Spencer Museum of Art
Position Overview
With Arts Research Integration
(ARI), the Spencer Museum of Art (SMA) at the University of Kansas (KU) has established an active hub for collaborative, integrated arts
research and a unique model for the academic art museum as a generative research partner. Using curatorial and artistic practice to develop
shared questions and new theories, ARI connects the museum, artists, and advanced researchers in the sciences and humanities to promote
interdisciplinary practices, generate effective dialogues about subjects that directly impact daily life, and involve the public in ideas
and art. The ARI program recognizes that the creation of art is a research methodology in its own right, and one that is critical to the
future of research in an academic environment. Research generated by the ARI program fosters reciprocal exchange and the production of
knowledge driven by scholars from multiple disciplines. By working beyond the confines of any one particular discipline, curators, artists,
and scholars, can practice fluency and criticality in the context of their own subjects. Major recent ARI projects include the
interdisciplinary inquiry Collective Entanglements that
used mathematical analytical tools to explore questions in physics and the composition of video installation, and here-ing, an environmentally embedded
artwork by Janine Antoni commissioned by ARI in collaboration with the KU Field Station and School of Architecture and Design. Launched with
support from the Mellon Foundation (2016-2024), ARI is now sustained by a funded and growing Spencer Museum
endowment.
Curator for Research Position:
The Curator for Research is central to building on, maintaining, and
advancing a sustainable interdisciplinary arts research infrastructure that harnesses curatorial strengths and the possibilities of a
vibrant campus art museum embedded in a division one research university. As a driver of innovative creative projects and serving as a
research collaborator and facilitator, the Curator initiates, guides, and supports ARI activities, negotiates relationships across
departments and disciplines, fosters long-term partnerships, and disseminates research concepts and findings through a variety of formats.
With specialized knowledge extending beyond the visual arts, the Curator for Research activates the Spencer Museum’s collection and develops
exhibitions and other platforms to engage campus and broader communities with ARI projects.
Working within a team environment, this
position promotes dialogue and collaboration within and beyond the Spencer Museum, serving as an important public intellectual voice in the
fields of the arts, humanities, sciences, and technology. Curiosity, active listening, and an openness for learning and new ideas are
critical qualities for this position and the various forms of relationship building. As part of the Spencer Museum’s curatorial team, the
Curator for Research plays a central role in imagining, articulating, and implementing the scholarly and creative vision to present the
collection as a living archive that motivates interdisciplinary research, creative work, and transformative public dialogue. Holding a PhD
or other terminal degree, the Curator brings experience in interdisciplinary research and collaboration that integrates the arts. This
position is open rank and we strongly invite applications from candidates at the assistant, associate and senior curator levels.
Job Description
Spencer Museum of Art and University of Kansas:
The Spencer Museum of Art’s
vision is to stimulate creative thinking and spark new ideas through transformative art experiences. Interdisciplinary exploration at the
intersection of art, ideas, and experience is central to the mission. With stewardship of a collection comprising more than 48,000 works of
art created across a wide range of time periods, geographic locations, and cultural affiliations, the Spencer Museum strengthens, supports
and contributes to the academic research and teaching of the University of Kansas and is committed to serving communities of learners across
Kansas and beyond.
The University of Kansas is located in the city of Lawrence, a thriving community 40 minutes from the Kansas City
metropolitan area and 30 minutes from the state capital, Topeka. Lawrence is a progressive college town of 95,000, boasts a lively downtown
with many cultural venues, award-winning restaurants, and a nationally celebrated independent bookstore among its many independently owned
small businesses. Founded in 1865, KU is a designated Carnegie comprehensive doctoral and research university and is one of only 38 public
members of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). The University enrolls more than 30,000 students representing all 50
states and 112 countries.
Culture and Community
KU’s excellence is a result of the rich tapestry of experiences,
perspectives, and backgrounds of our faculty, staff, students, and colleagues from across our nation and the globe. At KU, we invest in
continuous learning and growth by creating a climate where people engage in respectful dialogue and debate and support each other’s success.
We foster a culture of care where each person is seen, heard and valued. When people feel a true sense of belonging, we believe they are
better able to reach their full potential and achieve remarkable things. The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the U.S. by
the effective date of the appointment.
Position Duties:
75% – Professional Performance and Research
- Lead,
envision, orchestrate, and nurture ARI programs, such as inquiries, research convenings, and exhibitions, among other collaborative
interdisciplinary projects that activate the Museum as a vital research partner and center for scholarly, creative
endeavors. - Cultivate research partners to identify, apply, and integrate diverse methodologies.
- Develop strategies to
advance, support, and sustain collaborative and interdisciplinary research efforts across the museum and with academic staff
colleagues. - Foster a vibrant community of artists and scholars in support of the Museum’s mission to encourage interdisciplinary
exploration at the intersection of art, ideas, and experience. - Advocate for artistic research priorities.
- Actively maintain
an awareness of and contribute to scholarship on interdisciplinary collaborative initiatives across the arts, humanities, and
sciences. - Conduct collection research, including acquisition research and proposals relating to ARI projects.
- Present
ongoing research at scholarly conferences or other venues as appropriate in addition to publications in various formats. - Contribute
to digital projects, with special attention to ARI web presence to increase global reach. - Select, organize, and guide ARI faculty
and undergraduate research fellows, visiting artists, and external scholars. - Initiate, collaborate on, and contribute to ARI-related
grant proposals and funded project management. - Participate in efforts to establish and build donor relations and contribute to or
support other fund-raising activities. - Oversee evaluation and assessment of ARI.
