Pamela White earned a BA in English (summa cum laude) from Graceland College in 1973, a JD from the University of Missouri at Kansas City in 1978, and three degrees in art history from the University of Kansas. A Masters of Art in 1984, a Masters of Philosophy in 1985, and a PhD in 1991. She worked as an attorney in the legal department of Hallmark Cards from 1978-1981, and as an independent legal consultant to artists from 1981-1985. From 1989-1992 she was an assistant curator, then curator of exhibitions and collections at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. Since 1992 she has worked at the University of Iowa Museum of Art as curator of painting and sculpture. She has been a project director for National Endowment for the Humanities grants and an adjunct faculty member in the UI College of Liberal Arts.