Events Calendar
Events are free and take place in a variety of locations and formats. The Museum is committed to accessibility for all visitors. Our efforts are ongoing. To request an accommodation for an upcoming event, please contact the Museum in advance at spencerart@ku.edu or 785.864.4710.
August 19
Activity
OPEN FRIDAYS
10AM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 305 Goddard Study Center
Your art wish is our command. Visit the Goddard Study Center on Fridays to request works of art on paper not currently on view or share your interests and let our staff select works for you. You can also drop in to enjoy works requested by other visitors. The Goddard Study Center is open to all during gallery hours with a break from 12-1PM. Space is limited and face masks are required. If we are at capacity, we invite you to explore the galleries until space opens up. The Goddard Study Center is also open by appointment at other times.
August 24
Activity
HAWK WEEK SHINE YOUR LIGHT
2PM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 1301 Mississippi St
Shine a light on your creative self and explore the Spencer Museum of Art. Take inspiration from the artworks on view in the exhibition Debut and your personal interests to make a shadow frame envisioning your artistic self and your place on campus. Drop in anytime and stay to create and chat. Open to KU students.
Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art and the Center for Orientation & Transition Programs
August 25
Talk
SENIOR SESSION TEACHING INSPIRATION AND THE ART OF HELEN FRANKENTHALER
10:15AM
– 11AM
Spencer Museum of Art, Brosseau Center for Learning
Curator Kate Meyer discusses the Museum’s recent gift of prints by Helen Frankenthaler and how they were the impetus for a KU course on creating art inspired by art, with Frankenthaler’s work as the touchstone. Meyer is joined by Estefany Lopez who shares her perspective as a student in the class. Senior Sessions are designed for older adults, but open to all.
Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art
August 26
Activity
OPEN FRIDAYS
10AM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 305 Goddard Study Center
Your art wish is our command. Visit the Goddard Study Center on Fridays to request works of art on paper not currently on view or share your interests and let our staff select works for you. You can also drop in to enjoy works requested by other visitors. The Goddard Study Center is open to all during gallery hours with a break from 12-1PM. Space is limited and face masks are required. If we are at capacity, we invite you to explore the galleries until space opens up. The Goddard Study Center is also open by appointment at other times.
September 02
Activity
OPEN FRIDAYS
10AM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 305 Goddard Study Center
Your art wish is our command. Visit the Goddard Study Center on Fridays to request works of art on paper not currently on view or share your interests and let our staff select works for you. You can also drop in to enjoy works requested by other visitors. The Goddard Study Center is open to all during gallery hours with a break from 12-1PM. Space is limited and face masks are required. If we are at capacity, we invite you to explore the galleries until space opens up. The Goddard Study Center is also open by appointment at other times.
September 08
Activity
ZINE NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
6:30PM
– 8PM
Spencer Museum of Art
Whether you’re an experienced zinester or want to experiment with your first zine, join us to create in community and contribute a page to a collaborative zine exploring disability. Take inspiration from the KU Common Work of Art “(untitled) sounding sculpture” by Harry Bertoia and the KU Common Book “Disability Visibility” or work on your own project and topic of interest. The first 10 people will receive a free zine making kit courtesy of the Emily Taylor Center.
Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art, Emily Taylor Center for Women and Gender Equality
September 09
Activity
OPEN FRIDAYS
10AM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 305 Goddard Study Center
Your art wish is our command. Visit the Goddard Study Center on Fridays to request works of art on paper not currently on view or share your interests and let our staff select works for you. You can also drop in to enjoy works requested by other visitors. The Goddard Study Center is open to all during gallery hours with a break from 12-1PM. Space is limited and face masks are required. If we are at capacity, we invite you to explore the galleries until space opens up. The Goddard Study Center is also open by appointment at other times.
September 15
Social
ROCKET GRANTS AWARDS CEREMONY
6:30PM
– 8PM
Charlotte Street Foundation, 3333 Wyoming, Kansas City, MO
Celebrate the recipients of this year's Rocket Grants while enjoying refreshments and short presentations by the artists about their projects. Rocket Grants provides direct funding to artists in Kansas and Missouri for public-facing artwork in surprising places. Launched in 2010 with funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Rocket Grants is a partnership between the Spencer Museum of Art and Charlotte Street Foundation.
Sponsored By: Charlotte Street Foundation, Spencer Museum of Art
September 16
Activity
OPEN FRIDAYS
10AM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 305 Goddard Study Center
Your art wish is our command. Visit the Goddard Study Center on Fridays to request works of art on paper not currently on view or share your interests and let our staff select works for you. You can also drop in to enjoy works requested by other visitors. The Goddard Study Center is open to all during gallery hours with a break from 12-1PM. Space is limited and face masks are required. If we are at capacity, we invite you to explore the galleries until space opens up. The Goddard Study Center is also open by appointment at other times.
