Kara Jefts earned her MA in Modern Art History from the School of the Art Institute, Chicago, and her BA in Art History and Asian Studies from Union College, Schenectady, NY. 

Visit karajefts.com for more about Kara and her work as an artist and curator 

CONTACT

Testimonials:

Kara is very forward thinking.  Her understanding of how the fields of archiving, art history, and curating are increasingly intertwined – creating critical companions in this new world of making art and artifacts – is exceptionally relevant to contemporary society. I find Kara’s perspective to be refreshing and innovative.  I look forward to watching her work as it continues to develop.
- Karen Helmerson, Program Director, Electronic Media/Film & Visual Art, New York State Council on the Arts, New York, NY

​I worked closely with Kara to manage the Union College Permanent Collection. The collections at academic institutions often include a diverse range of artwork, historic objects, and ephemera, and Kara’s attention to detail and strategic planning were key to building both digital and physical archives that could be made easily accessible as a resource for faculty, staff, and students. Kara consistently looked to improve on the database systems available and to implement new standards to make the process of maintaining a diverse archive more manageable. 
- Rachel Seligman, Assistant Director for Curatorial Affairs, Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College, Saratoga, NY

Kara has been a tremendous asset in creating an up to date, fully integrated, and practical data base comprising 40 years of artistic practice across disciplines. Her analytic skills have been essential  to me in organizing projects, editing both writing and images, overseeing communications, and managing the physical assets of my studio, all of which enable me to work in a more streamlined and productive way.
- Ginny Sykes, Chicago Artist
​
I hired Kara Jefts as an archivist for the Cairn Project in August of 2016. She is guiding us towards an online interactive archive, which will extend the life of the project. I’m extremely excited by the energy, expertise, and enthusiasm she is bringing to the process.
-Corinne Peterson, artist and founder of the Cairn Project, Chicago, IL

Clients

Kara Jefts has worked as a registrar, archivist, and collections manager on a permanent or contractual basis for:  BMS Art Inc., Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Chicago, IL; Cairn Project, Chicago, IL; Studio of Ginny Sykes, Chicago, IL; Sullivan Galleries, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL;  The Joan Flasch Artists’ Book Collection, Chicago, IL;  The Fashion Resource Center, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL;  Neil Hellman Library, College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY;  Mandeville Gallery and Union College Permanent Collection, Union College, Schenectady, NY; Schaffer Library Special Collections, Union College, Schenectady, NY; and the FASNY Museum of Firefighting, Hudson, NY

Curatorial

Kara Jefts has organized exhibitions and events at:  Ace Hotel, Chicago, IL; The Flux Factory, Long Island City, NY; The Flaxman Library, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL; Ballroom Projects, Chicago, IL; Student Union Galleries, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL; Albany Public Library, Albany, NY; Collar Works Gallery, Troy, NY; Mandeville Gallery and Wikoff Student Gallery, Union College, Schenectady, NY; The Sanctuary for Independent Media, Troy, NY; and Fenimore Asset Gallery, Proctors Theater, Schenectady, NY 

Publications

Kara Jefts has published essays, reviews, and articles for online and print publications such as:  Chicago Gallery News; CAA.reviews.com; College & Research Libraries News, Chicago, IL; The Research House for Asian Art, Chicago, IL; FNews Magazine, Chicago, IL; Syracuse University Art Galleries, Syracuse, NY;  and  printeresting.org