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August 28, 2016
Spencer Museum unveils a new look and a major Asian art show this fall
After being closed since April 2015 for a major overhaul, the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas is throwing a grand reopening party Oct. 15 and 16.
Source: The Kansas City Star
August 26, 2016
2016-17 Women of Distinction Calendar honors KU leaders
Twenty-three women with ties to the University of Kansas are featured in the 2016-2017 Women of Distinction calendar.
Source: KU Today
August 15, 2016
3 Willie Cole prints selected to accompany 'Between the World and Me' as 2016 KU Common Work of Art
In conjunction with the University of Kansas selection of "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates as the 2016-2017 Common Book, the Spencer Museum of Art has selected three prints by artist Willie Cole as the accompanying Common Work of
Source: Museum Press Release
August 10, 2016
Spencer Museum receives NEH grant to lead educator workshops on race
The Spencer Museum of Art has been awarded a $159,049 federal grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to organize two weeklong workshops for K-12 teachers.
Source: Museum Press Release
June 7, 2016
Spencer Museum co-sponsors art-science workshop at Konza Prairie
Spencer Museum co-sponsors art-science workshop at Konza Prairie
Source: Museum Press Release
May 19, 2016
2016 Rocket Grants program awards $60K to 11 grant recipients
2016 Rocket Grants program awards $60K to 11 grant recipients
Source: Museum Press Release
May 10, 2016
Spencer Museum's Sol LeWitt wall drawing reinstalled at Capitol Federal Hall
Spencer Museum's Sol LeWitt wall drawing reinstalled at Capitol Federal Hall
Source: Museum Press Release
May 3, 2016
Spencer Museum announces 2016 creativity award recipients
The Spencer Museum of Art has announced the 2016 recipients of the Jack and Lavon Brosseau Creativity Awards.
Source: Museum Press Release
February 14, 2016
Mexican artist to install interactive project, speak on KU campus this week
The Spencer Museum of Art will host Mexican artist Nacho Rodriguez Bach as he installs his interactive project, "The Path of Thought," with the help of Kansas University students on the school's campus this week.
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
February 11, 2016
Artist will install 'Life'-like project on campus
The Spencer Museum of Art will host Mexican artist Nacho Rodriguez Bach next week when he installs his interactive project, "The Path of Thought," on the University of Kansas campus.
Source: Museum Press Release
January 25, 2016
Spencer Museum of Art awarded $487K for interdisciplinary arts research
LAWRENCE - The Spencer Museum of Art has announced a $487,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to launch the Spencer's Integrated Arts Research Initiative (IARI).
Source: Museum Press Release
November 19, 2015
Spencer Museum launches art mobile app created by KU Information Technology
Spencer Museum of Art and KU Information Technology (KU IT) staff have collaborated on a new mobile app that provides a virtual "insider's look" at the Museum...
Source: Museum Press Release
October 7, 2015
Spencer Museum print room receives $147K grant
The Spencer Museum of Art has received a federal grant for $147,129 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to rehouse the Museum's collection of more than 20,000 works on paper.
Source: Museum Press Release
September 16, 2015
Friends, donors contribute $7.4M to Spencer Museum phase I renovation
Nearly 200 donors have contributed $7.4 million to support the Spencer Museum of Art Phase I Renovation, exceeding the initial $5 million fundraising goal established in 2012.
Source: Museum Press Release
September 16, 2015
Spencer Museum exceeds fundraising goal, allowing expansion of renovation Phase I
Kansas University's Spencer Museum of Art has surpassed its $5 million fundraising goal for Phase I of its renovation, allowing the museum to expand the scope of the project.
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
September 15, 2015
A new home for 'NuPenny': Art installation moves to KU campus
The traveling art installation known as "NuPenny's Last Stand" is on the move again.
Source: lawrence.com
September 8, 2015
Trio of visiting artists to share Haida culture through talk and performances
Three renowned indigenous artists from the Pacific Northwest Coast will visit the University of Kansas in September to share visual and performing arts of the Haida people.
Source: Museum Press Release
September 6, 2015
Otto Dix painting chosen as 2015-2016 KU Common Work of Art
In 1910, a young Otto Dix had just entered his first year of study at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts.
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
August 28, 2015
Otto Dix self-portrait selected as 2015-2016 KU Common Work of Art
In conjunction with KU's selection of "A Farewell to Arms" by Ernest Hemingway as the 2015-2016 Common Book, the Spencer Museum of Art has selected a self-portrait by German artist Otto Dix as the accompanying Common Work of Art.
Source: Museum Press Release
July 20, 2015
Spencer Museum Renovation Pushes Art Programs into Lawrence's Public Spaces
The galleries in the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas are closed for renovation, but that doesn't mean the end of art programs. As KPR's Stephen Koranda reports, the Spencer Museum is still keeping art in the public eye.
Source: Kansas Public Radio
July 17, 2015
Next Steps
event will explore faculty work spaces, methods
The Spencer Museum of Art invites KU faculty to participate in an interdisciplinary event...
Museum Press Release
June 29, 2015
Recipients of 2015 Jack and Lavon Brosseau Creativity Awards Announced
After sifting through a diverse field of submissions the multidisciplinary selection committee announces two honorees and two honorable mentions.
Museum Press Release
June 28, 2015
Spencer Museum of Art remains 'At Large' during renovations with 'NuPenny's Last Stand'
A lot of folks were left scratching their heads after a mysterious structure resembling an old-timey toy store sprung up seemingly overnight in an East Lawrence industrial park just over a week ago.
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
June 12, 2015
Rocket Grants 2015 program awards $59,000 to 11 grant recipients
The 2015 Rocket Grants have awarded a total of $59,000 for 11 projects, the largest grant amount in the program's history.
Source: Museum Press Release
May 5, 2015
Arts Research Collaboration initiative hosts hybrid practices colloquium
The Arts Research Collaboration initiative (ARC) at the Spencer Museum of Art continues its investigation of collaborative research bridging the arts and sciences.
Source: Museum Press Release
April 28, 2015
Spencer Museum selects Mar Lan Construction for major renovation project
The Spencer Museum of Art announces the selection of Mar Lan Construction to carry out the Museum's major Phase I renovation project, set to begin this May.
Source: Museum Press Release
March 30, 2015
Take One Last Look: Spencer Museum prepares to close galleries for renovation
The Spencer Museum invites you to take one last look at the galleries before closing for Phase I of a major renovation.
Source: Museum Press Release
March 30, 2015
Spencer Museum to host "Last Look" events before closing for renovation
With renovations slated for May, the Spencer Museum of Art is giving guests the chance to take a last look at its galleries with a series of events that will culminate in a closing party April 12.
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
January 7, 2015
Spencer Hosts an Afternoon for Artists with Rocket Grants Launch and Review, Lawrence Inside Out Photo Shoot
The call for proposals for the 6th round of Rocket Grants-a program that supports innovative, artist-driven projects outside of established arts venues-opens on January 12.
Source: Museum Press Release
December 19, 2014
Albert Bloch painting donated by KU alumni represents artist's early work in Lawrence
It may be cold outside, but the Spencer Museum's 20/21 Gallery has some added warmth with the newly acquired Albert Bloch painting Summer.
Source: Museum Press Release
December 6, 2014
Spencer Museum's WWI art helps recall past, understand present
A portion of the works, gifted by noted art historian and print dealer Eric G. Carlson, are on display now in two exhibitions curated by Associate Director/Senior Curator Stephen Goddard.
Source: lawrence.com
November 16, 2014
Installation of Sol LeWitt wall drawing underway at Spencer Museum
Over the next week at Kansas University's Spencer Museum of Art, a team of workers will transform a blank gallery wall into a large-scale, vibrantly hued work of art by Minimalism and Conceptualism pioneer Sol LeWitt.
Source: lawrence.com
November 10, 2014
Public Invited to View Installation of Sol LeWitt Wall Drawing
This fall, the Spencer received a momentous donation of a Sol LeWitt wall drawing from international corporation Pitney Bowes Inc.
Source: Museum Press Release
August 11, 2014
Trove of World War I Artwork Gifted to Spencer Museum of Art as 100th Anniversary of the Historic Event Approaches
Public invited to view selections from more than 3,000 objects gifted to the Spencer by longtime art dealer and passionate WWI scholar/collector Eric G. Carlson.
Museum Press Release
May 29, 2014
Spencer Museum of Art announces plans for major renovation by acclaimed architectural firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners
On Thursday evening, architects from internationally renowned design firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners (founded by celebrated architect I.M. Pei) will unveil their design for Phase I of a major renovation and expansion of the Spencer Museum of Art.
Museum Press Release
May 20, 2014
Rocket Grant Award Winners Announced
Rocket Grants, a program of Charlotte Street Foundation and the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas, awards $54,000 to 10 grant recipients for 2014.
Museum Press Release
May 15, 2014
Spencer Museum of Art receives major donation of art by internationally renowned light artist James Turrell
As the Spencer Museum's celebrated exhibition 'James Turrell: Gard Blue' draws to a close, the Museum is pleased to announce that collectors Mark and Lauren Booth have donated a significant work of art ...
Museum Press Release
April 29, 2014
Recipients of 2014 Jack and Lavon Brosseau Creativity Awards Announced
After poring over a top-tier collection of submissions, the multidisciplinary selection committee announced this year's honorees...
Museum Press Release
February 18, 2014
Topeka resident writes book about legacy of Spencer family
Topeka-based author Ken Crockett spent years researching the personal lives, business successes and philanthropy of Kenneth and Helen Spencer, two people who left a pronounced mark on Lawrence.
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
February 16, 2014
Book tells story of Spencer family gifts to Kansas
A Topeka man's new book about the lives of a Kansas couple tells the story of how their success in the chemical and coal industries turned into a life of philanthropy across the state.
Source: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
February 11, 2014
Exhibition Featuring Works by Master Quilters Inspires Unique Opportunities for Community Engagement
One maintains an international studio practice spanning Japan and Indonesia. The other is local, a Kansas native working with regionally specific themes and motifs.
Museum Press Release
February 3, 2014
Gift will make director's job at KU's Spencer Museum of Art an endowed position
The University of Kansas Spencer Museum of Art says its director is now an endowed position, thanks to a recent contribution from longtime employee.
Source: The Republic
February 3, 2014
Gift makes KU museum's director endowed position
The University of Kansas Spencer Museum of Art says its director is now an endowed position, thanks to a recent contribution from longtime employee.
Source: The Emporia Gazette
February 3, 2014
William S. Burroughs - Exhibit Information and Retrospective
Timeline Radio 2-3-14 by Clenece Hills
Source: KLWN AM 1320
February 2, 2014
KU museum grateful for gift from professor emerita who wrote 'the book' on art history
In more than 50 years at Kansas University, Marilyn Stokstad has made many academic contributions to art history -- not the least of which is writing what some consider 'the book' on the subject.
