield College Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA)

Tuesday, April 28, 7:30 to 9:00 PM

Marsh Memorial Chapel

The annual Spring Concert will feature the music of the Springfield College Community Chorus and the Springfield College Band, along with selections from students involved in music studios across campus. Welcome the warmth of spring with some music that’s sure to get you moving in your seats!

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

GRADUATING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT ART EXHIBITION

April 13-24

William Blizard Gallery*

This exhibit will showcase the work of graduating seniors in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts. Works and presentations will include a wide range of creative materials, from drawing, painting, and sculpture to digital and experimental formats.

Join us for the Opening Reception on Tuesday, April 14, from 4:00 to 5:30 PM at the William Blizard Gallery.

Join us for an Artist Talk and Reception at the William Blizard Gallery on Thursday, April 2. The Artist Talk will begin at 3:15 PM, followed by the Reception from 4:00 to 5:30 PM.

These concurrent exhibitions explore perception, meaning, and presence in a world defined by transience. Together, Adam Viens and Valerie Lyons embrace intuition as a mode of practice, inviting the viewer into a shared space of inquiry where art becomes both reflection and experiment.

On view from March 2 through April 3.

Adam Viens is a mixed media artist based in Middletown, Connecticut and has exhibited throughout New England for over a decade. Valerie Lyons holds an MFA from Arizona State University and teaches sculpture at the Hartford Art School. Her projects have been exhibited regionally and nationally.

Painting by Adam Viens, Sculpture by Valerie Lyons


*The William Blizard Gallery is the primary art gallery of Springfield College. It is dedicated to showcasing the work of undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts as well as professional artists from the local community and beyond. The Gallery aims to be a creative community space which supports experimental work in the arts and fosters dialogue and programming in arts and culture. The Gallery, located in the Visual Arts Center, Blake Hall, 2nd Floor, is open Monday-Friday from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM during the Springfield College academic year, with the exception of national holidays and during the Springfield College winter and spring breaks.
Explore the Full Schedule of Spring Events

If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to attend any of the William Simpson Fine Arts Series events, please contact Wendy Franz as soon as possible at [email protected] or (413) 748-3646 to discuss your accessibility needs.

April 24-26, 2026

Appleton Auditorium, Fuller Arts Center

The spring dance concert will feature new dance works by student choreographers in a wide variety of styles. Don’t miss this exciting event!

Friday, April 24, 7:30 PM

Saturday, April 25, 7:30 PM

Sunday, April 26, 3 PM

These events are open to the Springfield College community and the public.

General admission: $10, students: $5, senior citizens and children: $3

African Dance Theory and Technique Class Midterm Performance

Join us for a performance by students in the African dance class showcasing what they have learned in the first half of this spring semester.

Monday, March 9, 2026, 10:30 to 11:30 AM

Appleton Auditorium, Fuller Arts Center

This midterm performance reflects the students’ study of foundational principles within African and African diaspora dance, music, and song. Throughout the semester, students have explored African-rooted movement, rhythm, communal awareness, and cultural lineage as central components of the form.


In this work, dance, drum, and song function as interconnected practices. Students examined how rhythm shapes movement, how call-and-response builds community, and how the body carries history, memory, and meaning. Technique is developed alongside cultural understanding, honoring both the physical rigor and the cultural responsibility of the form.


This sharing represents the students’ technical growth and their embodied learning. It places them within a living continuum of tradition while engaging the discipline, respect, and awareness required to study these forms in a contemporary academic setting. The class is taught by instructor Noel Staples-Freeman.

The event is free and open to the Springfield College community.

Questions? Please contact Sarah Zehnder at [email protected] or (413) 748-3805.

March 2-April 3

Adam Viens: The Ethics of Ambiguity

Valerie Lyons: Not All Birds are Blackbirds

William Blizard Gallery*

Valerie Lyons, front gallery; Adam Viens, back gallery

These concurrent exhibitions explore perception, meaning, and presence in a world defined by transience. Together, Adam Viens and Valerie Lyons embrace intuition as a mode of practice, inviting the viewer into a shared space of inquiry where art becomes both reflection and experiment.

Adam Viens is a mixed media artist based in Middletown, Connecticut and has exhibited throughout New England for over a decade. Valerie Lyons holds an MFA from Arizona State University and teaches sculpture at the Hartford Art School. Her projects have been exhibited regionally and nationally.

