Spencer Museum of Art

Events Calendar

All events are free and open to everyone unless otherwise noted. See individual listings for events that require registration.

August 19

Talk

Slow Art Sunday Haunted by the Ghosts of Our Own Making by Hollis Sigler

2PM – 3PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, 20/21 GALLERY, 405

Slow down at the Spencer and spend time getting to know one great work of art. Slow Art Sundays feature one work for visitors to contemplate and converse about with Museum staff. For August, get to know "Haunted by the Ghosts of Our Own Making" by Hollis Sigler.

August 20

Activity

Hawk Week Create Your Space

3:30PM – 5:30PM
DAISY HILL COMMONS, 1620 ENGEL RD

Whether you are moving into a new space in the residence halls or just readying yourself for new opportunities, you can find your place through art. KU students are invited to drop by and collect posters and postcards from the Spencer Museum of Art. There will also be KU trivia and prizes.

Sponsored By: Office of First-Year Experience, KU Housing, Spencer Student Advisory Board, Spencer Museum of Art

August 22

Activity

Hawk Week Tell Your Tale: Art Journals and Story Quilts

1PM – 4PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, SAM AND CONNIE PERKINS CENTRAL COURT, 317

Got a story to tell? Join the Spencer Museum of Art to create your very own story quilt, art journal, or both! Story quilts and art journals are great ways to share or create your personal story through cloth and decorative paper. Choose from Spencer Museum designs or create your own that are unique to you and your story. Drop in and stay to create, chat, and explore the galleries at your convenience. Materials are provided for both activities.

Sponsored By: Office of First-Year Experience, Spencer Student Advisory Board, Spencer Museum of Art

August 25

Activity

Art Cart Kansas Prairie Collage

1PM – 4PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, SAM AND CONNIE PERKINS CENTRAL COURT, 317

The Art Cart is a drop-in activity station where children and grown-ups enjoy hands-on art projects together, taking inspiration from original works of art on view. Explore photographs of Kansas farmland and create a multimedia collage of the Kansas Prairie. The Art Cart is supported by Midco.

August 26

Talk

Up Close Kansas Farmers

2PM – 3PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, SAM AND CONNIE PERKINS CENTRAL COURT, 317

Consider the contemporary realities of farm life, from water issues to the monotony of monocultures, through a discussion of the exhibition "Larry Schwarm: Kansas Farmers" led by Curator Kate Meyer. Up Close gallery talks reveal the personal stories behind exhibitions.

August 31

Talk

Red Hot Research Red Hot Research

4PM – 5PM
THE COMMONS, SPOONER HALL, 1340 JAYHAWK BLVD

Red Hot Research brings together scholars from different disciplines to deliver six-minute flash presentations about their research. Audience members are encouraged to connect with the speakers and one other during breaks.

Sponsored By: The Commons

September 07

Talk

Coffee and Conversation with Visiting Artist Larry Schwarm

2PM – 3PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, SAM AND CONNIE PERKINS CENTRAL COURT, 317

Students are invited to get to know visiting artist Larry Schwarm and the ideas and issues explored in his photographs in the exhibition "Kansas Farmers". Larry will share a brief introduction to his work, then students are invited to ask questions and shape the conversation, all while enjoying a bottomless cup of coffee together.

September 13

Talk

Senior Session Watching Water in Larry Schwarm: Kansas Farmers

10:15AM – 11:15AM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, SAM AND CONNIE PERKINS CENTRAL COURT, 317

Curator Kate Meyer discusses the role of water in Kansas farming as depicted in Larry Schwarm’s photographs in the exhibition "Kansas Farmers".

September 13

Social

Migratory Mixer

3PM – 5PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART AND NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, DYCHE HALL, 1345 JAYHAWK BLVD

KU students are invited to the Spencer Museum of Art and the KU Natural History Museum for this event offered in conjunction with the 2018 KU Common Book, Create Dangerously, by Edwidge Danticat. How are artists connected (or not) to a particular place? What are native and non-native species? Consider how artworks migrate across geographical and cultural spaces and take on new meanings, and how species migrate or even evade a place, perhaps changing its ecology. Explore these ideas across both museums and their global collections and enjoy free refreshments.