Source: Lawrence Journal World
January 27, 2014
Historic investiture establishes the Marilyn Stokstad Director of the Spencer Museum of Art
This past Friday, in the first investiture ceremony to take place on KU's Lawrence campus in the history of the school, Saralyn Reece Hardy was officially named the inaugural recipient of the Spencer Museum of Art Marilyn Stokstad Directorship.
Source: artdaily.org
January 25, 2014
Saralyn Reece Hardy named Spencer Museum of Art Marilyn Stokstad Director
Saralyn Reece Hardy, director of the Spencer Museum of Art on the Kansas University campus, was named the inaugural recipient of the Spencer Museum of Art Marilyn Stokstad Directorship on Friday
Source: Lawrence Journal World
January 24, 2014
Historic Investiture Establishes Saralyn Reece Hardy as the Marilyn Stokstad Director of the Spencer Museum of Art
This afternoon, in the first investiture ceremony to take place on KU's Lawrence campus in the history of the school, Saralyn Reece Hardy was officially named the inaugural recipient of the Spencer Museum of Art Marilyn Stokstad Directorship.
Museum Press Release
January 22, 2014
William Burroughs: Creative Observer
Next week would have marked the 100th birthday of writer, artist and Lawrence resident William Burroughs. The Lawrence Arts Center and KU's Spencer Museum of Art are celebrating the life and legacy of this icon of the Beat Generation with ...
Source: KCUR 89.3 FM
January 21, 2014
Rocket Grants Awards Cycle Begins, Spencer Museum Hosts Information Session for Artists
The call for entries for the 5th round of Rocket Grants ... is now open. Artists interested in applying are invited to attend an information session at The Commons at KU on Monday, February 3.
Source: Museum Press Release
January 17, 2014
Saralyn Reece Hardy on Art Museums' Humanism
In a recent interview with KCMETROPOLIS.org, Saralyn Reece Hardy, director of the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas, discussed the unique position of the university museum; the role of art and art museums in society; and her own ...
Source: Association of Art Museum Directors
January 15, 2014
Movers, Shakers, Stalwarts: Saralyn Reece Hardy
Named director of the University of Kansas's Spencer Museum of Art in 2005, Saralyn Reece Hardy presides over one of the country's oldest and most respected university art museums, with a collection of more than 37,500 objects...
Source: KCMetropolis.org
January 14, 2014
Visiting Scholar Cynthia Hahn Presents on Historic and Religious Significance of Relics
Christian relics are most commonly assumed to be bones of saints, but the most powerful and desirable of all relics within the Christian world are those associated with the Passion story.
Source: Museum Press Release
January 9, 2014
William S. Burroughs: 100 Years of Expanding Consciousness
The Spencer Museum of Art joins the city of Lawrence in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of William S. Burroughs.
Source: Museum Press Release
January 7, 2014
Spencer Museum of Art Welcomes Richard Andrews, Lawrence Weschler, and Suzanne Deal Booth
James Turrell's art and ideas have captivated artists, scientists, and thought-leaders for decades; his recent three-museum career retrospective ... has ignited a fascination more passionate and pervasive than ever....
Source: Museum Press Release
December 30, 2013
American Indian exhibits will dominate 2014 at KC museums
American Indian art will dominate the coming year, as well as portrayals of Native American peoples, beginning with the Spencer Museum of Art's just-opened 'Conversation XVII: Photographic Memory.'
Source: The Kansas City Star
December 20, 2013
Conversation XVII: Photographic Memory
In a society built on cultural encounters, what do we mean by authenticity as it relates to race, history, and ethnicity? This question, in all its complexity, lies at the heart of a small exhibition of never-before-displayed photographs at the Spencer.
Source: Museum Press Release
December 20, 2013
Historic photographs reveal complexity of Native American identity
In a society built on cultural encounters, what do we mean by authenticity as it relates to race, history, and ethnicity? This question, in all its complexity, lies at the heart of a small exhibition of never-before-displayed photographs at the Spencer
Source: artdaily.org
December 19, 2013
25 years ago: KU art museum receives historically large gift
From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Dec. 19, 1988: Three sons of the late Charles and Mary Margaret Clevenger of Topeka today donated $500,000 to finance art acquisitions at the Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art at Kansas University.
Source: Lawrence Journal World
November 6, 2013
1977 artist's work debunks rumor of UFO in St. Pete
Documentation of a 1977 installation by laser artist Rockne Krebs, whose work is exhibited at the Spencer Museum, was recently mistaken for documentation of a UFO landing. A Florida newspaper debunks the myth.
Source: The Tampa Tribune
October 31, 2013
Panel discussion explores Kansas art controversies, Invites audience participation
Kansas has seen its fair share of widespread public controversy sparked by art. On Thursday, November 14, a panel discussion ... will invite legal and art historical experts to discuss memorable upheavals as well as the legal precedents they set.
Source: Museum Press Release
October 27, 2013
KU museums collaborate to scare kids with facts
Groups of kids, some with faces painted powder-white with dark eyes and lips, explored the Spencer Museum of Art on Sunday afternoon, making graveyard dioramas and viewing the spooky exhibits with parents in tow.
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
October 25, 2013
Artist James Turrell lights up the Spencer Museum in Lawrence
Dressed all in black, with a mane of white hair and a glorious bush of a beard, James Turrell looks like a hip Santa Claus. And for the 800 people in the overflow crowd at the Spencer Museum, the presence of the 70-year-old artist was indeed a gift.
Source: The Kansas City Star
October 23, 2013
Spencer Museum of Art plans $5M renovation project
The Kansas Board of Regents approved plans on Monday for the renovation of the Spencer Museum of Art, allowing the museum to pursue the funding needed for the estimated $5 million restructuring of the lobby, Print Study Room and Central Court.
Source: The University Daily Kansan
October 21, 2013
Spencer Museum facility expansion approved by KU Board of Regents
Widely regarded as one of the top university art museums in the nation, the Spencer Museum of Art announced the first phase of a facility renovation and expansion, updating the Museum's current facility to meet the needs of ...
Source: artdaily.org
October 17, 2013
Spencer Museum Facility Expansion Approved by KU Board of Regents
Widely regarded as one of the top university art museums in the nation, the Spencer Museum of Art is pleased to announce the first phase of a facility renovation and expansion, updating the Museum's current facility to meet the needs of ...
Source: Museum Press Release
October 17, 2013
KU Board of Regents Approves Spencer Museum Expansion Plans
The Kansas Board of Regents this week approved the renovation and expansion plans for the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas.
Source: KCUR 89.3 FM
September 27, 2013
Artwork reflects modern-day challenges in Kansas agriculture
Department of Design students in Professor Patrick Dooley's Visual Communications Publication and Editorial class designed '1 Kansas Farmer,' a series of six display panels to present topics related to the environmental realities facing Kansans today...
Source: KU News
September 27, 2013
Mexico City Artist Diego Teo to Participate in Museum Residency
The Spencer Museum of Art is delighted to welcome Diego Teo, a Mexico City-based artist and teacher, as its 2013 International Artist-in-Residence.
Source: Museum Press Release
September 25, 2013
Spencer Museum shows Dust Bowl art created by students
The Spencer Museum of Art is exhibiting six posters designed by students at the University. The exhibit, '1 Kansas Farmer,' illustrates the scale of the Dust Bowl, current issues and future challenges Kansas agriculture will face.
Source: The University Daily Kansan
September 16, 2013
Turrell installation opens at Spencer Art Museum
'Gard Blue' projects blue light in enclosed space
Source: The Topeka Capital-Journal
September 16, 2013
Turrell installation opens at Spencer Art Museum
An exhibition featuring the works of light artist James Turrell has opened at the University of Kansas' Spencer Museum of Art. Called 'James Turrell: Gard Blue,' the work is a projection of blue light in an enclosed space.
Source: The Kansas City Star
September 16, 2013
James Turrell: On 'Gard Blue'
It's been a summer of light for the arts world -- and for artist James Turrell. Three major exhibitions of Turrell's work opened within the same month at ...
Source: KCUR 89.3 FM
September 15, 2013
'Feel the light': Much anticipated Turrell exhibition opens at Spencer Museum of Art
Before Saturday night, light artist James Turrell had seen his work 'Gard Blue' -- a projection of blue light forming a singular glowing pyramid -- just once since he created it in 1968. Back then, he said, he was young, pushing boundaries and ...
Source: lawrence.com
September 15, 2013
James Turrell: Gard Blue
James Turrell's pivotal 1968 work, Gard Blue, will make a historic visit to the Spencer Museum of Art this fall. The work represents a transformative period in Turrell's work...
Source: ArtSlant
September 12, 2013
1 Kansas Farmer
KU Students enrolled in Professor Patrick Dooley's VISC 414 Visual Communication: Publication and Editorial designed six posters.... The posters draw inspiration from the art, science, and history of the Dust Bowl...
Source: Kansas NSF EPSCoR
September 11, 2013
Book Review: A Schoolgirl's Work and Girlhood Pursuits
A Schoolgirl's Work is a widely distributed book that presents 24 samplers from the Spencer Museum of Art. Each sampler is shown is full color, and plates include close ups and, most interestingly, the back of each piece.
Source: Threading Along
September 8, 2013
Acclaimed light artist to open Lawrence exhibit in person with public talk
Light artist James Turrell will be on hand for the opening of "Gard Blue," a new exhibition of his work at the Spencer Museum of Art, the museum announced Friday
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
September 3, 2013
Spencer Art Museum to have Turrell installation
The Spencer Museum of Art is planning an exhibit by James Turrell, who's a sensation in the art world this year. New York City's Guggenheim museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston are all featuring ...
Source: The Sacramento Bee
September 3, 2013
Film Festival Promotes International Learning
The five area studies centers at the University will host the International Peace and Conflict Film Festival on Wednesday nights starting Sept 4. at 5 p.m. .... All films will be screened at the Spencer Museum of Art.
Source: The University Daily Kansan
September 1, 2013
Turrell's 'Gard Blue' to fill Spencer Museum's Central Court with light
As crowds flock to James Turrell's simultaneous retrospectives at major museums in New York, Los Angeles and Houston, Lawrence residents will have a closer-to-home option ...
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
August 31, 2013
New exhibit to feature work by laser artist Rockne Krebs
An exhibit of work by laser artist Rockne Krebs, a Kansas University alumnus and Kansas City, Mo., native, is now on view at the Spencer Museum of Art.
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
August 28, 2013
Students Hunt for Art During Hawk Week Event
On Aug. 28, students will explore the Spencer Museum of Art and participate in challenges during the Hawk Week Art Trek. This event will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will include a scavenger hunt in the museum.
Source: The University Daily Kansan
August 25, 2013
New chapter opening for KU's art museum
For the past six years, KU students and staff have been documenting, one by one, thousands of pieces of indigenous art from the Spencer Museum of Art's ethnographic collection.
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
August 25, 2013
Art museum interns become leaders in their fields
The Spencer Museum of Art's internship program has proved to be a launching pad for successful careers from coast to coast. Some former interns give face-to-face tours and others work behind the scenes, but their common goal is connecting people and
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
August 25, 2013
Opportunities abound for free, extracurricular education
Bask in the beauty of paintings, sculptures, photography and more from ancient to contemporary eras at the Spencer Museum of Art, located just west of the Kansas Union. Not only can you enjoy the museum's continually changing collection, but ...
