Samantha Stetzer/Winonan

Within the walls of Winona State University’s own Watkins Hall, in a tiny corner office, sits art professor Kjellgren Alkire.

Alkire is now being recognized for his artwork through the Jerome Foundation Fellowship for Emerging Artists, an annual fellowship for five artists in Minnesota.

The fellowship is funded by the Jerome Foundation, and it is administered through the Minneapolis College of Art Design.

Famous artist and philanthropist Jerome Hill created the Jerome Foundation. The statewide award recognizes emerging artists, who are in the beginning of their careers.

Applying for the fellowship in itself is a process.

Applications are processed by the fellowship. The fellowship does not look at the names of the applicants until they have selected their 12 finalists.

Jurors, one from Minnesota and two that are out of state, then come visit each finalist to preview his or her work in a studio.

From there, they choose five recipients.

Alkire’s studio visit was only supposed to last 20 minutes; however, when the jurors showed up to review his work, Alkire was able to keep them there a little longer.

“It was about an hour that we spent,” Alkire said. “They asked very good questions; they were very insightful. It was a wonderful moment. It’s great to talk to students about art, but it was great to talk to professionals.”

The meeting was short but sweet.

“They laughed and asked good questions and left,” Alkire said. “And I was like, ‘Well that went well.’”

He got a phone call only a short while later informing him that he had gotten the fellowship.

An application is chosen based on the work an artist has done, and then the artist selects a series to be featured in a studio.

Alkire’s studio exhibit features photos of himself as various characters and various scenes, mostly involving the American West and “the myths that make up America.”

After studying philosophy, theology and studio art, Alkire initially had to leave Portland, Ore. because they were shutting down art as a major within the tiny liberal arts school he attended.

Alkire finished his undergraduate degree at the University of Concordia, St. Paul. But in the meantime, he “dropped out, played in a band and drank a lot of beer.”

“Then I worked in the Twin Cities doing educational training for non-profits,” Alkire said, “and I worked as a framer and shipper of art.” In 2004 Alkire moved to Arizona and got his master’s in fine arts at Arizona State University.

This was not Alkire’s first recognition award. A few years ago, he also won the Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant, which gave him some money for a project during a critical time in his career.

“I have often looked up to the artists who have gotten this [the fellowship],” Alkire said. “I think their work is really good.”

Alkire said that he feels very fortunate to live in Minnesota, which he calls “the land of philanthropy.”

“We are incredibly fortunate and wise to invest highly in the arts,” Alkire said. “And as an artist, I am grateful.”

One of the benefits of winning the fellowship is a yearlong support for Alkire’s artwork. The fellowship allows the artists to choose a curator for their artwork, and they get yearlong visits to the studio where their artwork is being displayed.

Also, the foundation provides them with an art writer who will write up essays about the artist.

“It is an opportunity to reach out and broaden our network,” Alkire said. “And maybe get some more opportunities for some exhibition.”

To students here at Winona State, like freshman Aileen Rude, Alkire is one-of-a-kind.

“Professor Kjellgren Alkire is one of the best professors I have had during my first semester here,” Rude said. “Not only is he very talented and gifted in what he creates, he is a man full of energy. Every day when I go to his class, I can’t wait to see what he will be teaching us next. I wouldn’t have come this far if it wasn’t for his support.”

Senior Courtney Guenveur, another one of Alkire’s students, spoke of his passion for both art and education.

“Kjel’s ambition as an artist is extremely evident in teaching,” she said. “He is devoted to his role as an artist, and commits to his ideas through a range of media. His work ethic alone is remarkable, and the solution [his artwork] is equally impressive.”

For Alkire, the fellowship has been a goal of his for a while.

“To be honest, this was all a part of my professional plan,” Alkire said. “I set goals for myself, and this is one of them. I work really, really hard to make good art that’s challenging and asks tough questions and is engaging. And it’s nice to have other people be like, ‘Oh, hey, he does that!’”

To sum up how he feels about this fellowship and this recognition, Alkire said, “A. Minnesota is awesome, and B. art is even more awesome than Minnesota. Hey, there’s this thing happening. It’s like, ‘Hey! Art!’”

Contact Samantha at [email protected]