Kristan M. Hanson
Curator of Collections and Exhibitions
PRONOUNS She/Her
- Ph.D., University of Kansas
- M.A., School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- M.A., University of Chicago
- B.A., University of California, Irvine
Fleming Museum of Art, School of the Arts, College of Arts and Sciences
BIO
My job is to help people make meaningful connections with incredible works of art. I do this by selecting objects and images from the Fleming’s vast collections for display in our thematic galleries, where there is always something new to discover. I also do so by choosing engaging traveling exhibitions for the Fleming to host each fall and spring semester. But most of my work happens behind the scenes: I research, document, catalog, and write about objects, and I help determine which ones can be shown responsibly.
I often work closely with ̽̽ faculty and students on collaborative projects—across many disciplines! Sometimes, this involves selecting art objects for public display that support research, teaching, and learning on many topics, such as world's fairs, natural history, the arts of Asia, and more.
Additionally, I work with local artists and community members to create new art installations for the Fleming’s vibrant galleries and diverse audiences. I also work with ̽̽ undergraduate student interns, introducing them to museum practice and object-based research (or “being an art detective”). These talented interns, who help me improve object documentation, also write gallery labels, bringing a fresh perspective to familiar paintings and newly acquired works alike.
Prior to joining the Fleming Museum, I held a digital managing editorship and an academic year fellowship in plant humanities at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C. I have also worked at the Spencer Museum of Art, the University of Kansas, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Awards and Achievements
My cultural histories of plants—including sunflower, cordyline, and fuchsia—have been published on JSTOR Daily and the Plant Humanities Lab.
I have written about women artists and gender inequities in the art world for a new book introducing the Christian Levett Collection at FAMM (Female Artists of the Mougins Museum) (Merrell Publishers, June 2025). And I co-edited and contributed essays to the post-exhibition catalogue Perspectives on a Legacy Collection: Sallie Casey Thayer’s Gift to the University of Kansas (Spencer Museum of Art, 2020).
Area(s) of expertise
19th-c. French Visual Culture, Plant Humanities, Women Artists, Curation, Object-based and Archival Research, Cataloging
Bio
My job is to help people make meaningful connections with incredible works of art. I do this by selecting objects and images from the Fleming’s vast collections for display in our thematic galleries, where there is always something new to discover. I also do so by choosing engaging traveling exhibitions for the Fleming to host each fall and spring semester. But most of my work happens behind the scenes: I research, document, catalog, and write about objects, and I help determine which ones can be shown responsibly.
I often work closely with ̽̽ faculty and students on collaborative projects—across many disciplines! Sometimes, this involves selecting art objects for public display that support research, teaching, and learning on many topics, such as world's fairs, natural history, the arts of Asia, and more.
Additionally, I work with local artists and community members to create new art installations for the Fleming’s vibrant galleries and diverse audiences. I also work with ̽̽ undergraduate student interns, introducing them to museum practice and object-based research (or “being an art detective”). These talented interns, who help me improve object documentation, also write gallery labels, bringing a fresh perspective to familiar paintings and newly acquired works alike.
Prior to joining the Fleming Museum, I held a digital managing editorship and an academic year fellowship in plant humanities at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C. I have also worked at the Spencer Museum of Art, the University of Kansas, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Awards and Achievements
My cultural histories of plants—including sunflower, cordyline, and fuchsia—have been published on JSTOR Daily and the Plant Humanities Lab.
I have written about women artists and gender inequities in the art world for a new book introducing the Christian Levett Collection at FAMM (Female Artists of the Mougins Museum) (Merrell Publishers, June 2025). And I co-edited and contributed essays to the post-exhibition catalogue Perspectives on a Legacy Collection: Sallie Casey Thayer’s Gift to the University of Kansas (Spencer Museum of Art, 2020).
Areas of Expertise
19th-c. French Visual Culture, Plant Humanities, Women Artists, Curation, Object-based and Archival Research, Cataloging
Kristan's Staff Pick
Kristan's Staff Pick
Museum visitors should be sure to check out Mary Ann Landon’s A View of the Winooski River and Camel’s Hump, which makes its debut at the Fleming in fall 2024! This small gem of a painting rewards close study, as does its gilded ornamental frame. The work speaks to me because, as a recent transplant to Vermont, I’m interested in learning about the history of this place and the role of artists in constructing myths about the land and its ecologies. Landon’s painting of the Winooski River also strikes a chord given recent flooding across the state. Plus, I’m interested in the painting as a vehicle for becoming acquainted with its maker—a nineteenth-century woman and Vermonter about whom little is known so far. I hope to find out more about Landon and her social circle in the future.
Mary Ann Landon (United States, 1833-1914) A View of the Winooski River and Camel’s Hump, ca. 1860s. Oil on canvas. Bequest of J. Brooks Buxton '56. 2019.1.12
Check out all our staff picks, highlighting works currently on view, by visiting each staff member's profile.