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
August 23, 2013
Rockne Krebs: Drawings for Sculpture You Can Walk Through
This fall, the Spencer Museum of Art will exhibit works of art by pioneering, Kansas City-born laser artist Rockne Krebs (1938-2011)
Source: Museum Press Release
August 23, 2013
Visual art: New ideas and new artists will enliven museums and gallery shows
For a more contemporary artistic take on light and color, head to the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas. Beginning in mid-September, the museum will display seminal light artist James Turrell's 1968 projection of blue light, "Gard Blu
Source: The Kansas City Star
August 19, 2013
Quilt highlights role of African-Americans in Quantrill's raid and rebuilding Lawrence
They're not the politicians and community leaders one usually hears about in the best-known stories of Quantrill's raid. But they were important, and one Lawrence artist is telling their story in her own way -- through fabric and thread.
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
August 18, 2013
The raid in art
If raiders rode into town and sacked Lawrence today, dozens of bystanders would capture the event on smartphones.... Of course, that wasn't the case in 1863. Visual impressions of Quantrill's raid are limited to original art...
Source: Lawrence Journal-World
August 15, 2013
Fall Arts Preview
Preview of the Conversation XV: Dust exhibition and the James Turrell: Gard Blue.
Source: KC Magazine
August 15, 2013
Hakuho Sculpture Review
Donald F. McCallum's Hakuho Sculpture is the first book-length publication exclusively devoted to gilt-bronze Buddhist sculpture from the Hakuho period.
Source: caa.reviews
August 13, 2013
The Spencer Museum brings work by art world luminary James Turrell to Kansas
The Spencer Museum is pleased to announce its forthcoming exhibition James Turrell: Gard Blue beginning this September. Building on the momentum of three simultaneous Turrell retrospectives at major U.S. museums...
Source: Museum Press Release
August 4, 2013
Museum looks at prospective ecological disasters through lens of Dust Bowl
In a pair of interrelated exhibitions, Conversation XV: Dust and 1 Kansas Farmer, the Spencer Museum explores both the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and the relevance of its lessons for farmers, environmentalists, artists, and scientists today.
Source: artdaily.org
August 2, 2013
KU's Spencer Museum of Art Looks at Prospective Ecological Disasters Through Lens of Dust Bowl
In a pair of interrelated exhibitions, Conversation XV: Dust and 1 Kansas Farmer, the Spencer Museum explores both the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and the relevance of its lessons for farmers, environmentalists, artists, and scientists today.
Source: windingriver.com
August 1, 2013
Museum Looks at Prospective Ecological Disasters Through Lens of Dust Bowl
In a pair of interrelated exhibitions, Conversation XV: Dust and 1 Kansas Farmer, the Spencer Museum explores both the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and the relevance of its lessons for farmers, environmentalists, artists, and scientists today.
Source: Museum Press Release
July 25, 2013
An Errant Line, On View for a Limited Time
This spring, the Spencer unveiled the commission of internationally recognized artists Ann Hamilton & Cynthia Schira. In a homecoming of sorts, the artists created large-scale installations inspired by objects in the Spencer's collection...
Source: Museum Press Release
July 14, 2013
Tour- Rumsey Maps
The focus of of our July 14 tour, led by Leko Littlebird, will be two very different museums but united in their incredible abilities to communicate through visual interactivity.
Source: The Virtual Pioneers
June 13, 2013
New Curator Makes Striking Debut with Roots & Journeys
Cassandra Mesick, who joined the Spencer Museum as curator of global indigenous art in late 2012, has assembled a complex, multifaceted set of works exploring the ways in which today's indigenous artists both incorporate and transform ...
Museum Press Release
June 13, 2013
New curator plans lunch-hour tour of updated 'Roots and Journeys' exhibit
The Spencer Museum of Art's new curator of global indigenous art will lead a lunch-hour tour of her inaugural exhibit, an updated installation of "Roots and Journeys."
Source: lawrence.com
June 13, 2013
New Curator Makes Striking Debut with Roots & Journeys
Cassandra Mesick, who joined the Spencer Museum as curator of global indigenous art in late 2012, has assembled a complex, multifaceted set of works exploring the ways in which today's indigenous artists both incorporate and transform ...
Museum Press Release
May 19, 2013
When furniture turned into art: Wendell Castle's KU connection
Sculptor called father of art furniture movement returns to KU for honorary degree
Source: Lawrence Journal World
May 17, 2013
KU Alumnus and Father of Furniture Art Movement Donates Sculpture to Spencer Museum
While visiting Lawrence to accept an Honorary Doctor of the Arts degree from the University of Kansas, Wendell Castle bestowed an honor of his own on the University...
Source: Museum Press Release
May 13, 2013
Art on the go
On a recent Saturday morning, the weather outside was disgusting, but it wasn't enough to keep kids from filling the fourth floor gallery of the Spencer Art Museum. The draw? The museum's weekend Art Cart.
Source: Lawrence Journal World
May 7, 2013
Recipients of 2013 Jack and Lavon Brosseau Creativity Awards Announced
After poring over a top-tier collection of submissions, the multidisciplinary selection committee announced this year's honorees.
Museum Press Release
March 7, 2013
Art Exhibition Taps into Regional Conferences on Water, Establishing Dialogue Between Kaw and Yangtze Rivers
Water is timeless... or is it? Conversation XIV: Water, an installation of modern and contemporary works from the Spencer's permanent collection, explores artists' perspectives on the elixir of life: water.
Museum Press Release
February 18, 2013
Popular painting on loan for landmark exhibit at National Gallery of Art
Visitors to the Spencer Museum of Art may notice one of its leading ladies is missing. She'll return, though, after an important East Coast mission.
Source: Lawrence Journal World
February 12, 2013
An Errant Line: Ann Hamilton / Cynthia Schira Opening March 2, 2013
The Spencer has commissioned internationally recognized artists Ann Hamilton and Cynthia Schira to create large-scale installations in several of the Museum's galleries. An Errant Line is open to the public March 2 to August 11, 2013.
Museum Press Release
February 7, 2013
Mining for Gold in Museum Collections
Article featuring the Spencer Museum of Art and artists Ann Hamilton and Cynthia Schira in the Surface Design Journal.
Source: Surface Design Association
January 29, 2013
Collaborating With The Xijing Men
Kansas City Art Institute students experienced cross-cultural communication through art during a Sunday workshop with visiting artists at the H&R Block Artspace. As part of their 1o-day residency in Kansas City, the Xijing Men led the students through...
Source: KCUR 89.3 FM
January 27, 2013
Spencer Museum to host Xijing Men for 'art summit'
This week, the Xijing Men will open their first North American exhibition in Kansas City, Mo., and play host to a "summit" in Lawrence.
Source: Lawrence Journal World
January 20, 2013
Spencer's new permanent exhibit puts 'Things' back in place
"Empire of Things" explores the concept of collecting through an opulent gathering of art objects ranging from 2,000 B.C. to the modern era, some of which the museum has never before displayed. The exhibit is the latest step of Project Redefine.
Source: Lawrence Journal World
January 20, 2013
A look inside the Spencer's "Empire of Things"
Image gallery of "Empire of Things" profiled on the Lawrence Journal World.
Source: Lawrence Journal World
January 18, 2013
A Petrovski Flux by blotto Epsilon and Cutea Benelli. Wow!
I decided to visit 'A Petrovski Flux' after seeing an artistic, psychedelic photo of it by JJ Coronet posted on Google+. (Let's face it, colourful shots look great in blog posts.) When I arrived there was little time to take in my surroundings because...
Source: SL Art Exposed
January 18, 2013
Some Good Things Last in Second Life
I told you recently about making a new friend inworld and having one of the best moments of any life as a result. He sent me a landmark the other day to the Spencer Museum of Art. Some of you will understand that means he found the Petrovsky Flux.
Source: Honour's Post Menopausal View (of Second Life)
January 9, 2013
The Xijing Men Make U.S. Debut in Kansas City, MO and Lawrence, KS
The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas and the H&R Block Artspace at the Kansas City Art Institute are pleased to present the inaugural North American exhibition by the internationally renowned Xijing Men.
Museum Press Release
December 31, 2012
Maxim Recruits a Readership in Uniform
Magazines featuring provocative images of women have faced opposition before. During WWII, Esquire's watercolor pinup 'Varga' girls were so popular that some soldiers were found clutching these magazines pages in their hands when they died...
December 30, 2012
13 things to kick off 2013
Spencer exhibitions are numbers 9 and 10 in this list of 13 things to kick off 2013.
December 19, 2012
Gallery Reinstallation Project Enters Exciting New Phase with 'Empire of Things'
In 2010, the Spencer Museum of Art envisioned a bold reinstallation of its permanent collection. Called Project Redefine, the transformation represents a dramatic shift from traditionally conceived galleries...
December 5, 2012
Art Legacy
An article from the Lawrence Journal-World honoring Dr. Marilyn Stokstad in recognition of the endowed directorship she generously established at the Spencer Museum of Art.
December 3, 2012
Celebrated Art Historian Dr. Marilyn Stokstad Establishes Endowed Directorship at Spencer Museum of Art
Dr. Marilyn Stokstad, a renowned art historian, University of Kansas distinguished professor emerita of art history, and former art museum director, has made a lead gift to create an endowed directorship at the Spencer Museum of Art.
November 16, 2012
Spencer Museum of Art Holiday Hours
The Spencer Museum of Art will remain open to the public throughout the fall and winter holiday season except on dates that are holidays. Our hours on other days will be unaffected. Specific dates and hours during holiday weeks are listed below.
November 8, 2012
An Artistic Slant On Health Care At The Spencer
In the lobby of the Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence are two kiosk-like pieces of a new installation by Marguerite Perret, Bruce Scherting, Robin Lasser and James Stone. Both stations solicit visitors' thoughts and opinions on health care.
October 30, 2012
Genuinely Artificial: The Art of Randy Regier
Art in America is traditionally defined by its price tag: if someone will buy it, it is real; if not, the maker is a mere hobbyist. In Randy Regier's case, he creates artwork that immediately generates desire because ...
October 18, 2012
Political Power Of Imagery
What images best convey the meaning of politics in America? An exhibition at the Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence explores this idea through photography, prints, paintings, archival political ads, and a poodle skirt.
September 17, 2012
Art, Politics and the American Narrative: A Q&A With Burdett Loomis
As the curator of the exhibit currently showing at the Spencer called Politics as Symbol/Symbol as Politics, KU political science professor Burdett Loomis has gathered up a treasure trove of images that explore meaning of politics in America.
September 17, 2012
Art, Politics and the American Narrative: A Q&A With Burdett Loomis
As the curator of the exhibit currently showing at the Spencer called Politics as Symbol/Symbol as Politics, KU political science professor Burdett Loomis has gathered up a treasure trove of images that explore meaning of politics in America.
