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.

September 28

Talk

FRANKLIN D. MURPHY LECTURE SERIES ENDLEAVES TO EPUBS: ADVENTURE OF AN ART BOOK EDITOR

5:30PM – 6:30PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Rm 211, 1301 Mississippi St

KU art history alumna and 2023 Franklin D. Murphy Distinguished Alumni Lecturer Patricia Fidler presents an overview of her career in art book publishing, from her initial experiences at the Spencer Museum of Art to her current role at Yale University Press.

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

September 30

Talk

SHOSO-IN IMPERIAL TREASURES AND THEIR REPLICAS

1PM – 2PM
Kansas Union, Mallott Room, 1301 Jayhawk Blvd

Yukio Lippit (Harvard University) highlights techniques being used in Japan to create replicas from the Shoso-in, an imperial treasury in Nara, Japan, that houses over 9,000 objects and ancient documents dating to the eighth century or earlier. A reception follows at the Spencer Museum of Art. This program is made possible through support from the National Association of Japan-America Societies, Kyoto Bunka Kyokai and the United States-Japan Foundation (USJF).

Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art, Kress Foundation Department of Art History, Center for East Asian Studies, Heart of America Japan-America Society

October 03

Talk

TO GROW AN ARTWORK

5:30PM – 7PM
Kansas Union, Mallott Room, 1301 Jayhawk Blvd

Artist Janine Antoni and Professor of the Arts Carol Becker (Columbia University) discuss the creation of "here-ing" and its significance to cultural and environmental dialogues.

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

October 05

Talk

COMMUNING WITH THE LAND: HOW THE ARTS, ECOLOGY, AND ARCHITECTURE MEET ALONG THE PATH

6PM – 7PM
Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop, 804 Massachusetts St.

Learn more about the process of creating "here-ing," with the artist and presenters Melinda Adams (KU Geography & Atmospheric Science and Indigenous Studies), Joey Orr (Spencer Museum of Art), Sheena Parsons (KU Field Station), and Keith Van de Riet (KU School of Architecture & Design).

Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art

October 26

Talk

SENIOR SESSION MIGRATION, LATINIDAD, AND VISUAL HISTORIES THROUGH THE MEXICAN AND MEXICAN-AMERICAN LENS

3:15PM – 4PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Brosseau Learning Center

KU Professor of American Studies Araceli Masterson-Algar showcases a selection of works that speak to U.S. history from Mexican and Mexican-American experiences. The talk will discuss the themes, motifs, and stories we can access through these works and how they invite viewers to consider the experiences of underrepresented populations.

Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art

October 26

Talk

FRANKLIN D. MURPHY LECTURE SERIES UNSTABLE BOUNDARIES: NATURE AND INDUSTRY IN ANNA ATKIN'S CYANOTYPES

5:30PM – 6:30PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Rm 211, 1301 Mississippi St

Anna Atkins’s cyanotypes, or blueprint photography, featuring algae and ferns do not disclose much about the social and political upheavals of the mid-19th century. In this talk, Siobhan Angus (Carleton University) shows how the materiality of Atkins’s work reflects industrial growth, linking cotton, paper mills, the railway, and plantation slavery.

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

November 02

Talk

AILEEN SMITH ON THE ART AND LIFE OF W. EUGENE SMITH

6PM – 7:30PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 409 Lee Study Center

Photojournalist Aileen Smith speaks about the life and career of her spouse and partner, photographer W. Eugene Smith. Her discussion will cover Eugene’s retrospective exhibition “Let the Truth Be the Prejudice” and his last photo essay on Minamata disease. Seating is limited. Register for a free ticket online: https://kusurvey.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8ic2sxulJZoy7eS

Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art, Center for East Asian Studies

November 09

Talk

SENIOR SESSION "BLACK WRITING"

10:15AM – 11AM
Spencer Museum of Art, 317 Perkins Central Court

Spencer Curator for Research Joey Orr discusses the special exhibition "Black Writing", which explores the power, politics, and complexities of language in contemporary Black culture. The exhibition is a collaboration with the KU research center History of Black Writing.

Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art

November 30

Talk

ARTIST TALK: FAHAMU PECOU ON CREATING "OYA'S DREAM"

4PM – 5PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 317 Perkins Central Court

Join artist Fahamu Pecou as he discusses his painting “Parable of the Sower: Oya’s Dream,” this year’s KU Common Work of Art. Commissioned by the Spencer Museum, the work symbolizes the new beginnings that emerge when one embraces the inevitability of change.

Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art, History of Black Writing, Department of English, KU Common Book Program

December 07

Talk

"READING THE WORLD" ARTIST CONVERSATION

5:30PM – 6:30PM
Spencer Museum of Art, 404 Marshall Balcony

Kansas-based artists Lisa Grossman, Lilly McElroy, Marie McInerney, and Erin Wiersma discuss their work in the exhibition “Reading the World” with Spencer Curator for Research Joey Orr.

Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art

December 14

Talk

SENIOR SESSION RHYTHM AND BRUSHSTROKES: MUSIC AND ART

10:15AM – 11AM
Spencer Museum of Art, 405 Michaelis Gallery

Spencer intern and PhD candidate in musicology Sara McClure explores the intersections between visual art and music. We'll examine several music-related works on display and hear musicians perform a piece inspired by art.

Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art

December 21

Talk

DIRECTOR’S WINTER SOLSTICE TOUR

2PM – 3PM

Join Spencer Museum Director Saralyn Reece Hardy for a tour and discussion of darkness, light, and winter/time. We’ll savor this shortest day of the year in the company of art and community. The tour is offered at 2:00PM and 4:00PM.

Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art

December 21

Talk

DIRECTOR’S WINTER SOLSTICE TOUR

4PM – 5PM

Join Spencer Museum Director Saralyn Reece Hardy for a tour and discussion of darkness, light, and winter/time. We’ll savor this shortest day of the year in the company of art and community. The tour is offered at 2:00PM and 4:00PM.

Sponsored By: Spencer Museum of Art