September 20
Talk
A CURATOR'S JOURNEY
5:30PM
– 6:30PM
The Spencer Museum of Art, Room 211
Jan Howard began her journey as a curator at the Spencer Museum of Art while finishing her master's degree. Her career in museums has spanned four decades including positions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Baltimore Museum of Art, and since 2000 at the RISD Museum. Howard reflects on how her foundational experiences at KU have informed her work caring for and building collections and organizing exhibitions.
Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art, Kress Foundation Department of Art History
September 22
Talk
SENIOR SESSION HARRY BERTOIA’S UNIVERSAL WIRES
10:15AM
– 11AM
Spencer Museum of Art, Brosseau Center
When Harry Bertoia’s experiments with metal rods caused one rod to strike another and produce an unexpected musicality he imagined, “If one wire produces such a sound, what would two rods produce, or what would ten, or a hundred?” Tap into Bertoia’s resulting “sounding sculptures” with Spencer staff members Adina Duke and Sydney Pursel to explore these instruments of universal design and the otherworldly tones they produce. Learn how the Spencer’s sounding sculpture and other works on view relate to accessibility. Senior Sessions are designed for older adults, but open to all.
Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art
September 23
Activity
OPEN FRIDAYS
10AM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 305 Goddard Study Center
Your art wish is our command. Visit the Goddard Study Center on Fridays to request works of art on paper not currently on view or share your interests and let our staff select works for you. You can also drop in to enjoy works requested by other visitors. The Goddard Study Center is open to all during gallery hours with a break from 12-1PM. Space is limited and face masks are required. If we are at capacity, we invite you to explore the galleries until space opens up. The Goddard Study Center is also open by appointment at other times.
September 30
Activity
OPEN FRIDAYS
10AM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 305 Goddard Study Center
Your art wish is our command. Visit the Goddard Study Center on Fridays to request works of art on paper not currently on view or share your interests and let our staff select works for you. You can also drop in to enjoy works requested by other visitors. The Goddard Study Center is open to all during gallery hours with a break from 12-1PM. Space is limited and face masks are required. If we are at capacity, we invite you to explore the galleries until space opens up. The Goddard Study Center is also open by appointment at other times.
October 07
Activity
OPEN FRIDAYS
10AM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 305 Goddard Study Center
Your art wish is our command. Visit the Goddard Study Center on Fridays to request works of art on paper not currently on view or share your interests and let our staff select works for you. You can also drop in to enjoy works requested by other visitors. The Goddard Study Center is open to all during gallery hours with a break from 12-1PM. Space is limited and face masks are required. If we are at capacity, we invite you to explore the galleries until space opens up. The Goddard Study Center is also open by appointment at other times.
October 13
Talk
SENIOR SESSION THE WONDERS OF BLUE
10:15AM
– 11AM
Spencer Museum of Art, Brosseau Center
Explore the wonders of indigo dyeing and delve into the rich history of the color blue in Japanese art. From iconic prints like Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa to a child’s kimono, learn about the historic transformations of blue dye across print culture and textile design with Spencer Intern and art history PhD candidate Vidhita Raina. Senior sessions are designed for older adults but open to all.
Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art
October 14
Activity
OPEN FRIDAYS
10AM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 305 Goddard Study Center
Your art wish is our command. Visit the Goddard Study Center on Fridays to request works of art on paper not currently on view or share your interests and let our staff select works for you. You can also drop in to enjoy works requested by other visitors. The Goddard Study Center is open to all during gallery hours with a break from 12-1PM. Space is limited and face masks are required. If we are at capacity, we invite you to explore the galleries until space opens up. The Goddard Study Center is also open by appointment at other times.
October 21
Activity
OPEN FRIDAYS
10AM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 305 Goddard Study Center
Your art wish is our command. Visit the Goddard Study Center on Fridays to request works of art on paper not currently on view or share your interests and let our staff select works for you. You can also drop in to enjoy works requested by other visitors. The Goddard Study Center is open to all during gallery hours with a break from 12-1PM. Space is limited and face masks are required. If we are at capacity, we invite you to explore the galleries until space opens up. The Goddard Study Center is also open by appointment at other times.
October 28
Activity
OPEN FRIDAYS
10AM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 305 Goddard Study Center
Your art wish is our command. Visit the Goddard Study Center on Fridays to request works of art on paper not currently on view or share your interests and let our staff select works for you. You can also drop in to enjoy works requested by other visitors. The Goddard Study Center is open to all during gallery hours with a break from 12-1PM. Space is limited and face masks are required. If we are at capacity, we invite you to explore the galleries until space opens up. The Goddard Study Center is also open by appointment at other times.
October 30
Activity
HALLOWEEKEND IN THE WOODS
2PM
– 4PM
Marvin Grove, directly behind Spencer Museum, 1301 Mississippi St
Trick or tree! Explore the mysteries of Marvin Grove and make the sidewalks your runway to debut your Halloween costume. We’re rolling the Spencer Art Cart outdoors for tricks, treats, and art activities among the trees. Costumed canines and grown-ups are welcome, too!
Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art
November 03
Talk
THE RETURN PROJECT: WOMEN IN REENTRY, TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION, AND ARTISTIC COLLABORATION
4PM
– 6PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Marshall Balcony
Learn about a technology education program for women recently released from jail or prison in Kansas and Missouri and join us for the opening of the exhibition How the Light Gets In by artist Sarah Newman. Panelists include Newman, program participants, and KU faculty and graduate students. The panel is moderated by Curator for Research Joey Orr and followed by a gallery talk with the artist. This program emerges from research led by Hyunjin Seo (KU School of Journalism and Mass Communications), who is the Fall 2022 Faculty Research Fellow for the Spencer Museum’s Arts Research Integration program.
Sponsored By: Center for Digital Inclusion, KU School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Lawrence Public Library, Spencer Museum of Art
November 04
Activity
OPEN FRIDAYS
10AM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 305 Goddard Study Center
Your art wish is our command. Visit the Goddard Study Center on Fridays to request works of art on paper not currently on view or share your interests and let our staff select works for you. You can also drop in to enjoy works requested by other visitors. The Goddard Study Center is open to all during gallery hours with a break from 12-1PM. Space is limited and face masks are required. If we are at capacity, we invite you to explore the galleries until space opens up. The Goddard Study Center is also open by appointment at other times.
November 10
Talk
COMMUNITY FORUM: REIMAGINING THE SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART
4PM
– 6PM
Lawrence Public Library Auditorium, 707 Vermont St
How can we make the Spencer Museum a place where you feel welcome and represented? Drop in for any portion of this two-hour event to share your thoughts through fun and interactive activities. Light refreshments provided.
Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art
November 17
Talk
SENIOR SESSION GETTING TO KNOW LEWIS LINDSAY DYCHE
10:15AM
– 11AM
Spencer Museum of Art, Brosseau Center for Learning
Dyche Hall at KU is his architectural legacy, but do you know about Lewis Lindsay Dyche’s connection to cultural objects in the Spencer Museum’s collection? Global Indigenous Art Intern Allison Charba introduces the contributions to KU of the 19th-century naturalist, teacher, and explorer. Senior sessions are designed for older adults, but open to all.
Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art
November 18
Activity
OPEN FRIDAYS
10AM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 305 Goddard Study Center
Your art wish is our command. Visit the Goddard Study Center on Fridays to request works of art on paper not currently on view or share your interests and let our staff select works for you. You can also drop in to enjoy works requested by other visitors. The Goddard Study Center is open to all during gallery hours with a break from 12-1PM. Space is limited and face masks are required. If we are at capacity, we invite you to explore the galleries until space opens up. The Goddard Study Center is also open by appointment at other times.
December 02
Activity
OPEN FRIDAYS
10AM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 305 Goddard Study Center
Your art wish is our command. Visit the Goddard Study Center on Fridays to request works of art on paper not currently on view or share your interests and let our staff select works for you. You can also drop in to enjoy works requested by other visitors. The Goddard Study Center is open to all during gallery hours with a break from 12-1PM. Space is limited and face masks are required. If we are at capacity, we invite you to explore the galleries until space opens up. The Goddard Study Center is also open by appointment at other times.
December 08
Talk
SENIOR SESSION HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN
10:15AM
– 11AM
Spencer Museum of Art
Spencer Curator Joey Orr discusses themes in artist Sarah Newman’s installation How the Light Gets In. Developed in collaboration with the KU Center for Digital Inclusion, the exhibition builds on research by Hyunjin Seo (KU School of Journalism and Mass Communications), and her team’s work with formerly incarcerated women reentering society. Newman’s conversations and creative workshops with the women invert and complicate expectations around who holds knowledge and wisdom, and who is situated to teach or transmit that knowledge to others. Senior Sessions are designed for older adults, but open to all.
Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art
December 09
Activity
OPEN FRIDAYS
10AM
– 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 305 Goddard Study Center
Your art wish is our command. Visit the Goddard Study Center on Fridays to request works of art on paper not currently on view or share your interests and let our staff select works for you. You can also drop in to enjoy works requested by other visitors. The Goddard Study Center is open to all during gallery hours with a break from 12-1PM. Space is limited and face masks are required. If we are at capacity, we invite you to explore the galleries until space opens up. The Goddard Study Center is also open by appointment at other times.
December 11
Talk
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS DIRECTOR'S TOUR THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE2:30PM – 5PM
Every year, Spencer Museum Director Saralyn Reece Hardy spends an afternoon in the galleries welcoming visitors and leading informal tours to celebrate the holiday season. This year’s tour explores the promise of light and the potential for illumination—from physical properties to philosophical meanings—within the Museum’s newly reopened collection galleries. The tour is offered at 2:30PM and 4:00PM. Join us and make this Spencer Museum tradition your own.
Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art