June 29, 2012
Spencer Museum of Art closed July 4
On Wednesday, July 4, the Spencer will close in observance of the national holiday. Have a happy and safe Independence Day.
June 27, 2012
'Yarn Bombing' ignites SMA entrance
Knitting & crochet enthusiasts cover SMA entrance in stitches; short-term installation features contributed work from as far away as Brazil, United Kingdom, Maryland & West Virginia
June 25, 2012
Elegance Under Foot: Turkish Weavings
A new exhibition on view through July 8 on the Spencer Museum of Art's fourth floor, features highlights from a private collection of Turkish Kilims, an amazing group of weavings that encapsulate Turkish history, culture, and tradition...
June 21, 2012
Politics & Art
As Americans, politics are a part of the daily landscape, especially as the presidential election nears. To taken on a different view, a political science professor and art historian have decided to present an exhibit that looks at the art and imagery...
June 18, 2012
Spencer to screen acclaimed Alan Turing docu-drama
In honor of Alan Turing's upcoming centenary, the Spencer this Wednesday evening will screen Codebreaker, a critically acclaimed docu-drama about the highs and lows of Turing's fascinating life.
May 31, 2012
Mary Lou Vansant Hughes Collection of Haitian art joins permanent collection
KU-educated couple gives Spencer nearly 100 works by leading Haitian artists; collection has increased significance after destruction of 2010 earthquake.
May 30, 2012
Cryptographs! Family Day at the Spencer
The Spencer will celebrate Father's Day by offering one of its always popular Family Days from 1-3 PM on Sunday, June 17. We invite families to spend a captivating and fun-filled afternoon discovering a world of hidden secrets, puzzles, and cryptogr
May 16, 2012
Interview with Steve Kraske on KCUR's Up to Date
In the first part of Up to Date, Steve Kraske talks with Spencer Museum's Steve Goddard, Perry Alexander, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and Leonard Krishtalka, director of KU's Biodiversity Institute about Cryptograph.
May 11, 2012
Hutch High School junior's work in KU protest art show
Cassie Zook is her own person. So, when a teacher made a joke about her choice of lipstick color, the young woman turned her feelings into art. Protest art.
May 3, 2012
Spencer announces recipients of second annual Jack and Lavon Brosseau Creativity Awards
A poetry collection by English major Becky Mandelbaum and a site-specific installation by art and art history student Rena Detrixhe are the recipients of the second annual Jack and Lavon Brosseau Creativity Awards from the Spencer Museum of Art.
May 1, 2012
Occupying Minds, Not Streets
Mounting an exhibition anywhere in the neighborhood of occupation aesthetics can be precarious nowadays, for people are increasingly fed up with the same reiterations of ideological conceptualism and the ultra-politically correct ...
March 9, 2012
NEA Chairman to visit Spencer Museum
National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman will visit Lawrence on March 15, the latest stop on his nationwide Art Works tour.
February 21, 2012
Internationally acclaimed sculptor Karen LaMonte to speak on 'Beauty & Catastrophe'
Karen LaMonte has earned international praise for her striking cast-glass sculptures. The New York-born artist, who now lives and works in Prague, the Czech Republic, will speak on 'Beauty & Catastrophe' at 4 PM on Sunday, March 4, at the Spencer.
January 24, 2012
Spencer Museum Soliciting Submissions for 2012 Jack and Lavon Brosseau Creativity Awards
Awards celebrate outstanding creativity among undergraduate students at the University of Kansas. Submissions Deadline: Friday, March 16, 2012 at 4 PM
January 19, 2012
Spencer Museum to serve as Lawrence location for 2012 International Craftsy Meetup Party
Area craft enthusiasts can come together and share their collective enthusiasm and experience from 5:30-7:30 PM on Thursday, January 26, when the Spencer Museum of Art serves as the Lawrence location for the 2012 International Craftsy Meetup Party
January 18, 2012
Art in pieces: How the details of a piece of art make it whole.
The Crafting Continuities exhibit at the Spencer Museum of Art provides insight into a little thought of piece of the artistic puzzle, the materials and processes that go into creating the final work.
January 12, 2012
Spencer Museum soliciting submissions for 2012 Jack and Lavon Brosseau Creativity Awards
The Spencer is soliciting submissions for the second annual Jack and Lavon Brosseau Creativity Awards. Benefactor Lavon Brosseau established the prizes to celebrate undergraduate students at KU who engage in creative scholarly work in any discipline.
December 19, 2011
Spencer Museum of Art Receives Highest National Recognition
The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas has again achieved accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded the nation's museums.
October 13, 2011
SMA Fall Press Preview & Lunch
The Spencer Museum of Art invites members of the press to a light lunch and preview of the Museum's fall 2011 lineup of exhibitions next Wednesday, October 19, from Noon to 1 PM.
October 10, 2011
SMA's Second Life island earns international acclaim for 2010 commissioned work a Petrovsky Flux
SL creator Linden Labs touts the Spencer island as a top destination; Italian Vogue name-checks the Spencer in a recent feature article; and respected SL blogger Bryn Oh praises a Petrovsky flux as the author's top 2010 SL art destination.
October 3, 2011
KU alumnus Jon 'J.T.' O'Neal returns for Oct. 16 screening of
Au Pair, Kansas
Filmmaker, photographer, and physician Jon "J.T." O'Neal graduated from KU with an honors degree in history of art. His latest feature film,
Au Pair, Kansas
, took inspiration from O'Neal's long-time interest in the artist Birger Sandzén.
September 21, 2011
Material Madness & Process Pandemonium! A Family Fun Day at the Spencer
The Spencer Museum of Art will conclude KU's 2011 Homecoming weekend in style with a Family Fun Day from 1-3 PM on Sunday, October 2. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Crafting Continuities, the free event will feature a variety of ...
September 1, 2011
Vocalist Genaro Méndez and accompanist Robert Hiller to perform concert at Spencer
On Sunday, September 11 at 5 PM, Mexican-American lyric tenor Genaro Méndez, a KU associate professor of voice, and accompanist Robert Hiller, a KU alumnus and university voice coach in Germany, will perform a program that celebrates music...
August 19, 2011
Crews to remove The Bedazzler sapling sculpture on Friday, Aug. 19
For more than two years, sculptor Patrick Dougherty's
The Bedazzler
, a temporary sculpture commissioned by the Spencer for a 2009 exhibition about trees, has anchored the corner of 14th Street and Jayhawk Boulevard in front of Spooner Hall.
June 22, 2011
Smithsonian Institution, Kansas Humanities Council fund Native American art exhibitions at Spencer
An $11,000 grant from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian and a $7,900 grant from the Kansas Humanities Council will provide critical funding for two fall 2011 exhibitions at the Spencer.
June 9, 2011
Heard on the Hill: 50 Works for 50 States collection at Spencer Art Museum has interesting back story
Herb and Dorothy Vogel, as the article said, lived in New York City and had a large collection of art. They lived modestly, however. He was a postal worker and she worked as a librarian in Brooklyn.
June 6, 2011
Pomp up the Jam: Splendor, Pageantry, and Performance in Art
A sparkling and diverse study in parades, processions, and ceremonies throughout history that will be on view June 12-September 4 on the Conversation Wall of the Spencer's 20/21 Gallery.
May 23, 2011
Spencer Museum of Art announces first recipients of Brosseau Creativity Awards
Benefactor Lavon Brosseau, a former high school teacher from Concordia, established the prizes last fall to celebrate outstanding creativity among undergraduate students at KU.
May 19, 2011
Rocket Grants 2011-2012 Project Awards Announced
The selection panel for this year's Rocket Grants chose ten multidisciplinary projects to receive funding.
May 18, 2011
Spencer Museum announces inaugural recipients of Jack and Lavon Brosseau Creativity Awards
A haunting short story by an architectural engineering student and a proposal for a multi-layered sonic installation by a music composition and theory student are the inaugural recipients of
The Jack and Lavon Brosseau Creativity Awards
May 13, 2011
Student installation at the Commons provides opportunity for collaboration
The culmination of the Motion Graphic Design class will be on view to the public at the Commons in an art installation titled 'An Experimental Provocation about the Screens We Use Every Day.'
May 11, 2011
Spencer Museum of Art, KU Libraries earn major grants for cataloging and digitization
In support of projects to thoroughly document two significant and historic collections at the University of Kansas, the National Endowment for the Humanities recently awarded grants totaling $245,939 to the Spencer Museum of Art and KU Libraries.
May 9, 2011
It figures he would fall
It's a shocker, no matter how many times you watch it. A new installation by Shanghai-based artist Jin Shan in the Spencer Museum's central court features a 180-pound silicone policeman that falls from the 'sky' with a thud.
May 2, 2011
Artist-led tours and film screenings with internationally renowned Irish photographer Alen MacWeeney
Irish photographer Alen MacWeeney will give guided tours of his work and screen his documentary film
(80 min., 2002) at the Spencer Museum of Art on Thursday, May 5, at 6 PM and again on Saturday, May 7 at 2 PM.
April 27, 2011
Spring Arts & Culture Festival
SMA Student Advisory Board presents its fourth annual Spring Arts & Culture Festival Featuring local and student artists, live music and activities for everyone.
April 26, 2011
Chilling Exhibit on Campus
It may be spring but and art exhibit on campus has spectators visualizing icy temperatures. KUJH-TV's Ann Wilson has the story.
April 25, 2011
Art installation combines music and visuals with climate change data
'Mutatis Mutandis,' a Latin phrase meaning 'by changing those things that need to be changed,' explores the relationship between time and glaciers. An interdisciplinary group used sound and information graphics ...
April 25, 2011
Spencer Museum of Art redefines itself
Permanent collections displayed in new, innovative ways; eye-catching installations open
April 21, 2011
SMA Student Advisory Board's Converging Identities juried art show features work by KU students
The Spencer's Student Advisory Board will open Converging Identities--the group's third annual juried art show of KU student work--on Tuesday, April 26 at 10 AM. Visitors can enjoy the artwork through May 8 in the Spencer's Raymond White
April 18, 2011
"Police State": Chinese artist Jin Shan debuts "It Came from the Sky" at the Spencer
A glimpse into the Spencer's latest Central Court installation, with comments from Freeman Foundation International Artist-in-Residence Jin Shan, Curator of Global Contemporary & Asian Art Kris Ercums, and Director Saralyn Reece Hardy.
March 31, 2011
Student Advisory Board to Host Spring Student Night, 2011: A Space Odyssey
University of Kansas students can enjoy a night of science-fiction inspired activities at the Spencer Museum of Art on Thursday, April 7, as the SMA Student Advisory Board (SAB) hosts the Museum's annual spring student night.
March 15, 2011
Renowned performance artist spends a day at Spencer
Ernesto Pujol's performance was based on the history of painting, which involved subtle gestures through walking, pausing, looking and drawing the entire contents of the Museum throughout the day.
