Curator Research

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 ), ARI is now sustained by a funded and growing Spencer Museum endowment.

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.

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…