Working with painting, drawing, digital imagery and sculpture, Valerie Jenkins’ process is informed by histories of art that are rooted in observation, responsiveness and play. With a commitment to forms of making that retain a tactile and material intention as objects in the world, she explores the sensate exchanges that occur between stasis and movement, and perception and meaning. Attentive to the dynamics of daily life, Jenkins creates a visual response that mirrors a psychological and bodily experience: that is particular to the urban environment and cultural moment, and that arrives with a poetic stance.

Professional Experience

Actively exhibiting her work both regionally and nationally, Jenkins’ work is included in the collection of the Weisman Art Museum, Mpls. MN, featured in New American Painting volume 113, and published in the International Drawing Annual by the Manifest Creative Research Gallery and Drawing Center. Her artwork has been recognized through grants and fellowships from the McKnight Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, and the National Endowment of the Arts. Valerie Jenkins’ teaching career spans 25 years and includes courses taught at Macalester College, the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She was Associate Professor at the College of Visual Arts and served as Chair of CVA’s Fine Arts Dept.

Significant Publications, Presentations and Exhibitions

Valerie Jenkins