Sponsored By: Natural History Museum, Spencer Museum of Art

September 20

Performance

Against Memoir: Complaints, Confessions & Criticisms

6PM – 7:30PM
LAWRENCE ARTS CENTER, 940 NEW HAMPSHIRE ST

Reading from her recent book, Michelle Tea blurs the line between telling the stories of others and telling her own. She turns an investigative eye to the genre that’s nurtured her entire career—memoir—and considers the extent to which art preys on life. Tea is the author of several memoirs and poetry collections, and is the winner of a Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Fiction. This event is presented in conjunction with the Lawrence Free State Festival.

Sponsored By: The Commons, Raven Bookstore

September 21

Talk

Red Hot Research Activism

4PM – 5PM
LAWRENCE ARTS CENTER, 940 NEW HAMPSHIRE ST

Sponsored By: The Commons

September 22

Activity

Art Cart Wax Sculpture Headdress

1PM – 4PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, 20/21 GALLERY, 405

The Art Cart is a drop-in activity station where children and grown-ups enjoy hands-on art projects together, taking inspiration from original works of art on view. Create wax and wire headwear inspired by "Untitled #751 (Craig's Piece)" by Petah Coyne. The Art Cart is supported by Midco

September 23

Talk

Slow Art Sunday Monument Odessa

2PM – 3PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, JOHN AND LINDA STEWART GALLERY, 406

Slow down at the Spencer and spend time getting to know one great work of art. Slow Art Sundays feature one work for visitors to contemplate and converse about with Museum staff. In September, get to know "Monument Odessa" by Christian Boltanski.

September 26

Performance

Sounds of the Plains

6:30PM – 7:30PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, SAM AND CONNIE PERKINS CENTRAL COURT, 317

Vocal ensemble The Meadowlark Project presents a recital of new music exploring ideas of nature and climate and their impact on the human experience in the American Midwest. Set against the backdrop of Larry Schwarm's photographs in the exhibtion "Kansas Farmers", the evening includes art songs by Kansas composers Ben Justis, Bonnie McLarty, and Frank Nawrot with texts by Kansas poets Megan Kaminski, Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Elizabeth Schultz, and Wyatt Townley, and piano accompaniment by Alejandro Avila. The Meadowlark Project (tenors Neal Long and Brian Sussman, mezzo-soprano Mackenzie Phillips, and soprano Gretchen Pille) performs and facilitates the creation of contemporary vocal works. This recital is generously sponsored by Reach Out Kansas, Inc.

September 27

Talk

Senior Session Ancient Chinese Religion and History: The Wu Liang Shrine

10:15AM – 11:15AM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, JACK AND LAVON BROSSEAU CENTER FOR LEARNING, 318

Art historian Amy McNair discusses a collection of ink rubbings taken from a second-century stone mortuary shrine for a local official named Wu Liang. The shrine's relief carvings illustrate important deities such as the Queen Mother of the West and historical episodes including the attempted assassination of the King of Qin. Senior Sessions are designed for senior citizens but open to all.

September 30

Activity

Backyard Bash

1PM – 4PM
MARVIN GROVE, DIRECTLY BEHIND SPENCER MUSEUM, 1301 MISSISSIPPI

Kick back with your friends and neighbors in the biggest backyard on campus--historic Marvin Grove behind the Spencer Museum of Art--for an artful celebration of our surroundings. Enjoy the premiere of "Groove in the Grove", a hip-hop performance choreographed by Maya Tillman-Rayton and performed by dancers from KU and the Lawrence community, and "Chipko", a sculpture and sound installation by Judith G. Levy, Jason Zeh, and David Ross, both commissioned for "Art in the Grove", as well as art and nature activities, demonstrations, games, prizes, and fun for all ages. Check back for details.

October 05

Talk

Up Close Soundings

2PM – 3PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, LARRY AND BARBARA MARSHALL FAMILY BALCONY, 404

Consider the depths and strengths of the Spencer Museum’s American art collections with guest curator Charles C. Eldredge, KU’s Hall Family Foundation Distinguished Professor emeritus and former Spencer Museum Director. Up Close gallery talks reveal the personal stories behind exhibitions.

October 05

Talk

Red Hot Graduate Research Graduate Edition

4PM – 5PM
THE COMMONS, SPOONER HALL, 1340 JAYHAWK BLVD

Red Hot Graduate Research brings together graduate students from different disciplines to deliver six-minute flash presentations about their research. Audience members are encouraged to connect with the speakers and one other during breaks.

