Springfield, Missouri

=== Cultural organizations ===
[[File:Landers Theater Elevation 311 E Walnut.JPG|thumb|The [[Landers Theatre]]]]
The Ozarks Lyric Opera (formerly the Springfield Regional Opera)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sbj.net/stories/springfield-regional-opera-rolling-out-name-change,74461|title=Springfield Regional Opera rolling out Name Change|website=Springfield Business Journal|date=June 4, 2021 |access-date=October 7, 2023}}</ref> has operated in the city for nearly 40 years. In its history, the opera has performed various well known shows, such as [[The Barber of Seville]], [[La bohème]] and [[Carmen]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ozarkslyricopera.com/past-seasons.html|title=Past Seasons|website=Ozarks Lyric Opera|access-date=October 7, 2023}}</ref>

The Springfield Ballet was founded in 1978 as a [[Not-for-Profit|not-for-profit]] to bring [[ballet]] to the region. The first performance was held at the Springfield Art Museum in November 1976, and the first public performance in March 1977. The ballet currently performs at the [[Landers Theatre]] in downtown Springfield, and has performed with the Springfield Symphony for holiday programs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://springfieldballet.org/History|title=Springfield Ballet :: History|website=springfieldballet.org|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref>

The [[Springfield Little Theatre]] was founded in 1934 and purchased the Landers Theatre in 1970 for its permanent performance venue. The theatre is the oldest civic theatre in Missouri and one of the oldest in the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]], attended by 60,000 people yearly. The venue has been the setting for performances by actors such as [[Kathleen Turner]], [[Tess Harper]], and [[Lucas Grabeel]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.springfieldlittletheatre.org/about-slt/history/landers-theatre-history/|title=Landers Theatre History|website=Springfield Little Theatre|access-date=February 20, 2019|archive-date=February 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220122722/https://www.springfieldlittletheatre.org/about-slt/history/landers-theatre-history/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Springfield Symphony was founded in 1935 and is one of the oldest arts organizations in the city. The [[symphony]] was one of the founding members of the American Symphony Orchestra League, now known as the [[League of American Orchestras]], the largest international body for symphonies and orchestras. The symphony performs monthly at [[Juanita K. Hammons Hall]] on the [[Missouri State University]] campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.springfieldmosymphony.org/about-us|title=About Us {{!}} Springfield Symphony|website=www.springfieldmosymphony.org|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref>

The Springfield Art Museum was started by a small group of women, headed by Deborah D. Weisel. Within two years of its original founding as an art study club, the museum had been formed and began showing [[travelling exhibition]]s from cities like [[New York City|New York]] and [[Philadelphia]]. In 1948, the museum was handed into the control of the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sgfmuseum.org/145/About|title=About {{!}} Springfield Art Museum, MO - Official Website|website=www.sgfmuseum.org|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref> In 2018, a 30-year plan was revealed with the intent of updating the museum to be comparable to the [[Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art]] in Kansas City and [[Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art]] in [[Northwest Arkansas]], capitalizing on its central location in the city and adjacent park space.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fox4kc.com/2018/10/13/springfield-art-museum-unveils-plan-to-turn-site-into-a-world-class-attraction/|title=Springfield Art Museum unveils plan to turn site into a world-class attraction|date=October 13, 2018|website=FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV {{!}} News, Weather, Sports|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref>

The GLO Center is the LGBTQIA+ community center for Springfield and the Ozarks. Founded in 1996, it is the oldest operating LGBTQIA+ center in Missouri, and the only of its kind in southwest Missouri.<ref>{{Cite web |title=LGBTQ Community Center in Springfield {{!}} The GLO Center |url=https://www.glocenter.org/ |access-date=June 19, 2023 |website=www.glocenter.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

OLGA, founded in 2003 is the Ozarks Lesbian and Gay History Archives. It is housed at the Missouri State University, Meyer Library, and has oral histories, collections, and records of lived experiences of the LGBTQ population of southwest Missouri and the Ozarks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ozarks Lesbian and Gay Archives - Libraries - Missouri State |url=https://libraries.missouristate.edu/OLGA.htm |access-date=June 19, 2023 |website=libraries.missouristate.edu |language=en}}</ref>

In 1938, a Springfield flag was made official. It resembled the flag of St. Louis (which was later replaced by a new flag). In 2017, the Springfield Flag Movement proposed a new flag for Springfield, arguing that the current flag is disconnected from modern Springfield culture, as it "doesn't speak to the unique history and identity of Springfield".<ref name=":3">{{cite web|date=June 5, 2021|title=Springfield Missouri Flag - Springfield Flag Movement|url=https://sgfflag.org/|access-date=August 9, 2021|language=en-US}}</ref> On January 10, 2022, Springfield's city council voted 7–2 in favor of adopting the Springfield Flag Movement's proposed flag as the official city flag. The new flag was officially adopted by the city on March 1, 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ky3.com/2022/01/11/springfield-city-council-approves-new-city-flag/ |title=Springfield City Council approves new city flag |publisher=Ky3.com |date=January 10, 2022 |accessdate=March 4, 2022}}</ref>