March 8, 2011
Ernesto Pujol to present Visitation, a one-day performance art piece
The Spencer Museum of Art will become an experimental performance laboratory for a day as performance artist Ernesto Pujol conceptualizes the representation of gaze--the artist as the embodiment of our human gaze.
March 7, 2011
Smithsonian curator Gwyneira Isaac on 'Object 2.0: New Paradigms in the Interpretation of Ethnographic Collections'
Gwyneira Isaac is Curator of North American Ethnology, Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
February 17, 2011
The Commons bestows funding for research, artist projects
The Commons, a partnership at the University of Kansas that promotes learning across disciplines, has awarded more than $20,000 to faculty, staff and students in support of their research in the 2010-11 academic year.
February 14, 2011
Spencer Student Advisory Board to co-host Student Night at Kansas City's Kemper Museum
On Friday, Feb. 18, for the second time in recent years, students from the Spencer's Student Advisory Board (SAB) will team with Kansas City's Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art co-host a DJ-fueled, art-centered party at the Kemper.
January 27, 2011
Celebrating final week of Dan Perjovschi installation, SMA Student Advisory Board to host Dunk & Draw
As part of a week-long 'Drawathon' celebrating the final days of the the Dan Perjovschi Central Court drawing exhibition, the Spencer Museum of Art and its Student Advisory Board will host a 'Dunk & Draw' event Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011, at 5:30 PM.
January 20, 2011
2011 Governor's Arts Award winner Louis Copt to give painting demonstration at Spencer
Louis Copt, one of five Kansans named as recipients of the 2011 Governor's Arts Awards, will discuss his working methods, materials used, and philosophy in choosing subject matter during a 6:30 PM painting demonstration in the Spencer on January 27.
January 1, 2011
Rocket Grants propel artistic innovation
Leralee Whittle mimicked the motion of cardio exercise, jerking her arms and torso back and forth. Dumbbells hanging in a sling formed by her stretchy workout clothing echoed her body's movements....
December 3, 2010
Dan Perjovschi Central Court review: "You'll laugh until you frown"
Critic Mindy A. Besaw offers her take in Review magazine on Spencer International Artist-in-Residence Dan Perjovschi's drawing installation.
December 2, 2010
Jayplay cover story focuses on campus outdoor sculpture
SMA Director Saralyn Reece Hardy and Curator of European & American Art Susan Earle are sources for this feature, which follows a Kansan cover story earlier this week about the Spencer's "An Ear for Art" cell-phone audio tour expanding outdoor
November 29, 2010
"KU art has hidden history"
A front-page University Daily Kansanfeature about the Spencer's "An Ear for Art" campus cell-phone audio guide expanding to include 15 outdoor sculptures on the KU campus.
November 11, 2010
Rocket Grants fuel creativity
The Journal World features two art projects supported by Warhol Foundation-funded Rocket Grants, which are administered by the Spencer and Kansas City's Charlotte Street Foundation.
November 10, 2010
Kansas City Star review of "Dan Perjovschi Central Court"
Critic Alice Thorson weighs in on the Spencer's Fall 2010 International Artist-in-Residence.
November 10, 2010
An Ear for Art cell-phone audio guide expands outdoors with sculpture tour
The Spencer Museum of Art is pleased to announce the expansion of its popular cell-phone audio guide to include public sculpture located across the KU campus.
November 8, 2010
Leralee Whittle - Forces presents
This weekend, performance art will usurp sport for two nights on basketball courts in Lawrence, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo., as Warhol Foundation-funded 'Rocket Grant' recipients Leralee Whittle and Paul Sprawl present
November 3, 2010
Art branches out with pieces on trees
From a woodcut depicting the scene of the Fall of Man with vine-covered, leafy trees to a print of a tree farm in China littered with plastic bags, the latest exhibit at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University looks at trees...
November 2, 2010
Love in the Time of Beer Bellies ... a Mass. St. Romance
Lawrence Magazine gave 5 art collectives 5 days to come up with a work of art based on 1 theme -- 'Love in the time of beer bellies ... a Mass. St. romance.'
October 20, 2010
As Heard From The Hill: Romanian Film Series Starts Thursday
Recently, Lawrence has been doing it's best Bucharest imitation. Romanian artist Dan Perjovschi just finished up a residency at the Spencer Musuem, and his central court installation will be up until February 6th. This week, the Spencer screens...
October 19, 2010
'Media Memes' exhibit takes collaborative approach to explore meaning of photos
It's Celka Straughn's job to bring the academic side of KU to the Spencer Museum of Art. Mike Williams was looking for a way to take the work of the journalism school to a wider campus audience. It was a perfect fit.
October 4, 2010
KU alumnus and author Robert Day to speak, sign books at Spencer
Author and professor Robert Day, a Kansas native and KU alumnus who gained national acclaim for his 1977 novel
The Last Cattle Drive
and, more recently, for his 2010 collection of nonfiction essays ...
September 30, 2010
Kansas Arts Commission awards SMA Arts Leadership Program grant
The Kansas Arts Commission recently awarded the Spencer an $18,000 Kansas Arts Leadership Program grant, recognizing the Museum as a statewide pacesetter in comprehensive arts-learning programs united by a cohesive educational approach.
September 27, 2010
Spencer Museum of Art is site for retirement event honoring Librarian Emeritus William J. 'Bill' Crowe
The University of Kansas Libraries will host a retirement event honoring Librarian Emeritus William J. 'Bill' Crowe, former dean of KU Libraries, on Friday, Oct. 1.
September 27, 2010
'Black, White, and Read All Over' Fall 2010 Student Night @ the Museum
The Spencer Museum of Art Student Advisory Board invites students to enjoy its annual Fall Student Night on Thursday, October 7. Taking cues from the Museum's current exhibitions, the evening's activities revolve around ...
September 23, 2010
$200,000 in gifts bring Spencer Museum of Art closer to reaching challenge grant
Including these gifts, the museum has received commitments of $800,000 toward the challenge grant.
September 22, 2010
Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence Arts Center welcome three artists-in-residence
Specializing in drawing, printmaking and sculpture, the artists-in-residence this fall at the Spencer Museum of Art and the Lawrence Arts Center cover a wide spectrum of skills, while all working toward the same goal...
September 21, 2010
These Moved Me
exhibition run extended
The Spencer has extended the run of a special exhibition honoring the life and legacy of Dalton Howard (1943-2010), a longtime member of the SMA family and a beloved local artist, musician, raconteur, and thinker.
September 15, 2010
African Healing Journeys: Historical & Contemporary Responses to Disease
A new exhibition brings together an array of African objects from the collections of the Spencer and the Kauffman Museum, Bethel College, in conjunction with an upcoming international conference at KU. On view through Oct. 3.
September 15, 2010
Dan Perjovschi's Work
Perjovschi is the artist in residence at the Spencer Museum of Art. His exhibit, Dan Perjovschi Central Court, will officially open Thursday and run until Feb. 6, 2011.
September 13, 2010
African Healing Journeys: Historical & Contemporary Responses to Disease
On view through October 3
A new exhibition at the Spencer Museum of Art brings together an array of African objects from the collections of the Spencer and the Kauffman Museum, Bethel College, in conjunction with an upcoming international conference at KU.
September 12, 2010
Romanian artist's work on display at Spencer
A man with a thick black and grey beard stands 20-feet high on a cherry picker in the Spencer Museum of Art, drawing on the walls. He wears a green fly-fishing jacket, which holds everything he needs -- a few markers and a notebook.
September 9, 2010
Dalton Howard Remembered
KUJH's video report on the Dalton Howard exhibition,
These Moved Me
September 9, 2010
Can you see the writing on the walls?
JayPlay Photo Gallery of pieces from Dan Perjovschi's
Dan Periovschi Central Court
debut on Sept. 16, in the Spencer Museum of Art.
September 9, 2010
Exhibit displays areas of African culture
Like People or Cosmopolitan magazines of Western societies, African societies portray their cultural perspective of beauty and culture through popular images and art. Now students of the University of Kansas can see glimpses of those perspectives...
September 7, 2010
Dan Perjovschi: Fall 2010 SMA International Artist-in-Residence
Romania-based international artist Dan Perjovschi is working at the University of Kansas from September 2-16, 2010, as the fall Spencer Museum of Art International Artist-in-Residence.
August 31, 2010
Site Specifics on view through January 16, 2011
Contemporary art and the natural world collide in a new exhibition at the Spencer Museum of Art. Site Specifics considers several objects and related sketches made from or for specific sites or conditions, most on land and one in the air.
August 26, 2010
KU student TV station KUJH covers "Media Memes" exhibition
More coverage of the Spencer's
Media Memes: Images, Technology & Making the News
August 25, 2010
Art Tattler features SMA exhibition "Media Memes: Images, Technology & Making the News"
"Media Memes" seeks to raise additional questions regarding the ways in which technology contributes to our changing relationship with the news media.
August 23, 2010
Spencer showcase examines photography in the digital age
A new exhibit at the Spencer Museum of Art will enable anyone to become a photo editor and choose how history is framed -- at least for a day.
August 23, 2010
Media Memes: Images, Technology & Making the News
Understanding how we make meaning from photography constitutes a key element of media literacy. Our perceptions of news, privacy, awareness, the past and the present are culturally and emotionally anchored in the visual reality that we perceive ...
August 19, 2010
These Moved Me
exhibition honors longtime SMA colleague, local artist and musician Dalton Howard
A special exhibition opening this weekend at the Spencer Museum of Art will honor the life and legacy of Dalton Howard (1943-2010), a longtime member of the SMA family and a beloved local artist, musician, raconteur, and thinker.
August 16, 2010
Spencer shortens hours for memorial service
The Spencer Museum of Art, which normally opens at noon Sundays, will open at 2 PM on Sunday, August 22, so that staff members can attend the celebration of life for Dalton Howard, a long-time member of the SMA family who recently passed away.
August 12, 2010
SMA Student Advisory Board Presents...
The Spencer's Student Advisory Board kicks off the 2010-2011 school year with a special Hawk Week screening of the critically acclaimed new documentary Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, next Thursday, August 19, at 6 PM in the SMA Auditorium.
July 12, 2010
Academic journal dedicates issue to KU's Aaron Douglas exhibit
Three years after the Spencer Museum of Art premiered its landmark exhibition 'Aaron Douglas: African American Modernist,' a special double-issue of the journal American Studies celebrates Douglas's legacy.
July 7, 2010
Debbie Divine to recreate design talk of famed Emporia quilter Rose Kretsinger
On Thursday, July 15, at 6 PM, Salina-based historical re-enactor and quilter Debbie Divine will assume the persona of Rose Good Kretsinger, a legendary quilter from Emporia, Kansas, whose dynamic artworks have garnered international praise.
June 29, 2010
SMA galleries closed for Independence Day
In recognition of the Independence Day national holiday, the Spencer Museum of Art galleries will be closed on Sunday, July 4, 2010.
June 15, 2010
Event Horizons: A Touring Program of New Work by Thomas Comerford, Sabine Gruffat & Bill Brown
At 6 PM this Thursday at the Spencer Museum of Art, film, video, and new media artists Thomas Comerford (Chicago), and Sabine Gruffat & Bill Brown (Madison, Wisconsin) will present
Event Horizons
--a 90-minute-long touring program of their work
June 14, 2010
Saralyn Reece Hardy named treasurer for AAMD board of trustees
At the annual meeting of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) last week in Indianapolis, the membership elected Spencer Museum of Art Director Saralyn Reece Hardy as treasurer of its Board of Trustees. The appointment is for a two-year term.
June 11, 2010
A review of Kim Jongku's
Mobile Landscape
June 8, 2010
Quilting Time & Space: On view through May 30, 2010
A new summer exhibition at the Spencer, organized and curated by the Museum's advanced-level student interns from 2009-2010, presents quilts from different times and places in conversation with each other.
June 7, 2010
Cateforis featured in PBS program on contemporary art, calligraphy
You never know where research will lead you. David Cateforis' knowledge of a contemporary Chinese artist led to his involvement in a national television special -- about a completely different artist.
June 3, 2010
Spencer, Charlotte Street Foundation announce recipients of 'Rocket Grants'
The Spencer and Charlotte Street Foundation are pleased to announce the 2010-2011 recipients of Rocket Grants, a new program that provides direct support for innovative, experimental, artist-driven, and artist-centered projects in the Lawrence-KC area.
June 2, 2010
Conversation VIII: Serious Play
Summertime is perhaps the season most associated with play and playfulness, so it seems the perfect time for a fresh 'conversation' in the Spencer's 20/21 Gallery that goes beyond mere fun and games to explore the topic of play in a variety of way
May 29, 2010
KU's Spencer Museum is looking to expand
For years, the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas has sought to expand. Now it's taking a major step in that direction.
May 28, 2010
Spencer Museum of Art Looks to the Future with Expansion Plan
Over the last three decades, the Spencer Museum of Art has nearly doubled the size of its collection. Looking ahead to future expansion, the museum recently hired an internationally renowned architectural firm to create a plan.
May 27, 2010
KU museum expansion taps renowned architectural firm
The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas isn't the Louvre, but the museums have this in common: the same internationally renowned architectural firm.
May 25, 2010
Editorial: Bright future
It's good to see Kansas University's art museum taking a dynamic approach to its future.
May 24, 2010
Spencer Museum of Art taps I.M. Pei firm to produce expansion plan
An enlarged facility will allow the Spencer to house the recently added collection of art and cultural objects of the Americas, Africa and Oceania.
May 23, 2010
Spencer wants to be 'museum of the future'
Spencer Art Museum at Kansas University is making some big plans for the future, starting with a study by world-renowned architectural firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners.
May 19, 2010
'Beaded Heritage' Explores Traditions and Identity
The art of bead work has a long tradition in the Native American culture, passed down from one generation to the next. An exhibition at the Spencer Museum in Lawrence, Beaded Heritage, pairs...
May 19, 2010
Machine in a Void
The Spencer Museum of Art is pleased to extend by one week the run of its major spring exhibition Machine in a Void: World War I & the Graphic Arts. The show will now remain on view through Memorial Day weekend.
May 10, 2010
International Museum Day: Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Guided tours, free gifts, shopping discounts, and a 2 PM talk in the SMA Auditorium by conceptual artist and educator Ernesto Pujol highlight the Spencer's celebration of International Museum Day on Tuesday, May 18.
May 5, 2010
FINAL DAYS: Machine in a Void
Thursday, May 13, at 12 PM, curator Stephen Goddard will give an in-depth gallery talk on the Spencer's major spring exhibition Machine in a Void: World War I & the Graphic Arts...
April 20, 2010
Spring Arts & Culture Festival
The SMA Student Advisory Board presents its third annual Spring and Arts & Culture Festival Featuring live music and dance, local and student art for sale, family activities, the SMA spring exhibitions and more.
April 20, 2010
Spring Student Night and Juried Art Show
The Spencer Student Advisory Board presents its annual Spring Student Night and Juried Art Show. Thursday, April 29, 2010 / 5:30-7:30 PM Free & Open to the Public
April 13, 2010
Booths available at Spring Arts & Culture Festival
The SMA Student Advisory Board invites KU and Lawrence area Artists to showcase and sell their work at the 3rd annual Spring Arts & Culture Festival, Saturday, May 1 from 1-4 PM inside and outside the Museum. Deadline for participation: Friday, April 22
April 1, 2010
Artist Talk: Ann Hamilton
At 5 PM on Thursday, April 8, acclaimed artist Ann Hamilton will give an informal presentation about her work in the SMA Auditorium. Hamilton, who earned her bachelor's degree in textile design from KU in 1979...
March 25, 2010
Connections close to home
Seoul-based artist Kim Jongku spent two weeks in-residence at the Spencer Museum of Art in February.
March 15, 2010
Museum program brings Kim Jongku's Mobile Landscape to Lawrence
From looking at Kim Jongku's work, it is obvious that steel powder is his medium of choice. Much of Kim's paintings and other artwork include this material...
March 1, 2010
Machine in a Void: World War One & the Graphic Arts
March 4, the Spencer will unveil Machine in a Void: World War I & the Graphic Arts, presenting approximately 200 works of graphic art made during the years of the First World War (1914-1918), with a post-script on the art of the decade following the war..
February 18, 2010
SMA International Artist-in-Residence speaking on the installation
Mobile Landscape
On Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6 PM, Seoul-based artist Kim Jongku will talk about his site specific video installation
Mobile Landscape
, which opens that evening and will remain on view through June 25 in the Spencer's Electronic Media Gallery.
February 18, 2010
Artist Kerry James Marshall on 'John Brown's Body: The Representation of Black Bodies as Revolutionary Gesture'
Nationally renowned painter, installation artist, and filmmaker Kerry James Marshall will speak on 'John Brown's Body: The Representation of Black Bodies as Revolutionary Gesture,' on Wednesday, March 3, at 5:30 PM in the Spencer Museum of Art Audit
February 9, 2010
Spooner Hall to undergo $1.1 million exterior renovation
Work will include consolidating and patching deteriorated stone and replacing capstones that are beyond repair.
February 4, 2010
This weekend: Art of Utopia at the Spencer
Our tragic human flaw may be our desire for perfection. From plastic surgery to hippie communes, people are constantly looking to improve themselves and society. But, is a utopian society tangible or ultimately unattainable?
January 21, 2010
Anschutz Foundation donates $200,000 to Spencer Museum of Art
A $200,000 gift from The Anschutz Foundation of Denver significantly advances an academic programs initiative launched by the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas....
January 19, 2010
Rocket Grants Informational Sessions
There will be a series of informational sessions for artists about Rocket Grants, a new program that will provide direct support for innovative, experimental, artist-driven and centered projects in the Lawrence-KC area. Held at diverse locations ...
January 19, 2010
Mel Chin's Fundred Dollar Bill Project
The Spencer Museum of Art, in partnership with the Lawrence Arts Center, brings artist Mel Chin to Lawrence this weekend for a special presentation on his past and present work and his unique conceptual approach....
December 21, 2009
Flemish tapestries, Italian nativity scene highlight Museum's holiday offerings
The Spencer Museum of Art is pleased to share rarely-seen objects from its collection with the public this season. In accordance with a long-standing tradition, the 18th-century Italian presepio, or nativity scene, is on view in the Renaissance Gallery...
December 14, 2009
Spencer Sets Winter Break Hours
In observation of the annual winter holidays, the Museum will be closed December 24-25, and January 1. We will observe shortened Thursday hours (close at 4 PM) throughout the KU Winter Break (days affected: December 17 and 31, and January 7).
November 28, 2009
Video art from Asia among the new Spencer Museum of Art exhibit 'Extra/Ordinary'
Video shows can be a hard sell. They wouldn't be if they were all put together as well as 'Extra/Ordinary,' a new exhibit of contemporary video art from Asia, now on view at the Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence.
November 28, 2009
Spencer curator Kris Ercums keeps a steady stream of art coming from Asia
Kris Ercums, curator of Asian art at KU's Spencer Museum of Art, has a solid foundation in Asian art history, but over the last decade he has become one of the go-to guys for contemporary Asian art.
November 28, 2009
Morning in the Adirondacks
'It's comforting to look at--a reminder of a simpler time,' says Charles Eldredge, distinguished professor of American art and culture at the University of Kansas, of an 1860s landscape by Sanford Robinson Gifford. 'It is an image of the sort that
November 15, 2009
Poet and anti-poet: The duality of Lawrence writer Jim McCrary
McCrary will read with Lawrence poet Judy Roitman from 'All That' on Nov. 19 at the Spencer Museum of Art.
November 15, 2009
Jim McCrary and Judy Roitman, book release and reading
This reading is the Lawrence release for local writer Jim McCrary's first 'real' book, 'All That' -- a collection of chapbooks dating from 1987 to 2008 published by ManyPenny Press.
November 12, 2009
Digital Canvas: East meets Midwest in Asian video exhibit, 'Extra/Ordinary'
The new exhibit at the Spencer Museum of Art, 'Extra/Ordinary: Video Art from Asia' is an exploration of Asian art that's more YouTube than Louvre, examining the commonplace through video, a medium that has itself become commonplace.
November 12, 2009
Poetry and paintings
The exhibits of the Spencer Museum of Art will set the scene for a reading of three of the University's preeminent poets this afternoon.
November 12, 2009
Spencer Museum of Art to show 'Moolaade'
The Spencer Museum of Art is hosting a screening of the Senegalese film 'Moolaade.' The film tells the story of one woman protecting a village's girls from female circumcision and the controversy her stand causes.
November 8, 2009
American heritage: KU contributes to new Native galleries at Nelson-Atkin
It's certainly a star in the Kansas University anthropological collection. But now it's co-starring in the new American Indian Galleries at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, which open to the public on Wednesday.
November 3, 2009
Town & Gown Forum: Andy Warhol, Celebrity Culture, and the 1980s
What do Andy Warhol, Boy George, and 1980s photographs have in common? What is it about celebrity culture that is distinctly visual? How have 1980s music videos affected our personal gender politics?
October 31, 2009
The Nelson's American Indian exhibition -- more than 200 objects -- opens Nov. 11
Spencer loans to the Nelson-Atkins, featured in KC Star article about Nelson-Atkins reopening Native American galleries
October 27, 2009
Spencer display of KU student work highlights Typography 3 class responses to
The Graphic Imperative
A new display of KU design student work, inspired by the current Spencer exhibition
The Graphic Imperative
, will be on view in the Museum's main entry hall through November 29.
October 25, 2009
Take five: 2009 Phoenix Awards honor best in Lawrence arts community
When Richard Klocke goes to art museums, he pays as much attention to presentation as he does the art itself.
October 22, 2009
SMA publishes online exhibition brochure for
Extra/Ordinary: Video Art from Asia
As part of an in-depth website presentation for the exhibition
Extra/Ordinary: Video Art from Asia
, the Spencer Museum of Art has published an electronic version of the exhibition brochure.