Sponsored By: The Commons

October 07

Talk

Up Close Art in the Grove

2PM – 3PM
MARVIN GROVE, DIRECTLY BEHIND SPENCER MUSEUM, 1301 MISSISSIPPI

Gain insights into the inaugural installation of "Art in the Grove" with Museum Director Saralyn Reece Hardy and the artists behind a series of new works nestled within historic Marvin Grove. Judith G. Levy, Jason Zeh, and David Ross’s "Chipko" is a sculpture and sound installation of benches encircling trees. Choreographer Maya Tillman-Rayton’s "Groove in the Grove" is a hip-hop performance rooted in the wooded landscape. Up Close talks reveal the personal stories behind exhibitions and projects.

October 10

Performance

Morgan Parker & Tommy Pico

7PM – 8:30PM
LIBERTY HALL, 644 MASSACHUSETTS ST

Writers Morgan Parker and Tommy Pico present a reading in two acts from their new books. Parker and Pico co-curate the Poets With Attitude (PWA) reading series. Parker is the author of There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé (2017) and Other People’s Comfort Keeps Me Up At Night (2015). She is the recipient of a 2017 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship, winner of a 2016 Pushcart Prize, and a Cave Canem graduate fellow. Pico is founder and editor of birdsong, an antiracist/queer-positive collective, small press, and zine that publishes art and writing. He is the author of absentMINDR (2014), IRL (2016), Nature Poem (2017), and Junk (2018). Reserve free tickets at www.thecommons.ku.edu.

Sponsored By: The Commons, Raven Bookstore

October 11

Talk

Senior Session Seeing Soundings

10:15AM – 11:15AM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, LARRY AND BARBARA MARSHALL FAMILY BALCONY, 404

Join Samantha Lyons, PhD candidate in art history, for a closer look at the artists and artworks in Soundings, an exhibition curated by Hall Family Foundation Distinguished Professor emeritus and former director of the Spencer Museum Dr. Charles Eldredge. Learn more about the Spencer's deep holdings of American art through a surprising selection of objects unearthed from storage. Senior Sessions are designed for senior citizens but open to all.

October 13

Activity

Art Cart Migration Washi Tape Collage

1PM – 4PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, DOLPH SIMONS FAMILY GALLERY, 316

The Art Cart is a drop-in activity station where children and grown-ups enjoy hands-on art projects together, taking inspiration from original works of art on view. Learn about Haitian history and migration and create a washi tape collage with staff members from the Spencer and KU’s Natural History Museum. The Art Cart is supported by Midco.

October 17

Talk

Art as Social History: Ulrick Jean-Pierre in conversation with co-curators Cécile Accilien and Casey Mesick Braun

10:30AM – 12PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, DOLPH SIMONS FAMILY GALLERY, 316

New Orleans–based Haitian artist Ulrick Jean-Pierre is joined by co-curators of The Ties that Bind, Cassandra Mesick Braun and Cécile Accilien, for a discussion that addresses artmaking as social history. This discussion is presented in conjunction with the Integrated Arts Research Initiative (IARI) Social Histories series. Ulrick Jean-Pierre is the fall 2018 IARI Creative Specialist.

October 17

Performance

Buffalo Boy

2PM – 3:30PM
HASKELL INDIAN NATIONS UNIVERSITY, ROSS HALL, ROOM 137, 155 E INDIAN AVE, LAWRENCE, KS

Adrian Stimson, a member of the Siksika (Blackfoot) Nation and an interdisciplinary artist, examines identity construction, specifically the hybridization of the Indian, the cowboy, the shaman, and Two Spirit being. Stimson’s visit is organized in conjunction with the Integrated Arts Research Initiative (IARI) Social Histories series.

Sponsored By: Haskell Indian Nations University, Spencer Museum of Art

October 18

Performance

Queer Social Histories and the Wartime Incarceration of Japanese Americans

10:30AM – 12:30PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, JACK AND LAVON BROSSEAU CENTER FOR LEARNING, 318

Join us for a discussion on hybrid notions of social history. Participants include visiting artists and scholars Ulrick Jean-Pierre, Adrian Stimson, and Tina Takemoto, as well as Museum staff and KU scholars. Presented in conjunction with the Integrated Arts Research Initiative (IARI) Social Histories series.

October 18

Talk

The Work of Social History

1:30PM – 3:30PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, RECEPTION ROOM, 307

Join us for an open discussion on hybrid notions of social history. Participants include visiting artists and scholars Ulrick Jean-Pierre, Adrian Stimson, and Tina Takemoto, as well as Museum staff and KU scholars. Presented in conjunction with the Integrated Arts Research Initiative (IARI) Social Histories series.

