Recently, a mural featuring Robert E. Smith’s work in Downtown Springfield was painted over, resulting in the loss of a meaningful public tribute to his legacy. Our goal is to reproduce this mural in another Downtown location so that Smith’s presence, artistic contributions, and memory remain visible within the community that he gave so much to.

We hope to channel the frustration and shock of the loss of this beloved work into something positive: restore the work, draw attention to Robert’s legacy, and build a foundation for preventing this from happening again. The “win” of bringing this mural back to downtown should be a shared one. Your contribution makes a statement that our community is one that champions public art.

Who’s Robert E. Smith?

Robert E. Smith has been described as “arguably Springfield’s most famous painter.” He was an internationally recognized folk artist who called Springfield home from the 1970s to 2010, when he passed. This mural was painted in 2000 by community members based on an earlier painting by Robert E. Smith depicting his memories of downtown Springfield.

In a 2011 book from Moon City Press offering a retrospective of his work and life, Carla Stine said “Though Robert gained international fame as a folk artist, he remained true to his Midwestern roots. A stroll through downtown Springfield shows the deep imprint he left on the city, both in the murals and in the building bearing his name. Reinventing folk art on his own terms, he turned downtown Springfield into a canvas reflecting his own artistic vision. Even with his passing, Springfield belongs to Robert E. Smith.”

How will the funds be used?

Funds raised will be directed toward a reproduction and installation of the replacement mural honoring Robert E. Smith. If contributions exceed the amount required for this project, the additional funds will be used for the preservation and maintenance of existing murals that require restoration.

Our initial estimate for the cost to professionally recreate this mural is $15,000, though we expect this to vary based on the location and scale of the final work. Expenses would include preparation of the surface, artist fees & labor, materials, and equipment. We are working to secure additional grant and donor funding, which gives us confidence we can complete the project if its cost is greater than this campaign's goal. Any remaining funds will be used to prevent other valued works of public art in Downtown Springfield from degrading and eventually disappearing entirely.

We want the original mural recreated downtown, at a location close to the original or meaningfully connected to Robert’s legacy. The work should be led by professional artists with the aim of faithfully reproducing the work. Russ and Pam RuBert, the owners of the original painting the mural was based on, have agreed to let us capture images of the work, several building owners downtown have offered their locations, and we’ve heard from a number of mural artists interested in helping to recreate the work.

We believe all the pieces are in motion to successfully restore the mural. This campaign is an invitation for the Springfield community to share in bringing Robert E. Smith’s vibrant artwork back downtown.

About the Organizers:

Nicole Brown: Nicole is a real estate agent with Murney Associates. She co-founded Sculpture Walk Springfield and was its first Executive Director. She currently serves on the Downtown Community Improvement District (CID) executive board.

Jesse Tyler: Jesse is the co-owner of SGFCO, a Springfield-inspired lifestyle brand, and All True, a branding studio downtown. He serves on the Friends of the Springfield Art Museum board and previously served as president of Springfield Creatives.

Springfield Regional Arts Council: For over 50 years, SRAC has served as a central hub for artists and art Southwest Missouri. They’ve agreed to act as fiscal sponsors, providing accountability and oversight for this project.

FAQ:

Is my donation tax-deductible? Yes.

Will the organizers be handling these funds? No. Funds will be directly delivered to Springfield Regional Arts Council and then moved to a dedicated fund at CFO called the Public Art Protection Fund. The organizers can not withdraw these funds and they must be dispersed to an arts nonprofit.

Where will the mural go? We’ve received several offers from building owners interested in seeing the mural recreated on their walls. The ideal fit is a building that is well-maintained, is in proximity to the original location or another high-visibility location downtown, and has ample space for the artwork.

Who will paint the mural? We intend to host a call for artists to find a mural artist well-suited to faithfully reproduce the original mural.

How will you recreate it if the mural is gone? The original mural was painted by local artists in 2,000 based on a painting by Robert E. Smith made years earlier. This painting still exists and its owners, Pam and Russ RuBert, have granted access to it as the source material for the new mural.

What happens if we reach our goal? We hope that’s what happens. One of the greatest funding challenges related to public art is maintenance. We hope to prevent other treasured works like this from deteriorating beyond repair or being covered by building owners who can’t afford proper upkeep. Funds from this GoFundMe campaign beyond what it takes to create this mural will be reserved for maintenance and preservation of existing public art downtown. We see other works from the original Springfield Program for Public Art as priority subjects for this.