Permanent Collection

4420 Warwick Boulevard
Kansas City, MO 64111

Contact

Kemper Museum Policies

The Kemper Museum website uses cookies. By continuing to use the site, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use.

Hours

Employment

Docent Portal

Policies

News

Accessibility Statement

Accessibility

Atrium Project

Oil on Linen

Visit

Free Admission

Programs

Location & Directions

Plan Your Visit

Kemper Museum is a free art museum in Kansas City, Missouri that presents global contemporary art.

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art

The Arterie

Exhibitions

Exhibitions & Collection

Calendar

Groups & Tours

Volunteer

Public Programs

Mission

History

Architecture

Leadership

Community Partners

About

Give

Memberships

Legacy Society

Gala

Annual Report

Support

Cafe

Museum Shop

Special Event Rentals

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art acknowledges it resides on the ancestral territory of the Osage, Kaw, and Otoe-Missouria, among other tribal nations forcibly moved to the region such as the Shawnee, Wyandot, Delaware, Potawatomi, Sac and Fox and Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo) nations. We recognize and support the continued vibrancy of Native communities and cultures today who continue to thrive, as well as the inherent sovereignty of tribal nations. We are compelled to serve and advocate for these communities in accordance with our public mission.

Kemper Museum acknowledges and respects the diversity of Native people connected to this land today. Many recognize the land and all beings who live within it as relatives. We acknowledge the earth we inhabit, the waters of the Blue River, the Kansas River, the Missouri River, and the plants, animals, and people supported by them. 

We acknowledge our responsibility to be good caretakers of the land we occupy. 

Click here to learn more about our land acknowledgment process.

Land Acknowledgement

Join

Celebrate

Shop

Open jobs at Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Missouri

Kemper Museum Careers

It is our policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, military status, and any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local laws. We prohibit any such discrimination or harassment.

Department: Advancement 

Reports To: Director of Philanthropy 

FLSA Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt

Hourly rate: $22.60-$25.50 

About Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art: 

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, located in Kansas City, Missouri, is a leading presenter of contemporary art in the Midwest. Since opening in 1994, the Museum has been committed to enriching lives through contemporary art by connecting diverse audiences with the work of living artists. With a robust schedule of exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives, the Museum serves more than 50,000 visitors annually. Admission is always free, reflecting the Museum’s mission of accessibility and community engagement. Philanthropic support and membership play a critical role in sustaining the Museum’s exhibitions, collections, and educational programs. 

Position Summary: 

The Development Operations Associate plays a vital role in the success of the Museum’s philanthropic efforts by ensuring the accurate and timely processing of gifts, maintaining supporter data integrity in the CRM system, and supporting stewardship activities and events. This position also serves as the primary liaison for the Museum’s membership program, providing exceptional service to members and contributing to retention and engagement efforts.

Key Responsibilities: 

Accurately enter and process all gifts, pledges, and payments in the CRM (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, Altru, Salesforce, or other platform), ensuring appropriate coding and acknowledgement. 

Maintain clean and up-to-date constituent records, including contact information, giving history, and relationship tracking. 

Generate weekly and monthly reports to support fundraising, reconciliation, and campaign analysis. 

Collaborate with finance to reconcile gifts and prepare audit documentation. 

Supporter Stewardship & Acknowledgement 

Generate and mail donor acknowledgement letters and tax receipts in a timely and personalized manner. 

Support donor recognition programs and stewardship activities, such as events, special mailings, and impact reports. 

Assist with prospect research and preparation of briefing materials for leadership and gift officers. 

Serve as the primary contact for Museum members; respond to inquiries, process new memberships and renewals, and provide ongoing support. 

Coordinate member fulfillment activities, such as welcome packets, benefits delivery, and renewal reminders. 

Support membership campaigns and work collaboratively with marketing and visitor services to enhance member engagement. 

Create digital invitations, track RSVPs and create collateral materials for philanthropy-related events. 

Provide logistical support for philanthropy-related events including supporter receptions and member previews. 

Maintain organized digital and physical files, philanthropy calendar, and inventory of materials. 

Assist with special projects and other duties as assigned. 

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. 

Minimum of 2 years of experience in fundraising operations, donor relations, or database management. 

Proficiency in CRM software, preferably Bloomerang. 

High attention to detail, excellent organizational skills, and ability to handle confidential information. 

Able to work independently and also collaboratively within the department and cross-departmentally. 

Strong written and verbal communication skills. 

Familiarity with Adobe, Eventbrite and MailChimp. 