October 18

Talk

Krik? Krak! Art, History, Politics & Creativity: A Conversation with Ulrick Jean-Pierre & Krista Thompson

5:30PM – 8PM
309 AUDITORIUM

Join painter Ulrick Jean-Pierre and art historian Krista Thompson for a lively dialogue to open the Unexpected Caribbean symposium. Reception immediately following. For details on the symposium and to register, visit ucs.ku.edu or email haitianstudies@ku.edu. Jean-Pierre’s visit is organized through the Integrated Arts Research Initative.

Sponsored By: Association of Caribbean Women Writers and Scholars, KU Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Institute of Haitian Studies, Kress Foundation Department of Art History, Spencer Museum of Art

October 21

Talk

Slow Art Sunday Asefi (enough daughters)

2PM – 3PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, DOLPH SIMONS FAMILY GALLERY, 316

Slow down at the Spencer and spend time getting to know one great work of art. Slow Art Sundays feature one work for visitors to contemplate and converse about with Museum staff. In October, get to know "Asefi (enough daughters)" by Bernard Séjourné.

October 23

Talk

Haiti, New Orleans, and the Ties that Bind

12PM – 1PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, ESTELLE S. AND ROBERT A. LONG ELLIS FOUNDATION GALLERY, 315, SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, DOLPH SIMONS FAMILY GALLERY, 316

Join artist Ulrick Jean-Pierre for a discussion of his work in the exhibition "The Ties that Bind" and how his identity as a Haitian immigrant shapes his artistic practice.

Sponsored By: KU Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Department of African and African of American Studies, Hall Center for the Humanities, Institute for Haitian Studies, Kress Foundation Department of Art History, Spencer Museum of Art

October 23

Talk

Rena Detrixhe: Red Dirt Rug

7PM – 8PM
THE COMMONS, SPOONER HALL, 1340 JAYHAWK BLVD

Oklahoma-based artist and KU alumna Rena Detrixhe speaks about her installation "Red Dirt Rug" made from red Oklahoma soil imprinted with patterns from modified shoe soles. The public is invited to observe Detrixhe create the installation on site beginning October 17. Visit www.thecommons.ku.edu for viewing times.

Sponsored By: The Commons, Department of Visual Art

October 25

Talk

Senior Session Women as Liberty and Women as Leaders in Haitian Art

10:15AM – 11AM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, DOLPH SIMONS FAMILY GALLERY, 316, SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, ESTELLE S. AND ROBERT A. LONG ELLIS FOUNDATION GALLERY, 315

Join Curator Cassandra Mesick Braun for an exploration of the role that women have played in shaping the history, culture, religion, and everyday life in Haiti. Senior Sessions are designed for senior citizens but open to all.

October 26

Talk

Red Hot Research Red Hot Research

4PM – 5:30PM
THE COMMONS, SPOONER HALL, 1340 JAYHAWK BLVD

Sponsored By: The Commons

October 28

Talk

Up Close The Ties that Bind

2PM – 3PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART

Delve into the ideas behind the exhibition "The Ties that Bind: Haiti, the United States, and the Art of Ulrick Jean-Pierre in Comparitive Perspective" with co-curators Cassandra Mesick Braun and Cécile Accilien. Accilien served as the fall 2017 Integrated Arts Research Initiative faculty research fellow.

November 08

Talk

Senior Session Between Faith and Function: A 16th-Century Maiolica Pilgrim Bottle

10:15AM – 11:15AM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, JACK AND LAVON BROSSEAU CENTER FOR LEARNING, 318

What, exactly, is a pilgrim bottle? Ashley Offill, PhD candidate in art history, discusses the Museum's 16th-century pilgrim bottle created by Orazio Fontana and explores the history of pilgrim bottles in the West and their reinterpretation as decorative domestic objects during the Renaissance. Senior Sessions are designed for senior citizens but open to all.

November 08

Talk

Franklin D. Murphy Distinguished Alumni Lecture: The Yellow Brick Road to The Met: Reflections on Kansas, Art History, Then, and Now

5:15PM – 6:15PM
309 AUDITORIUM

Dr. Randall Griffey reflects on his tenure at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, key professional turning points that paved the way, and the roles of KU and Kansas on his journey. This keynote lecture opens the symposium "Homecoming: Five Decades of American Art Studies at KU", organized in celebration of KU’s graduate program in American art history and honoring the career of Dr. Charles C. Eldredge, Hall Distinguished Professor Emeritus of American Art and Culture.

