Library programs
Upcoming events and programming
Local artist files
The Library works with local artists to document their careers as part of Kansas City’s creative community. Artist file contributions include artist statements, gallery announcements, resumes, and exhibition checklists. These files are as unique as the artists’ careers they document.
Missouri Remembers
Inspired by the 200th anniversary of the State of Missouri, The Spencer Art Reference Library at the Nelson-Atkins, in partnership with the Kansas City Art Institute and The St. Louis Public Library, created a freely available website documenting the artists who were active in Missouri throughout its history. Use this resource to learn about the artists, exhibitions, and institutions that have defined the state’s artistic culture.
Class and group tours
Interested in bringing your class or group to the Library? Our staff offer presentations on making the most of the Library, exploring special collections that support curriculum, and discovering resources that inspire creativity and exploration.
Research grants and opportunities
Karen Gould Collection Research Awards
The Spencer Art Reference Library is pleased to offer three research awards per year to anyone wishing to visit the Library and to work with the Karen Gould Collection of Medieval Manuscripts. Proposals are accepted annually between Aug. 1 and Sept. 15. Each selected research proposal will be awarded $500. Proposals are encouraged for all types of projects including those that use the leaves as part of research projects, artistic inspiration, creative programing, and development of creative curriculums.
Example projects
- Creation of a facsimile leaf of a missal in the collection, that was used to demonstrate how gold and silver leaf would have been applied, as part of a public program
- Use of one of the leaves as a model to create a font for a typography class
- Creation of curriculum guide based on leaves from Books of Hours in the collection
Submit an application using this form:
Application for the Karen Gould Collection Research Award
About the Karen Gould Collection
This teaching collection was donated to the Library by Professor Emeritus Lewis Gould and was built over a lifetime by his late wife Dr. Karen Keel Gould, a medieval art historian and published scholar. The collection has grown from 26 to 72 items with particularly strong holdings of leaves from Books of Hours, an area of focused interest for Karen Gould.
During her career, Dr. Gould used her teaching collection to connect students to the past, by sharing how these leaves were made, the significance of the written and artistic text, and how these materials survived to be studied by us today. She believed that these physical objects each hold a multitude of histories and that anyone can explore and be inspired by them.
To encourage continued exploration, The Spencer Art Reference Library offers three research awards to support further in-person exploration of the works in the Karen Gould Collection. These awards are generously funded by Professor Emeritus Lewis Gould.