Portland, Maine, United States
Kat Zagaria Buckley is a writer and curator of contemporary art. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art History, Theory, and Criticism, with Concentrations in Curatorial Studies and Book Arts, from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and a Master of Arts in Modern and Contemporary Art History, Theory, and Criticism from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has over 16 years of professional experience spanning museums, galleries, and archives, specializing in contemporary craft. Recent curated exhibitions include 2026's "Of Sibyls and Source: Ranges and Ruptures" at the University of Southern Maine's (USM) Crewe Center for the Arts and 2023/s "Embodying Softness/Excavating Delight" at the USM Gorham Gallery. She is the Director of Art Exhibitions and Outreach at USM. She has been published across academic and literary journals, including outlets such as the Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Fashion and effy literary magazine. She serves as Chair of the Portland Public Art Committee. More of her work and writing can be found at www.katzagaria.com.
Curates, implements and publicizes exhibitions and related outreach and educational programming according to the mission of the Art Gallery, Art Department, and College of Arts and Sciences. Serves on the Art Department Visiting Artist Committee and coordinates the Visiting Artist Program including the lecture series, class visits, and logistics. Takes a leadership role in the development of public awareness of the visual arts and the arts in general at USM; and cultivates the involvement and support of the members of the art community. Manages the Artist In Residence artworks and other pieces in the permanent collection.
Served as the primary point of communication with artists, assisted in the planning and installation of commissioned work, maintained travel schedules, and facilitated the implementation of in-person and virtual programming associated with exhibitions. Maintained object checklists and working budgets, created and managed installation layout and design possibilities, and assisted in label-writing.
Provided professional, relevant, and effective outreach and support for scholarship to faculty, students, and other university community members. Worked closely with faculty and students to integrate digital images and relevant technologies into the Art History Department and Humanities Division's research and pedagogical activities. Conducted image research on behalf of faculty and students.
Coordinated logistics for the library’s thematic exhibitions, the rotating display of representative collection items, occasional small exhibitions, and incoming and outgoing loans. Performed physical installation in the galleries and tracked all aspects of the planning and implementation of exhibitions and loans.
Assisted primarily with research and administrative projects, including data entry, gallery labels, artist biographies, collection management and inventory, filing, exhibition preparation, and general department inquiries. Oversaw artwork from acquisition to installation. Conducted research for possible purchases and/or gifts and prepared presentations on proposed acquisitions and deaccessions to the museum’s acquisitions committee. Also completed permanent collection research and management, including catalog raisonné compilation and copy editing. Tasks surrounding special exhibits included loan tracking and artwork database entry in FileMaker and CITI (a TMS-similar object database).