Sponsored By: Kress Foundation Department of Art History, Spencer Museum of Art

November 09

Activity

Art Cart At Large Discovery Day: North & South Poles

10AM – 12PM
THE PANORAMA, NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, DYCHE HALL, 1345 JAYHAWK BLVD

Join Spencer staff for an Art Cart at Large at KU Natural History Museum’s Discovery Day.

Sponsored By: Natural History Museum, Spencer Museum of Art

November 09

Talk

Red Hot Graduate Research Graduate Edition

4PM – 5:30PM
THE COMMONS, SPOONER HALL, 1340 JAYHAWK BLVD

Sponsored By: The Commons

November 09

Talk

Charles Eldredge: Action Figure on the Potomac

5:15PM – 6:15PM
KANSAS UNION, ALDERSON AUDITORIUM, 1301 JAYHAWK BLVD

This keynote lecture by Dr. Elizabeth C. Broun, director emerita of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM), focuses on Eldredge’s transformative leadership of that institution. Broun earned her PhD in art history at KU under Eldredge’s direction and succeeded him as director of the SAAM. Reception immediately following.

Sponsored By: Kress Foundation Department of Art History, Spencer Museum of Art

November 10

Talk

Homecoming: Five Decades of American Art Studies at the University of Kansas, Sessions II-V

8:30AM – 5PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, ROOM 211

More than 20 KU PhD alumni present their research at this symposium celebrating KU’s graduate program in American art history and honoring the career of Dr. Charles C. Eldredge, Hall Distinguished Professor Emeritus of American Art and Culture. Lunch will be provided for all symposium attendees. For details and to register for Saturday’s sessions, visit http://arthistory.ku.edu/. Co-sponsored by the Kress Foundation Department of Art History

Sponsored By: Kress Foundation Department of Art History

November 16

Talk

Red Hot Research Red Hot Research

4PM – 5:30PM
THE COMMONS, SPOONER HALL, 1340 JAYHAWK BLVD

Sponsored By: The Commons

November 17

Activity

Art Cart Playful Clay Sarcophagus

1PM – 4PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, LARRY AND BARBARA MARSHALL FAMILY BALCONY, 404

The Art Cart is a drop-in activity station where children and grown-ups enjoy hands-on art projects together, taking inspiration from original works of art on view. Explore the idea of ritual and create a clay sarcophagus for something you love. The Art Cart is supported by Midco.

November 18

Talk

Slow Art Sunday A Shipwreck

2PM – 3PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, LESTER "DUSTY" LOO GALLERY, 401

Slow down at the Spencer and spend time getting to know one great work of art. Slow Art Sunday features one work for visitors to contemplate and converse about with Museum staff. In November, get to know "A Shipwreck" by Philip James de Loutherbourg.

December 01

Activity

Tails and Traditions Family Festival

10AM – 2PM
WATKINS MUSEUM OF HISTORY, 1047 MASSACHUSETTS ST

Visit the Watkins Museum to create and celebrate holiday traditions with your family at this free annual event. The Spencer Museum will be on hand to lead a special art activity.

December 13

Talk

Senior Session A Precious Historical Jewelry Collection

10:15AM – 11:15AM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, LESTER "DUSTY" LOO GALLERY, 401

Curator Susan Earle discusses a sparkling new installation featuring Faberge jewelry, pill boxes, picture frames, miniature pendant eggs crafted in Russia, European cut steel necklaces, and Gothic revival bracelets. Senior Sessions are designed for senior citizens but open to all.

December 16

Talk

Slow Art Sunday Medicine Buddha

2PM – 3PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART, JOHN AND LINDA STEWART GALLERY, 406

Slow down at the Spencer and spend time getting to know one great work of art. Slow Art Sunday features one work for visitors to contemplate and converse about with Museum staff. In December, get to know the "Medicine Buddha" from China.

December 30

Talk

Director's Tour Gifts to KU, Gifts to You

1PM – 3:30PM
SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART

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 features works of art that have come as gifts to the Museum. Focusing on the motivations for gifting and their continued impact on creativity and education at KU, conversations will include the ways that gifts continue to contribute to what makes our university art museum a treasure for all. Tours take place from 1:00-2:00PM and 2:30-3:30PM and free refreshments are available before and after each tour. Join us and make this Spencer Museum tradition your own.