Curator bolsters arts in interdisciplinary research
Kate Meyer | Curator of Works on Paper | Spencer Museum of Art
Works of art deepen our understanding of the world, but researchers with little art experience often don’t know how to incorporate art into their studies without guidance. Kate Meyer, curator of works on paper at the Spencer Museum of Art, bridges this gap.
Meyer began her time at the Spencer Museum as a graduate curatorial assistant in 2004. She was promoted to assistant curator of works on paper in 2012 and again to associate curator. Since 2019, Meyer has served as the senior curator for this collection.
“Kate manages an incredible array of activities that range from behind-the-scenes to many public-facing programs. To all of these she brings great thought, intentionality, good energy, and much creativity,” said Celka Straughn, deputy director for public practice and curatorial at the Spencer Museum.
Meyer recently helped Margaret Kelley, professor of American studies, use art in her expanding research practice. Kelley earned a Keeler Family Intra-University Professorship, which provides KU faculty with one semester free of departmental responsibilities to allow that faculty member to engage in substantive work in another discipline. During spring 2024, Meyer pulled works from the Spencer Museum’s collection for Kelley to examine.
“Her deep knowledge and enthusiasm made each visit feel like a masterclass in art history. She introduced me to new ways of seeing and thinking — about art, about scholarship, and about the themes at the heart of my own research,” Kelley said. “My students continue to speak enthusiastically about their experiences at the Spencer and their time with Kate. She is patient, generous and visionary. Her behind-the-scenes work is transformative and brings art to life for the KU community.”
Another example of Meyer’s work connecting art to research involved a 2010 National Science Foundation-funded project examining how farmers make decisions about which crops to grow and whether those decisions are affected by climate change. The project was started by Dietrich Earnhart, professor of economics at KU, and was already slated to be interdisciplinary. But it was Meyer who recommended including Larry Schwarm, distinguished professor of photography at Wichita State University, who could document contemporary realities of farm life in Kansas through still images. The collaboration later led to an exhibit at the museum and a book that Meyer edited.
“Kate brings great enthusiasm and passion to her work. She generously shares her broad and deep expertise with the Spencer Museum of Art collection,” Straughn said. “She creates a welcoming and positive work environment, supportive of her museum colleagues as well as faculty, students, donors, and others who seek to engage with the museum and, particularly, the works on paper collection.”
