Art Educator, Award-winning Journalist, HR Professional, Grant Manager
Specializing in:
- Art for Everyone
- HR & Personnel Management with Empathy
- Personal Career Management
Art | HR | Grants | Further Experience | Education
Art Experience
I have two degrees in Art and have been active in making, teaching, curating and researching art for years. I taught for four years in a small Kansas school to kindergartners through seniors. Let me tell you, getting middle-schoolers immersed in making clay pots can be mind-blowing in both positive and negative ways. I went from there to education at the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas (KU) where I taught pre-service teachers to put on art classes for kids, co-taught a course for Math & Science teachers to integrate art into their curricula, helped the Museum utilize a Second Life island for virtual exhibitions, and curated an “Alternate Reality” exhibition with pieces from the Spencer’s permanent collection. I have a B.S. in Art Education, and a Master’s in Art History. While earning my master’s degree, I spent hours researching, staring at, and debating about works from all periods of history. It was as thrilling as it was rewarding. I mean, what’s more interesting than reading an article that argues many of the women in Jan Vermeer’s exquisite paintings are pregnant (not a commonly held belief among scholars) and in turn, the paintings enhanced the beauty of babies born to women who gazed upon them?
Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas
Information and Communication Coordinator (2011 – 2012)
Synchronize logistics of exhibition planning, annual report and donor databases.
Project Coordinator/Administration (2009 – 2011)
Synchronize logistics of exhibition planning, office management, HR liaison.
Project Coordinator, IMLS: Engaging Communities grant (2008 – 2009)
Coordinated programing for and administration of grant to utilize the Museum’s collection through multiple learning styles.
Youth & Family Outreach Coordinator (2007 – 2008)
Administered children’s classes, engaged University students as teachers
Lawrence Percolator Art Space, Lawrence, Kansas
Board Member (2009 – 2011)
Chair, Vice Chair
Wellsville Public Schools, Wellsville, Kansas
Art Teacher, K-12 (2002 – 2006)
Art Shows & Presentations
2011 Group Exhibition, “Going | Home | Coming”, Percolator, Lawrence, KS
2010 Presentation, “Using Second Life in the Classroom”, National Art Education Association conference, Baltimore, MD
2010 Presentation, “Second Life in the Art Museum”, KU Digital Humanities Summit, Lawrence, KS
2010 Group Exhibition, “Outside-In”, Kemper Gallery, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS (as artist)
2009 “Alternate Realities”, Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence, KS (as curator)
2009 Panel Presentation, “New Technologies for Small Museums”, Mountain Plains Museum Association conference, Cheyenne, WY
2008 Solo Exhibition, Prima Tazza Cafe, Lawrence, KS (as artist)
2008 Solo Exhibition, Z’s Divine Espresso, Lawrence, KS (as artist)
2007 Group Exhibition, Kansas Public Radio Listener Art Show, juried, Lawrence, KS (as artist)
2007 Group Exhibition, “Red Balloon To-Do”, Lawrence, KS (as artist)
HR, Personnel & Career Management
While carving out a niche in the small Museum staff, I found myself doing more and more personnel work. When a great opportunity in Human Resources opened up in 2012, I jumped at it. I worked in recruitment at KU for several years, helping departments hire and onboard students, staff and faculty, and I’ve helped with some complex international visa issues. In 2015, I moved into management where I’ve had the honor of coaching and supporting several teams. During this time, I also earned my SHRM-SCP certification. I now manage a team that provides budget and financial support to KU faculty who receive grant funding.
Shared Service Centers, University of Kansas
HR Manager (2015 – 2018)
Supervised staff who assisted KU departments with hiring and onboarding staff, faculty and students.
HR Coordinator (2013 – 2015)
Assisted KU departments with hiring and onboarding staff and faculty.
HR Specialist (2012 – 2013)
Assisted KU departments with hiring and onboarding students.
Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas
Project Coordinator/Administration (2009 – 2011)
Synchronize logistics of exhibition planning, office management, HR liaison.
Youth & Family Outreach Coordinator (2007 – 2008)
Administered children’s classes, supervised University students as teachers.
Grants Management
At the Spencer, I helped to write grant proposals, interim and final reports for both the State of Kansas and for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Over the last few years, I’ve been solely on the post-award side, reading and interpreting awards, managing budgets, providing financial reports and helping KU faculty to complete their projects while staying within scope. Sponsors include National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Education (DOE), Department of Defense (DOD), State of Kansas, and multiple private foundations and universities. This post-award experience informs proposal writing to create competitive applications that foster smooth administration once they’re awarded.
Shared Service Centers, University of Kansas
Research Manager (2018 – present)
Supervise staff who assist KU faculty and staff with grant-funded financial administration.
Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas
Project Coordinator, IMLS: Engaging Communities grant (2008 – 2009)
Coordinated programing for and administration of grant to utilize the Museum’s collection through multiple learning styles, including assisting with grant reporting narratives.
Youth & Family Outreach Coordinator (2007 – 2008)
Administered children’s classes, engaged University students as teachers. Assisted with grant proposal narratives and grant reports.
Further Experience
I have been a reporter for a weekly newspaper in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. I wrote about everything from the Fourth of July parade to the latest scandal on the school board. I even won a few awards for my troubles.
Sangre de Cristo Chronicle, Angel Fire, New Mexico
Reporter/Photographer (2000 – 2002)
Education
M.A. in Art History (May 2014)
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Emphasis in Western Art
B.S. in Art Education (December 1998)
Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
Kansas Teaching Certification (K-12 Art)
Exchange Program (Spring 1997)
Norwich School of Art & Design, Norwich England Concentration in Sculpture
Jessica Johnson Webb, writer 