New Curator of Missouri Student Unions, Public Arts Collection

 Curator of Public Arts, 2021-22

Audrey Florey 

Ph.D. Student, Visual Studies

The Missouri Student Union's Curator of Public Arts has witnessed a transition this summer. Kaitlin Grimes, 2021 Ph.D. in Art History & Archaeology and former Public Arts Curator of the Missouri Student Unions' Public Arts Collection, successfully defended her dissertation this Spring and will be leaving the Unions at the end of July. Audrey Florey, is the new Curator of Public Arts for the 2021-22 academic year. 

Audrey is a Ph.D. student in the Art History program in the School of Visual Studies and works under the advisement of Dr. Kristin Schwain. She studies nineteenth- and twentieth-century American art, focusing on visual and material cultural, museum studies, and object-centered education. She received her M.A. in Art History & Archaeology in the Spring of 2020 at MU. Audrey's M.A. thesis, "Helen Torr: Navigating the Woman's Experience in American Modernism," contextualized the life and work of American modernist, Helen Torr. By examining the intersections of culture, gender, and the arts, she situated Torr in the historical and cultural milieu of the early twentieth-century American art world. Audrey's dissertation will take on a similar focus, analyzing women artist's navigation of the art world via their participation and contributions in art education. 

Audrey also works avidly with local community partners and in the public arts sector. During her time at MU, she has partnered with Columbia's Bicentennial Committee to curate the art exhibition, Intertwined: The Artistic Landscape of Historic Columbia hosted in the Montminy Gallery at the Boone County History & Culture Center. This exhibition highlights the vibrant local arts community and its influence in community exchange and collaboration. Audrey also worked with The State Historical Society as a Curatorial Intern.

Before taking on the curatorial position at the Missouri Student Unions, Audrey worked as a lead instructor for various art history and visual studies courses. She also worked at the Campus Writing Center. Audrey's dedication to public education and the arts, stems from her background. Before arriving at MU in 2018, Audrey worked as a visual arts educator, teaching painting and drawing. 

When Audrey is not on campus, you can typically find her reading a book outside or lounging with her beloved cat, Sage.