Customer service mindset with a friendly and professional demeanor. 

Passion for arts, culture, and community engagement. 

This position is based on-site at the Museum, with standard weekday hours (9A-5P) and occasional evening or weekend work related to events. 

Resumes can be emailed to employment@kemperart.org or you may mail hard copies to:

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
Diane Lambert
Human Resources Manager
4420 Warwick Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64111 

Registrar-Kemper Museum-July 2025.pdf

Manages: Part-time Registration Technician, Collection Volunteers, Interns

The Registrar ensures the care, documentation, movement, and legal stewardship of the Kemper Museum’s growing collection of 1,500+ objects, along with the planning and execution of all registration activities related to exhibitions, installations, and loans. Working closely with the curators, the Exhibitions Manager, Facilities, and other departments, the Registrar plays a critical role in upholding museum standards, coordinating art logistics, and preserving the long-term integrity of the collection across all Kemper sites. This position balances hands-on collection care with administrative oversight and project management, in service to the Museum’s mission and values.

We know that skills and experience come in many forms. If you’re excited about this role and believe your background has prepared you in different ways, even if you don’t meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply, especially if your perspective or background is underrepresented in the field, or shaped by non-traditional paths.

The Registrar leads the care, storage, documentation, and movement of the Museum’s collection, ensuring accurate records and ethical practices. Responsibilities include maintaining the collection management system, coordinating acquisitions and cataloguing, overseeing inventories and condition assessments, and working with conservators to assess and treat artworks. The Registrar also manages rights and reproduction and ensures compliance with copyright, donor agreements, and legal standards, including NAGPRA and IRS guidelines.

From concept through deinstallation, this position manages all registration duties related to incoming and outgoing loans, exhibitions, and collection rotations. This includes coordinating agreements with lenders, shipping, insurance, storage, condition reports, and loan documentation, as well as developing and monitoring exhibition-related budgets in collaboration with curatorial staff. The Registrar also prepares and submits indemnity applications and other required legal or government documentation.

Standards, Facilities, and Risk Management

The Registrar helps ensure compliance with museum accreditation standards, environmental monitoring, and emergency preparedness planning. Working with Facilities and Operations, this includes maintaining the museum’s facility reports, coordinating response plans, and ensuring alignment with institutional policies and professional ethics.

The Registrar hires and supervise a part-time technician, interns, volunteers, and contract conservators (as needed) while working closely with colleagues across departments. They contribute to strategic planning, reaccreditation processes, forecast collections-related needs, and support museum-wide projects. The role also requires fostering professional relationships with lenders, donors, artists, external vendors, museum professionals, maintaining clear and consistent communication.

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in art history, museum studies, or a related field.

5+ years of experience in museum registration, collections management, and exhibition coordination.

Demonstrated expertise of art handling, storage, transportation, documentation best practices.

Proficiency with collection management systems and digital asset organization and workflows.

Familiarity with legal, ethical, and institutional policies government museum collections.

Demonstrated ability to manage projects, timelines, and collaborative workflows.

Supervisory and collaborative experience.

Strong organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills. 

Commitment to culturally responsive and inclusive museum practices.  

Accountability & Accuracy: Maintains clear, consistent, and accessible records.

Communication: Communicates clearly and diplomatically across multiple teams.  

Adaptability & Flexibility: Navigates changing priorities with resilience and creativity.

Collaboration: Values teamwork and contributes positively to work culture.

Professionalism: Exercises discretion, judgment, and integrity in all duties.  

Ability to lift up to 40 lbs., bend, reach, and handle artworks safely.

Visual acuity for condition reporting and documentation tasks.

Ability to stand and walk for extended periods during installations and related projects.  

Occasional travel as an art courier or reprehensive of the museum.

This position occasionally requires evening or weekend hours related to installations, art shipments, or events. The Registrar may also travel to oversee object handling and transport.

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
Diane Lambert
Human Resources Manager
4420 Warwick Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64111

Kemper Museum Retail Manager 2025.pdf

Job Title: Retail Manager
Department: Operations
Classification: Exempt
Reports to: Director of Operations
Supervises: Museum Shop Sales Associates
Date: June 2025

The Retail Manager serves as the manager and buyer for the Kemper Museum’s retail shop and is the point person for all retail product sales for the Museum. Primary responsibilities include coordinating shop associate activities, maintaining high customer service standards, and keeping the Museum’s retail functions profitable. The individual in this position possesses extensive retail, customer service, and leadership skills; is skilled in organizing the various aspects of a retail operation, well organized, driven, and analytical.