October 16, 2009
ART:21--Art in the Twenty-First Century
Spencer continues partnership with Art21,Inc., will host special screening of Season Five of the Peabody Award-winning documentary as part of National Arts & Humanities Month
October 15, 2009
Press Preview next Friday for EXTRA/ORDINARY: VIDEO ART FROM ASIA
Please join us for a guided tour and Q&A with Curator Kris Imants Ercums, followed by lunch.
October 8, 2009
Day-long 'ACT OUT: ART IN!' workshop
Fall break in Lawrence promises to be a dramatic experience for seventh- through 12th-graders who participate in a new art-into-theater workshop that focuses on the current Spencer exhibition
The Graphic Imperative
October 7, 2009
Homecoming 2009 @ the Spencer features special activities for KU alumni & fans
In celebration of Homecoming 2009 the Spencer Museum of Art will offer special tours led by Director Saralyn Reece Hardy and free art projects for children and teens on Saturday, October 10.
October 4, 2009
Lecture, party mark Andy Warhol exhibition
The curator of art at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh will speak this week at the Spencer Museum of Art.
October 1, 2009
WARhol & PEACE: Student Advisory Board Fall Party
Art all around, custom screen-printing of t-shirts, live music, '80s-inspired appetizers, a soup-can drive and more add up to make 'WARhol & PEACE,' the SMA Student Advisory Board's 2009 fall student party.
October 1, 2009
Warhol Foundation funding enables Spencer Museum of Art & Charlotte Street Foundation to create 'Rocket Grants" program
The SMA and KC's Charlotte Street Foundation announce the launch of Rocket Grants, a new program that will provide direct support for innovative, experimental, artist-driven, and artist-centered projects in the Lawrence-Kansas City area.
September 30, 2009
LECTURE Warhol Museum Curator Eric C. Shiner
Eric C. Shiner, Milton Fine Curator of Art at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, visits the Spencer next Wednesday evening to discuss the Warhol legacy in his talk, 'Andy Warhol: Consumption x Production.'
September 22, 2009
Spencer Museum Shop 'Bag to School' Sale
The Spencer Museum of Art is pleased to announce the Museum Shop's 'Bag to School' Sale. Shop the Spencer from Tuesday, September 22, through Sunday, September 27, and score sweet savings...
September 17, 2009
Reframing the worlds of art and science
For scientists and artists alike at the University, crafting a greater public understanding of their respective fields is crucial....
September 17, 2009
An Ear for Art
The Spencer Museum of Art is pleased to announce the launch of a new cell-phone audio guide. 'An Ear for Art' enables Museum fans to access information about objects in the galleries simply by dialing their cell phones.
September 17, 2009
Mexican artist Emilio Said examines modern metropolis in Unreal Cities: Informal Architecture Zone
Emilio Said's unique exploration and dissection of the modern metropolis forms the foundation of the Mexico City artist's exhibition Unreal Cities: Informal Architecture Zone, opening September 22 in the Spencer's Electronic Arts Gallery.
September 15, 2009
The Graphic Imperative on view through November 29, 2009
Why posters? Because they have the power to change our minds. Because they stir our emotions and cause us to reflect. Because they are a call to action....
September 9, 2009
Campus museums getting creative
It's another quiet day at the museum, which is a reminder of adjustments it's been forced to make. Like most institutions with an allocated budget, the Spencer Museum of Art face financial setbacks because of the economic recession...
September 7, 2009
Visual Voices Project teaches quilting, patience to junior high girls
It might seem like a project that's about fabric and seams. But Marla Jackson says it's about much more than that.
August 28, 2009
Warhol Exhibit Focuses on Celebrity Culture at the Spencer Museum
When the Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence received a collection of 180 of Andy Warhol's photographs in 2008, it wasn't long before the museum's staff felt compelled to spotlight the gift within the context of Warhol's New York circa the 1980s.
August 26, 2009
Exhibit makes statement on masculinity
Kris Ercums knew he would be using objects from the Spencer's permanent collection in a new exhibition, but he didn't know what that exhibit would be. But as Ecrums, creator and curator of the new xy exhibition at the Spencer Museum of Art...
August 26, 2009
Are We Not Men?
This synchronized collision of images makes up the Spencer's latest exhibit, 'xy,' an exploration of the masculine mystique. It's a collection heavy on the Y chromosome that raises the question, 'Are you man enough to handle it?'
August 24, 2009
Spencer secures grants for 'Ear for Art,' other programs
The Spencer Museum of Art has announced several grants that will support a variety of initiatives at the museum.
August 24, 2009
Editorial: Support the University's Spencer Museum of Art
The Spencer Museum of Art is flourishing because of the support of students and donors, despite budget cuts being made by the University....
August 20, 2009
Get some culture: Warhol at the Spencer
Somewhat like Perez Hilton, Andy Warhol was famous simply for being famous and made a living talking about and photographing celebrities. Similar to Hilton, his pop art examines the ideas and effects of popular culture, fame and mass production.
August 18, 2009
Spencer Museum of Art shows Big Shots - Andy Warhol, Celebrity Culture, and the 1980s
Joan Collins and Wayne Gretzky. Jean-Michel Basquiat and Liz Taylor. Chris Lawford and William S. Burroughs. What do these seemingly dissimilar individuals have to do with each other? The answer is simple: They were among the many celebrities ...
August 14, 2009
KU puts Warhol work on display
Most of us are familiar with the work of artist Andy Warhol -- and this Saturday, a KU gallery will present some of his most stylish works.
August 14, 2009
Kansas Public Radio: Warhol Exhibition Puts the Spotlight on Celebrity
The Spencer Museum of Art is opening an exhibition of photographs taken by Andy Warhol. It includes portraits of artists, athletes, singers and others Warhol found interesting. Susan Earle is the curator of European and American Art at the Spencer, and ..
August 12, 2009
With Warhol exhibit, Spencer Museum focuses on the 'Big Shots'
'A good picture is one that's in focus and of a famous person doing something unfamous,' Andy Warhol once said.
August 9, 2009
Big shots: Spencer exhibit offers glimpse into Andy Warhol's working process
Andy Warhol was many things: artist, pop culture icon, filmmaker, author, record producer, photographer. Thomas Sokolowski would add another title to that list. 'He was the consummate packrat,' ...
August 9, 2009
Andy Warhol exhibit opens Saturday in Lawrence
An exhibit of dozens of rarely seen photographs by pop artist Andy Warhol goes on display Saturday at the Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence.
August 5, 2009
Big Shots: Andy Warhol, Celebrity Culture, and the 1980s
Joan Collins and Wayne Gretzky. Jean-Michel Basquiat and Liz Taylor. Chris Lawford and William S. Burroughs. What do these seemingly dissimilar individuals have to do with each other? The answer is simple: They were ...
July 30, 2009
xy exhibition examines male identity
Male sexuality is determined by the x and y chromosomes, yet what does it mean to be a man? Through October 5 in the Kress Gallery, the Spencer Museum of Art will explore the complexities of this question via a large-scale exhibition...
July 27, 2009
Foundation and granting agency support advances SMA programs and research
The Spencer Museum of Art is pleased to announce several important grants supporting a variety of initiatives at the Museum.
July 10, 2009
Lawrence, Spencer museum finalists in tourism contest
The Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association announced that Lawrence has been selected as one of the finalists for the top day trip destination in the area, and the Spencer Museum of Art is a finalist for the favorite art museum or gallery.
July 1, 2009
Climb a Tree
Thanks to Patrick Dougherty, nests needn't be for the birds.
July 1, 2009
Friends & Neighbors
Sometimes it takes a village to raise an exhibition. At least, that's the premise of a new installation at the Spencer Museum of Art featuring the selections of four Lawrence community members, each paired with a Spencer curator...
June 30, 2009
Friends & Neighbors exhibition features community curators
Sometimes it takes a village to raise an exhibition. At least, that's the premise of a new installation at the Spencer Museum of Art featuring the selections of four Lawrence community members, each paired with a Spencer curator to create a show that ..
June 13, 2009
Sculpture is swirl of saplings
North Carolina artist Patrick Dougherty likes to build things with sticks -- and the bigger, the better.
June 9, 2009
Spooner Hall's lawn gets bedazzled
A dying tree on Spooner Hall lawn gave the University a chance to combine art and nature in a sculpture made of tree saplings.
May 26, 2009
SMA Collection Manager to attend national conference on collections care
Spencer Museum of Art Collection Manager Sofía Galarza Liu has been selected by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to attend a national forum, June 16 and 17, 2009, in Buffalo, New York.
May 22, 2009
Artist has designs on KU tree
What do you get when you take 6,000 pounds of maple and dogwood saplings and put them in the hands of an internationally known sculptor? The answer is taking shape at the corner of 14th Street & Jayhawk Boulevard in front of Spooner Hall on the KU campus.
May 20, 2009
Ink Magazine
Daycations: Take a tiny trip to Lawrence
May 14, 2009
Artist Patrick Dougherty to speak about his tree sculpture at KU
World-renowned sculptor Patrick Dougherty will give an artist's talk about his work, which consists of large-scale tree sculptures, on Thursday, May 21 at 5:30 PM in the Spencer Museum of Art Auditorium. The talk is free and open to the public.
May 13, 2009
Museum of Modem Art
Thanks to the gushings of local art maven Molly Murphy, I decided to check out the Spencer Museum of Art online collection...
May 9, 2009
Branching out: A review of Trees and other Ramifications: Branches in Nature and Culture
The exhibition currently on view in the central court at the Spencer Museum of Art plays with this concept of growth systems in alternately scientific, profound, and humorous ways.
May 4, 2009
Style savvy rocks Lawrence runways
'Art on the Green' featured sustainable clothing styled by local companies or created by designers with ties to Kansas University. Models walked through the main gallery at Spencer Museum of Art, wearing sustainable clothing.
May 4, 2009
Do not feed the artwork? Grazers part of new installation
A Chinese artist is using animals to connect with KU students and show similarities between the United States and China.
May 3, 2009
Ride Your Bike
Percolator Eric Farnsworth has designed new bike racks for the Spencer Museum of Art.
May 1, 2009
Updated: Artist Patrick Dougherty to create large-scale tree-sapling sculpture in front of KU's Spooner Hall
Patrick Dougherty will now arrive in Lawrence May 10, and his residency at the Spencer will continue through May 31. Please note that his artist's talk remains as originally scheduled.
May 1, 2009
The art of healing
The Spencer Museum of Art Student Advisory Board will participate in its first relay tonight in hopes of not only raising money toward a cure, but also sharing the healing power of art with the community.
May 1, 2009
Art festival adds a cultural element
For the second year in a row, Student Union Activities and the Spencer Museum of Art's Student Advisory Board are teaming up to bring the Spring Arts and Culture Festival to campus on Saturday.
April 29, 2009
BMXers crash campus (legally!), a sign of the sport's persistent popularity
April 28, 2009
Artist Patrick Dougherty to create large-scale tree-sapling sculpture in front of KU's Spooner Hall
The last month of the exhibition Trees & Other Ramifications: Branches in Nature & Culture will feature the arrival on campus of world-renowned sculptor Patrick Dougherty.