- Prepare annual budget for
ARI.
10% – Teaching, Mentorship and Supervision
- Supervise and mentor ARI graduate fellow
- Mentor
undergraduate and graduate students, including serving on thesis committees, as appropriate. - Teach occasional undergraduate or
graduate courses as appropriate.
10% – Professional Service
- Contribute to major initiatives across the
museum and campus, with regional and state partners, and within the museum profession at large. - Sustain and expand scholarly and
professional collaborations across the University, the state of Kansas, and with national and international colleagues. - Serve on
University and professional committees. - Represent the Museum at scholarly, professional, campus, public, and cultivation
events. - Establish and maintain active professional affiliations regionally, nationally, and internationally.
5% –
Other Duties as Assigned
- Participate in all staff and curatorial meetings and other committee meetings as
appropriate. - Participate in Spencer Museum- and KU-wide trainings.
- Assist and participate in other activities as they arise
and in concert with supervisor.
Required Qualifications
Assistant Curator Level:
- PhD
or terminal degree. - Three or more years of relevant arts and/or museum experiences, including demonstrated experience with
interdisciplinary research across the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences. - Demonstrated record of professional
performance and accomplishment that indicates potential to advance the goals of the Spencer Museum of Art, the University of Kansas, and the
art museum profession. - Demonstrated record of research (scholarship and/or creative and innovative work), such as completed
dissertation, peer-reviewed publications, projects or performances, and/or contributions to exhibitions and exhibition
publications. - Demonstrated service to an institution; to the discipline or profession; and/or to the local, state, regional,
national, or international communities. - Record of working collaboratively and creatively on teams, including job history
demonstrating experience working openly and effectively with partners such as artists, scholars, students and/or the
public.
Associate Curator Level
- PhD or terminal degree.
- Eight or more years of relevant arts,
collections and/or museum experiences, including demonstrated experience with interdisciplinary research across the arts, humanities,
sciences and social sciences. - Demonstrated record of effective museum practice as reflected in such factors as command of relevant
position responsibilities, the ability to communicate effectively, and other accomplishments indicating commitment to the mission of the
SMA, KU, and the profession or area of specialization in a related field. - Quality and quantity of research (scholarship and/or
creative and innovative work) demonstrating a successfully developing career as reflected in such factors as collaborative interdisciplinary
projects, advancement with artistic research, longitudinal research projects with results that drive art and scholarship, and/or critically
reflective and creative engagement with museum practices. - Demonstrated pattern of service to an institution at one or more levels;
to the discipline or profession; and/or to the local, state, regional, national, or international communities. - Record of working
collaboratively and creatively on teams, including a job history demonstrating experience working openly and effectively with partners such
as artists, scholars, students and/or the public.
Preferred Qualifications
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
CONTINUED:
Senior Curator Level:
- PhD or terminal degree.
- Twelve or more years of relevant arts, collections
and/or museum experiences, including demonstrated experience with interdisciplinary research across the arts, humanities, sciences and
social sciences as well as demonstrated leadership and supervision. - Demonstrated record of distinguished professional performance in
a successfully developing career, with evidence of sustained productivity, continued effectiveness and growth as a professional as reflected
in such factors as a deepened and creative engagement with museum practice and professional skills, a measure of national and/or
international recognition, and other accomplishments indicating commitment to the mission of the SMA, KU, and the profession or area of
specialization in a related field. - Quality and quantity of research (scholarship and/or creative and innovative work) demonstrating
a successfully developing career at a senior level as reflected in such factors as a substantial and ongoing pattern of collaborative
interdisciplinary projects, advancement with artistic research, longitudinal research projects with results that drive art and scholarship,
and/or critically reflective and creative engagement with museum practices. - Demonstrated ongoing pattern of service reflecting
substantial contributions to an institution; to the discipline or profession; and/or to the local, state, regional, national, or
international communities that reflect strong partner relationships with organizations and significant civic engagement with various
communities. - Record of working collaboratively and creatively on teams, including a job history demonstrating experience working
openly and effectively with partners such as artists, scholars, students and/or the public.
This position requires a formal
degree in the cited discipline area(s) to ensure that candidates have the foundational knowledge and skill set required to perform the
duties of the position. The level of degree is based on accreditation requirements, institutional standards of academic and professional
excellence, alignment with peer institution benchmarks, and contributes to the credibility and effectiveness of the role within the
university community.
Contact Information to Applicants
Celka Straughn, Deputy Director for Public
Practice and Curatorial
[email protected]
(785) 864-6796
Additional Candidate Instruction
For
complete information and to apply online go to https://employment.ku.edu/academic/32033BR. A complete application packet will include
the following items:
- Cover letter addressing how you meet the required qualifications;
- Curriculum vitae;
- Statement
of research interests and future directions (approximately 500-1000 words); - Sample of written work (no longer than 5,000 words) or
other scholarly product; and - Names, email and contact information for three professional references (including at least one previous
or current supervisor).
Review of applications will begin March 16, 2026 and will continue until a pool of qualified
candidates has been collected.
Application Review Begins: 16-Mar-2026
Anticipated
Start Date: 01-Jul-2026
Position Number: 01198554
Primary Campus
University of Kansas Lawrence Campus
FTE: 1.0
Reg/Temp: Regular
Advertised Salary Range: $64,000-$90,000 dependent on level & relevant experience
Employee
Class: A-Unclassified Academic Staff
Disclaimer
The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination
on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation,
marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university’s programs and activities.
Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the
nondiscrimination policies and is the Title IX coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil
Rights and Title IX, [email protected], Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside
Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY.
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