Shop/Department Administration and Management

Hire, supervise, evaluate and mentor shop associates

Train associates including cross training in times of absence

Maintain contact and professional relationships with customers and artists 

Manage open/close procedures including submitting of daily sales reports and cash/check deposits

Maintain contractual agreements with artists and process new artists contracts for merchandise

Manage order and receiving processes, and display new inventory

Maintain shop appearance by restocking, dusting, tidying, and organizing.

Visual merchandising/display of existing and new inventory

Greet and assist customers with purchases, handling sales transactions, general museum questions

Establish and maintain relationships with patrons, Museum Shop vendors and artists

Use observation, insight and creativity to enhance the customer experience

Analytical: synthesizes complex or diverse information, collects and researches data, uses intuition and experience to complement data, designs work flows and procedures

Oral/Written Communication: Speaks clearly, and persuasively in positive or negative situations, listens and gets clarification, responds well to questions, demonstrates presentation skills, participates in meetings. Writes clearly and informatively, edits work for spelling and grammar, varies writing style to meet needs, presents numerical data effectively, able to read and interpret written information

Job Knowledge/Professionalism: Demonstrates the knowledge and skill necessary to perform effectively, understands the expectations of the job, keeps professional knowledge up to date. Maintaining integrity of Museum Standards in ones presentation of self to the public

Customer Service: Manages difficult or emotional customer situations, responds promptly to customer needs, solicits customer feedback to improve service, responds to requests for service and assistance, meets commitments.

Displays passion and optimism, inspires respect and trust, mobilizes other to fulfill the vision, provides vision and inspiration to peers and subordinates, exhibits confidence in self and others, inspires and motivates others to perform well, effectively influences actions and opinions of others, inspires respect and trust, accepts feedback from others, gives appropriate recognition to others. 

Bachelor’s degree preferred (art /design background required)

Strong computer knowledge of specifically: MAC OS X, Adobe CS4, MS Office.

Excellent communication and organization skills

Ability to manage details with consistency and clarity

Ability to meet deadlines in a fast paced environment

Ability to work collaboratively with a diverse staff, artists, and customers

Ability to work accurately with multiple interruptions

Vision: The ability to see clearly at 20 inches or less and at 20 feet or more. The ability to identify and distinguish colors. Three dimensional vision, the ability to judge spatial relationships, and distances to see objects where and as they actually are. The ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus.

Handle: The ability to seize, hold, grasp, turn or otherwise work with hand or hands and arm or arms.

Talk: The ability to express or exchange ideas accurately, loudly, or quickly by means of the spoken word, imparting information or detailed instructions to clients, to the public, or to other workers.

Hear: The ability to perceive the nature of sounds by ear.

Department: Exhibitions
Classification: Non-Exempt, Full Time
Reports to: Exhibitions Manager
Supervises: Temporary Prep Staff
Date: 2024

The Preparator undertakes the responsibility of art handling and exhibition installation, which includes designing and creating  gallery furniture and special buildouts, the scheduling, relocation, presentation, and installation of artwork both in the museum’s permanent collection as well as traveling exhibitions, long, and short-term loans.

Work in concert with the exhibitions manager and curatorial department to implement exhibition designs.

Create appropriate lighting design, and help to control visitor experience of the museum through didactic material and determine strategies for a wide range of media.

Install and de-install exhibition objects.

Ensure temporary prep staff use art handling best practices.

Measure, cut, install, and maintain all exhibition signage/graphics.

Recommend installation materials, equipment and mounting/framing supplies.

Perform routine exhibition maintenance including conducting daily gallery checks, and maintain exhibition lighting. Clean cases, platforms, and frames as needed.

Work collaboratively with outside vendors and contractors.

Fabricate and install exhibition components, including pedestals, platforms, supportive mounts, cradles, brackets, platforms, bases, vitrines, crates, etc. made of wood, wood composites, metals, Plexiglas and other materials according to proper museum standards for 2-D and 3-D objects.

Perform carpentry for exhibitions and exhibition areas including demolition, wall repair, painting, and fabric wrapping. 

Recommend, assemble, install, and modify shop machinery, hand tools, shop and museum carts, materials handling vehicles, as necessary and within budget parameters.

Maintain an organized working area within galleries and in Prep office to ensure objects being prepared for exhibition are safe and secure.

Assists Exhibition Manager with the maintenance of Permanent Collection, which includes regular inspection of objects and light cleaning if necessary.

Prepares objects for loans and exhibitions in coordination with the Exhibitions Manager and Senior Registrar.

