Monday, August 24, 2009
Vote Online!
VOTE ONLINE
WHO: Anyone and everyone
WHAT: Cast your vote to the Visitor’s Choice Awards
WHERE: www.visitkc.com
WHEN: Anytime before August 31
WHY: Because the museum benefits students and the University (that means you!)
The Spencer Museum of Art is flourishing because of the support of students and donors, despite budget cuts being made by the University. The Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association has chosen the museum to compete for the Visitor’s Choice Award. The University community should rally to support this recognition.
In trying economic times, funding for university museums can be among the first to go. Such is true with the University of Wyoming. A press release stated that because of budget cuts, the University of Wyoming Geological Museum was closed to the public from June 30 to Aug. 24.
This is just one example of museum closings throughout the country. Fortunately, it is not the case for the Spencer Museum.
Susan Earle, curator for European and American Art, said, “We are continuing to thrive because we try to make do with less. We seek donors and grants.”
Similarly, staff recognize that funding is not the only factor that goes into running a successful museum.
“We measure success in the quality of experience. A lot of that we can still deliver given constraints,” said Steve Goddard, senior Curator of Prints and Drawings.
According to a media release available at spencerart.ku.edu, the museum recently received several grants including $50,000 from the William T. Kemper Foundation, $21,500 from The Andy Warhol Foundation, and $12,900 from the Shumaker Family Foundation. Each of these grants will be used to enhance programs or exhibits.
These donor grants, skillfully used by museum staff and the support of students, have helped the museum become recognized as one of the top tourist attractions in the Kansas City area.
“It is really important to us students feel this is a vital place,” Earle said.
Saralyn Reece Hardy, director, agrees that students are the heartbeat of the museum.
“Student involvement has invigorated it,” Hardy said. “There is an attitude of experimentation. You can come in one day and see one thing, the next day there might be something different.”
All of this shows why this museum is deserving of the Visitor’s Choice Award. The museum will compete against four other museums in the area — the Dolphin Gallery, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.
“We are up against tough competition,” Earle said. “It’s extremely gratifying that the Spencer Museum would make it to the top rounds.”
Voting is just one of many ways that students can get involved. Other such activities are participating in the Student Advisory Board, which connects students to staff. Also, students can follow the museum on Facebook, Twitter and receive e-mails about weekly events.
“I think it would be wonderful if there was a surge or support from the student body,” Hardy said.
Voting takes place online at visitkc.com. Click on Discover Kansas City, and then Visitor’s Choice Awards. Voting ends Aug. 31 so cast your vote of support for a museum that continues to benefit the University.
— — Kara Walker for The Kansan Editorial Board
KU museum up for top tourist recognition
Spencer Museum of Art competes to be a top tourist destination on ...
Spencer Museum receives $200,000 donation
Anschutz Foundation gift to count as funds toward $1 million challenge grant.
Students use Spencer library and museum to ...
Spencer Research Library has more than a million photos available for academic ...
Who's Who
Who's who on campus
Grant will allow Spencer Museum of Art ...
The $1.2 million grant puts the University in a league with schools ...
Spencer plans for growth
The museum will pay $40,000 to create a plan for future expansion.
Art grant to promote national visibility
Rocket Grant provides opportunities for an out-of-the-ordinary art exhibition.
Natural History Museum combines art and science
The gallery will focus on topics that will change every six months.
Museum offers student night
Dreamy designs draw viewers art museum
“Dreams and Portals” exhibit a colorful, fantastical display of paintings.
Spencer Art Museum hosts student night
The Spencer Student Advisory Board holds events like student night to attract ...
Campus museums getting creative
Budget cuts at KU mean finding new ways to show off holdings.
Campus museums reduce hours
The Spencer Museum of Art and the Natural History Museum are working ...
Get some Culture: Glorious to View Project
It's not all about fast food and beer pong.
Know art through your cell phone
Spencer Museum program allows students to learn about outdoor campus sculptures via ...
Renowned performance artist spends a day at ...
Ernesto Pujol aimed to personify "the human gaze."
‘Green’ Jayhawks receive accolades
Sustainability Leadership Awards recognize individuals who promote environmentally friendly habits.
Editorial: The arts are good for Kansans ...
New executive order eliminating the Kansan Arts Commission makes Kansas the only ...
University receives more than $245,000 in grants
Grants given to Spencer Museum of Art and KU Libraries
University needs to better support museum, student ...
Class designs posters for advocacy exhibit
Students create posters for advocacy groups such as Sierra Club to coincide ...
Exhibit displays areas of African culture
The Spencer Museum of Art hosts an exhibit showcasing African health and ...
KU Museum held oldest fossilized brain
French researchers use particle accelerator to analyze fossil of fish.
KU art has hidden history
"An Ear for Art" allows students to use their cell phones to ...
The Spencer Museum of Art to display ...
Spencer showcase examines photography in the digital ...
Interactive exhibition allows visitors to be a photo editor for the day.
Professors receive awards for excellence
Committee to hand out over $100,000 in awards to University Faculty.
Get some culture: student art show
It’s not all about fast food and beer pong.
Art exhibition showcases students’ work
The five top submissions of the Juried Art Show received 200 dollars ...
Reframing the worlds of art and science
Collaborations encourage students to garner new ways of learning these seemingly separate ...
Secretive online group causes mischief
“Anonymous” user tampers with Kansan.com poll.
Fellowship awarded to KU professors
A $7,500 Kemper Fellowship is awarded to outstanding faculty.
Spencer Museum event encourages student voice
Students make posters and write messages on chalkboards in the museum.
Spencer Museum of Art invites activism
The museum will host an event that demonstrates protest strategies and encourages ...
Library exhibit spotlights climate issue
The first KU Libraries exhibit will incorporate an interdisciplinary approach to the ...
Artful education
Museum curator, art consultant and professor common career paths for art history ...
KU Endowment donors give to schools of ...
Many University of Kansas alumni donate to the KU Endowment Association and ...
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID