The MCAD/Jerome Foundation Fellowship for Emerging Artists identifies and rewards five talented and promising artists in the Twin Cities area. The program defines the term “emerging artist” as one in the early stages of his or her career who has not yet attained recognition commensurate with the quality his or her work. Each year since 1981, a group of these emerging artists residing and working in the Twin Cities metropolitan area are chosen by a jury of art professionals and awarded a stipend meant to help foster the development of their work. During the fellowship year, three professional critics or curators conduct studio visits with the fellows, providing much needed critical feedback and, in many cases, fruitful professional contact. Chosen from a field of over 200 applicants, this year’s fellows—Helena Keeffe, Joseph del Pesco, Charles Matson Lume, Justin Newhall, and Grace Park—have fully embraced the spirit of the program, evidenced not only by the work in this exhibition but by the work shown elsewhere over the year; the conversations had and contacts made with the visiting critics; the new professional positions secured; and by their collegiality as a group.

Over the course of the 2002-2003 MCAD/Jerome Foundation Fellowship year, many individuals have contributed to the program. First, and most importantly, I want acknowledge and thank the Jerome Foundation, its President, Cynthia Gehrig, and its Board for its unique and innovative support of individual artists. At the College, I would like to thank Michael O’Keefe, MCAD President, and the MCAD Board of Trustees for their vision and unswerving support of this program. Thanks also go to Tom DeBiaso, former Dean of Studio Programs, for his many years of leadership of this and other exhibition programs at the College. The MCAD Academic Services department, including Lars Mason, Megan Bergstrom, Brian Czypinski, Jeff Jones and the exhibitions crew deserve our gratitude and praise for their adept and good-natured coordination and installation of the exhibition. And, finally, I want to recognize Sparky Hardisty and Kim Whaley, recent MCAD alumni, for their thoughtful and diligent work on this catalogue.

Diane Mullin
Director of Gallery and Exhibitions
Minneapolis College of Art and Design

The first part of this collection consists of the 2002-2003 MCAD/Jerome Foundation Exhibition held at MCAD Gallery October 17-November 23, 2003. The second part includes additional work by the 2002-2003 MCAD/Jerome Foundation Fellows.

Jurors:
Laurel Bradley - Director of Exhibitions and Curator of College Collections, Carleton Colege, Northfield, Minnesota.
Ed Eberle - Artist, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Hamza Walker - Education Director, The Renaissance Society, UNiversity of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.

Visiting Critics:
Ralph Ruggoff - Director, Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, California.
Brusce Hainley - Critic, Los Angeles, California.
Olukemi Ilesanmi - Curatorial Assistant, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

http://www.jeromefdn.org/
The Jerome Foundation

Regional