Assists the Senior Registrar and Exhibitions Manager in annual inventory.

Helps maintain outdoor Permanent Collection sculpture.

Consults on the safe transport of objects: including packing and unpacking; scheduling appropriate transportation; and monitoring objects.

Assist with assembling, managing, and delegating to skilled part-time preparatory laborers.

Ability to perform as department head in the absence of the Exhibitions Manager.      

Ensure an organized and orderly work space.

Planning/Organizing: Prioritizes and plans work activities, uses time efficiently, plans for additional resources, sets goals and objectives, organizes or schedules other people and their tasks, develops realistic action plans

Team Work: Balances team and individual responsibilities, exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views, gives and welcomes feedback, contributes to building a positive team spirit, puts success of team above own interests, able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives, supports everyone's efforts to succeed, recognizes accomplishments of other team members.

Dependability: Follows instructions, responds to management direction, takes responsibility for own actions, keeps commitments, commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals, completes tasks on time. 

Oral Communication: Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations, listens and gets clarification, responds well to questions, demonstrates group presentation skills, participates in meetings.

Problem Solving: Gathers and analyzes information skillfully, develops alternative solutions, works well in group problem solving situations, uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.

Innovation: Displays original thinking and creativity, meets challenges with resourcefulness, generates suggestions for improving work, develops innovative approaches and ideas, presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others' attention.

Judgment: Displays willingness to make decisions, exhibits sound and accurate judgment, supports and explains reasoning for decisions, includes appropriate people in decision-making process, makes timely decisions

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, journalism, English, marketing communications, or related

Bachelor's degree in an art related field and relevant experience in museum or gallery work or the equivalent combination of education and experience. 

Experience with artifact handling, exhibition construction/installation techniques, and structural fabrication, including but not limited to framing artwork, stretching canvases, and maintaining interior and surface integrity of large and small-scale works of art in a wide range of media.

Demonstrated knowledge of basic carpentry tools, machinery, and safety practices.

Demonstrates knowledge of Adobe creative suite, Sketch Up.

Ability to drive box truck, scissor lift, and operate other material lifts. 

Handle: The ability to seize, hold, grasp, turn, or otherwise work with hand or hands. (Fingers are involved only to the extent that they are an extension of the hand.)

Reach with hands and arms: The ability to extend the hands and arms in any direction.

Climb: The ability to ascend or descend ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles, ropes, and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands or arms.

Kneel: The ability to bend legs at the knees to come to rest on knee or knees.

Crouch: The ability to bend the body downward and forward by bending legs and spine.

Lift Weight and Exert Force: Lifts weight or exerts force by lifting, lowering, pulling, carrying, pushing, slapping, striking, kicking, pulling, or jerking. Must be able to lift 50 lbs comfortably.

Vision: The ability to see clearly at 20 inches or less and at 20 feet or more. The ability to identify and distinguish colors. Three-dimensional vision, the ability to judge distances and spatial relationships to see objects where and as they actually are. The ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus.

Department: Museum Protection
Classification: Hourly, Non-Exempt
Reports to: Museum Protection and Operations Manager
Date: 2024

A Level I Museum Protection Officer is responsible for providing physical security of Kemper Museum and its remote satellite locations in order to safeguard its works of art, both interior and exterior, its buildings, grounds, and parking areas to assure the safety and well-being of staff, visitors, and persons in and around the museum and its remote facilities. This individual will possess strong customer service skills to assist in creating a quality visitor experience. Ability to work with moderate to close supervision and to carry out assigned duties and responsibilities in an effective manner.

Protection of Artwork, Facilities, and Public

Comprehend, adhere to, and enforce all museum security policies and procedures.

Working knowledge of all museum emergency plans and procedures, including medical emergencies.

Provide security checks of museum buildings, grounds, parking areas, and remote satellite locations (even in adverse weather conditions).

Working knowledge of plan and procedure when artwork, buildings, or grounds are damaged or compromised.

Main lower parking lot security booth including the monitoring of vehicle and museum patron safety. Issue warnings to non-museum visitors parking in designated museum parking spaces. 

Be alert for and report all safety hazards immediately to the on-duty Floor Supervisor.

Open and close museum according to published public hours.

Report to on-duty Floor Supervisor any unusual or suspicious activity.

Professional standards of attitude, demeanor, and presence as related to safety and security are required at all times.

Report to on-duty Floor Supervisor any safety or health incidents or accidents involving staff or public.

Create written Incident Reports as necessary.