Join us for an Artist Talk and Reception at the William Blizard Gallery on Thursday, April 2. The Artist Talk will begin at 3:15 PM, followed by the Reception from 4:00 to 5:30 PM.



*The William Blizard Gallery is the primary art gallery of Springfield College. It is dedicated to showcasing the work of undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts as well as professional artists from the local community and beyond. The Gallery aims to be a creative community space which supports experimental work in the arts and fosters dialogue and programming in arts and culture. The Gallery, located in the Visual Arts Center, Blake Hall, 2nd Floor, is open Monday-Friday from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM during the Springfield College academic year, with the exception of national holidays and during the Springfield College winter and spring breaks.

Join us for a screening of Americanish followed by a Q&A with writer and producer Aizzah Fatima.

Welcome to America: Where dreams come true...ish. A break from the traditional romantic comedy, Americanish highlights different layers of womanhood as they intersect with cultural and societal expectations. Americanish invites viewers into the home and lives of three marriage-aged women as they navigate the often-turbulent waters of romance, culture, career, and family. We follow the joys and tribulations of career-driven sisters Maryam and Sam Khan, and their fish-out-of-water cousin Ameera. Set in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, the film follows a relatable and endearing storyline, offering a fresh perspective on classic rom-com tropes. Americanish delves into the complexity of trying to both honor and break from cultural traditions while balancing personal values and career goals in a society that does not always accommodate both.

The new season of the William Simpson Fine Arts Series at Springfield College offers a thoughtful and engaging lineup designed to entertain and inspire. Featuring work by artists and performers from both within the Springfield College community and beyond, the series includes dance performances, art exhibitions, concerts, and literary events. Together, these programs highlight the richness and variety of the arts.

Don't miss out on these wonderful offerings. All programs are open to the public and free of charge unless otherwise noted.

Join us for the Closing Reception on Thursday, January 29, from 4:00 to 5:30 PM at the William Blizard Gallery.

William Blizard Gallery

In partnership with the Springfield Public Schools, Springfield College will host the second annual juried exhibition of art and design work created by area high school students.


*The William Blizard Gallery is the primary art gallery of Springfield College. It is dedicated to showcasing the work of undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts as well as professional artists from the local community and beyond. The Gallery aims to be a creative community space which supports experimental work in the arts and fosters dialogue and programming in arts and culture. The Gallery, located in the Visual Arts Center, Blake Hall, 2nd Floor, is open Monday-Friday from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM during the Springfield College academic year, with the exception of national holidays and during the Springfield College winter break and spring break week.

Join us on December 9 from 4:00 to 5:30 PM for our first Opening Reception Art Crawl through the corridors of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts on the second floor in Blake Hall. Come see what the students in the studio art courses have created this semester!

Refreshments will be provided.


Exhibit Dates:

December 8, 2025-January 15, 2026

William Blizard Gallery*

December 5-7, 2025

Appleton Auditorium, Fuller Arts Center



Friday, December 5, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, December 6, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, December 7, 3 p.m.

RESERVE TICKETS NOW!



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 Yue Yin, as well as the premiere of a new work by Zehnder Dance.

Yue Yin is a choreographer, founder and artistic director of YY Dance Company, and the creator of FoCo Technique™, which is a unique contemporary form of dance movement rooted in Chinese classical and folk dance, melded with the complex and diverse influences of the immigrant experience. Yin’s work has been commissioned from acclaimed organizations such as Gibney Company, Martha Graham Dance Company, Oregon Ballet Theater, NW Dance Project, BalletMet, Boston Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet, Limon Dance Company, Whim W’him, Bruce Wood Dance, Houston Contemporary Dance Company, Alberta Ballet, Balletto Teatro di Torino, Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, and more.

Zehnder Dance is a Massachusetts- and New York-based dance company of five women, with choreographic themes often addressing and challenging power dynamics, socio-political systems and structures, and gender stereotypes, with a focus on the amplification of women's stories. Zehnder’s choreographic work has been presented at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Dixon Place, Ailey Citigroup Theatre, Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, Gowanus Arts, Triskelion Arts, 92nd Y, Greenspace, the Center for Performance Research (CPR) and more.



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

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

General admission: $10; Students: $5; senior citizens and children: $3

Monday, December 8, 7:30 PM

Marsh Memorial Chapel

Please note: this is a new date.

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.