April 27, 2009
Wang Tiande is Spencer's inaugural international artist-in-residence
Shanghai-based experimental calligrapher Wang Tiande's work is hailed for dissolving traditional boundaries and definitions of Chinese art. He now brings his innovative ideas to the Spencer as international artist-in-residence.
April 23, 2009
Makoto Nakura: The Wood and Forests Project
Japanese marimbist Makoto Nakura will give a concert at the Spencer Museum of Art on Wednesday, May 6 at 7 PM. Accompanied by cellist Matthew Herren and flutist David Fedele, Nakura will perform his original piece 'The Wood and Forests Project.'
April 22, 2009
Spring Arts & Culture Festival
Celebrate spring at the Second Annual Spring Arts & Culture Festival on May 2. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature live music, performances by various artists and the opening of the annual Children's Art Exhibition.
April 21, 2009
Polar explorer Will Steger to give presentation on effects of climate change
Steger uses compelling data and satellite imagery to show the extent of global warming at the polar ice caps.
April 16, 2009
Art on the Green: Spring Student Night offers eco-friendly fun
The Spencer Museum of Art Student Advisory Board invites students to enjoy its annual Spring Student Night on Thursday, April 23. Featuring free food, live and DJ music, an artist's demonstration, and a fashion show
April 15, 2009
Healing through Art: Local artists to show work at Relay for Life
The Spencer Museum of Art Student Advisory Board will present art as a message of hope and perseverance at the KU Relay for Life on Friday, May 1.
April 13, 2009
The Fierce and the Fabulous: Lawrence fashion scene raises roof, awareness
The Spencer Museum will kick off the Apparel-geddon with Spring Student Night, Thursday, April 23.
April 2, 2009
Festival planned for fans of Liszt
The American Liszt Society meets Friday through Sunday in Lawrence for its annual festival, which is expected to draw several hundred people. The theme is 'Liszt and the Art of Transcription.'
April 1, 2009
Lt. Gov. says scientists, not politicians, will save environment
SMA Director Saralyn Reece Hardy talks climate change with KS Lt. Gov. Matt Parkinson.
March 26, 2009
Bruce Mau - Massive Change: the Future of Design and Life on Earth
What if the questions surrounding design turned out to be the big questions? What if life itself became a design project? What if the welfare of the entire human race became design's practical objective? What if we succeeded?
March 24, 2009
Alternate Realities: Installation explores themes of Second Life
Opening April 4, 2009
March 10, 2009
Branching out: Tree-themed art exhibits sprout up across town
Trees are taking center stage at local art galleries starting this month as three separate exhibits of arboreal art open.
March 10, 2009
Photojournalist, KU grad Stephen Williams to discuss work at North Pole
Photojournalist Stephen Williams will be at the Spencer Museum of Art on March 26 and 27 to talk about his photographs and observations of Inuit life that appear in the exhibition Climate Change at the Poles.
March 9, 2009
A Tradition Redefined
Expanded exhibition listing in ArtTattler
March 5, 2009
KU museums see increased attendance in tough economic times
Attendance is booming at Kansas University museums during the economic recession, and for more than one reason, museum officials said.
March 5, 2009
Percolating at the Spencer
Come spin "The Wheel of Willing Diversion" - a Percolator project
February 25, 2009
Opening March 5 - Trees & Other Ramifications
The exhibition features prints, drawings, books & photographs drawn from KU and area collections, explores works of art inspired by trees & images from the arts & sciences in which trees have served as a metaphor for real & imagined branching systems.
February 20, 2009
Why University Museums Matter
Cease and desist is the advice I give university administrators toying with thoughts of closing their campus museums and peddling the art, as Brandeis recently threatened to do. Just stop. Period. Bad way to go.
February 17, 2009
Opening February 21 - A Tradition Redefined
A spectacular national traveling exhibition at the Spencer Museum of Art honors Chu-tsing Li--one of KU's most distinguished retired faculty members and a pioneer in the teaching, study, and collecting of modern and contemporary Chinese art in the West.
February 14, 2009
Chinese Music Ensemble
Members of the Kansas City Chinese Music Ensemble perform and give a teachers workshop Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009 at KU's Spencer Art Museum.
February 14, 2009
Art exhibitions track climate change
Climate change is the topic of two current exhibitions at KU's Spencer Museum of Art.
February 12, 2009
Ice Wolf
offers lessons on tolerance
Ice Wolf
, a tragic drama written for a child audience, runs this weekend at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H.
February 12, 2009
Inuit Culture Explored in New Production of
The Ice Wolf
Theater always involves collaboration between like-minded actors, directors, and designers. This weekend, a theater in Lawrence expands that relationship to the staff of the Spencer Museum of Art.
February 6, 2009
Climate control: Spencer Museum of Art exhibit examines human interaction with North, South poles
The term 'climate change' is steeped in divisiveness. Politics vs. science, nature vs. doomsday, Al Gore vs. George Bush. But what about the artistic aspect of the phrase?
February 5, 2009
Climate Change: Spencer & Lawrence Public Library collaborate to present book discussion and film series
The Spencer Museum of Art and the Lawrence Public Library are teaming up to offer a monthly, Thursday night book discussion and film series for community members to further explore the topics presented in the exhibition Climate Change at the Poles.
February 5, 2009
Polarizing Artwork
It's difficult for many metro residents to imagine thriving in a biome harsher than the unpredictable Midwest, but for thousands of years, our neighbors to the extreme north and south have lived well, despite the cold.
February 3, 2009
Opening this Sunday - A Greenland Glacier: The Scale of Climate Change
What's it like for an artist who has revealed ecological issues in her photographs of the American landscape to turn her attention to one of Greenland's Glaciers? What can her work bring to that of KU scientists who are studying the same glacier?
February 2, 2009
Teaching gallery exhibition to explore images of revolution
In collaboration with KU's international area studies centers, the SMA presents images of revolution in the 20th century in an installation titled
Changing the World: Images of Revolution
, on view February 12--March 1.
January 30, 2009
New exhibition highlights climate change
The Spencer Museum of Art is showing climate change in a way that combines maps, photographs and an 18-foot-long kayak.
January 29, 2009
Spencer Museum Asks for Submissions
The Spencer Museum of Art Student Advisory Board invites student artists to submit their work for a juried show to be held March 29 through April 18 in the SUA Gallery in the Kansas Union.
January 27, 2009
Technology / Nature: Juried show to display student work; submissions encouraged
The Spencer Museum of Art Student Advisory Board invites student artists to submit their work for a juried show to be held March 29 through April 18 in the SUA Gallery in the Kansas Union.
January 26, 2009
Spencer Museum of Art the Climate Change at the Poles exhibition
The Spencer Museum of Art presents today Climate Change at the Poles, on view through May 24, 2009.
January 23, 2009
Gallery talk, performance to explore life at the Poles
TheSMA invites the public to a free gallery talk on the exhibition
Climate Change at the Poles
and a preview of the Lawrence Arts Center's upcoming play
The Ice Wolf
on Jan 29. The talk begins at 6:30 PM, with the performance to follow
January 21, 2009
Spencer Museum of Art announces Spring 2009 exhibitions & programs
Highlights of the Spencer Museum of Art's spring 2009 schedule include a retrospective of one collector's modern and contemporary Chinese art, installations that consider climate change and trees, and a full, diverse slate of public programs.
December 26, 2008
Earle to present lecture Feb. 26 on artist Douglas
The Hall Center for the Humanities will present a lecture titled 'Beyond Harlem and Modernism: Aaron Douglas and Art History' by art historian Susan Earle at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Wichita Art Museum.
December 23, 2008
KU Works for Kansas radio spot
Hope you enjoy the attached 'KU Works for Kansas' radio spot about the Spencer (and, specifically, Rose Kretsinger), which will be played during KU basketball broadcasts on a rotating basis.
December 18, 2008
Spencer Museum of Art establishes new gallery hours beginning Jan. 12
The museum's galleries, currently open Tuesday-Sunday, will close one hour earlier each day.
December 16, 2008
The Spencer's array of Korean toys puts away childish things but not playfulness
Toys are never just toys. The playroom remnants of childhood embody the cultural and social mores from which they emerge and suggest a multitude of meanings. Far from benign objects, they function as stand-ins for experiences and memories and retain...
December 12, 2008
Sanford Gifford: A Discovery Joins a University Collection
Like every museum curator, I fantasize discovering a major work of art in a second-hand store or an attic, or revealing that a painting previously considered unimportant is actually a masterpiece. It happens rarely. But as director of the Spencer Museum..
December 8, 2008
Grant will allow Spencer Museum of Art to expand teaching, researching capabilities
The works in Spencer Museum of Art aren't just for looking at. They're also for learning. Or at least that's the idea behind a grant totaling $1.2 million from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that will help expand the use of the museum's art for .
December 4, 2008
KU museum earns $1.2 million grant to expand use of art in teaching, research
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation award underscores the Spencer Museum of Art's place among select national company.
November 18, 2008
Spencer is selected as Kansas institution to receive major contemporary art donation
The Spencer Museum of Art has been selected as the Kansas institution to receive a gift of 50 works of contemporary art from New York collectors Dorothy and Herbert Vogel, with the help of the National Gallery of Art, the NEA and IMLS.
October 24, 2008
The Spencer Art Museum Presents Toy Stories: Souvenirs from Korean Childhood
On view through January 24, 2009. Toys are more than fun. As cultural artifacts, they embody the fantasies, values, obsessions and anxieties of a generation, speaking to the global relevance of play and the imagination across cultures.
October 8, 2008
About Time: Wendell Castle's Art on Exhibit
Question—When is furniture not furniture? When one leg of the chair braces itself against the wall, when the drawers of a dresser protrude from a metallic sphere, or maybe when the surface of the table is smaller than the legs?
October 2, 2008
Climate Change At The Poles
Change is coming. From the perspective of an art museum, the prospect of climate change raises some elemental questions. For example, what impact will changing conditions have on current culture, thought, behavior, and artistic expression?
August 23, 2008
Works by Warhol, Arbus part of 'Time/Frame'
Lawrence Journal World
August 23, 2008
American Quilt Store: Barbara Backman
Ms. Brackman is a noted quilt historian, author, and fabric designer. Her name appears extensively in the quilt world.
August 23, 2008
American Quilt Store: Spencer Museum of Art
The Spencer Museum of Art has an exhibit entitled "Quilts: Flora Botanica" on this year from July 12 to October 12. This themed exhibit targets the generation and genesis of patchwork patterns.
August 22, 2008
Graduate students' works explore time
An art exhibition exploring the representation of time throughout history and within cultures will open at the Spencer Museum of Art on Aug. 23.
February 4, 2008
Exhibitions at Spencer Museum of Art explore social change in Russia
Artist Alexander Rodchenko called the lens of the camera "the pupil of the eye of the cultured man in socialist society." Now visitors to the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas can see for themselves what Rodchenko meant.
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