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Jeffrey Kenney is no stranger to showing art in Virginia—he is, after all, an associate curator for at 91����. He regularly helps bring together world-class artists and their work in service of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) through the six galleries that the Mason Exhibitions team oversees across Northern Virginia. 

This time, however, it’s his work in the public eye. As a recipient of a , Kenney’s series of paintings, “Along the Inner Branches,” is on view in the museum’s fine-dining .  

“Significant artists over the history of Virginia’s art landscape have won the fellowship,” said Kenney, who joined George Mason in 2013. “It’s an honor to be grouped in that lineage.” 

The VMFA Fellows’ works are featured in many different areas around the commonwealth. Some are in different buildings around the museum complex; others are at Richmond International Airport. Kenney’s location in the restaurant means that he has a great position to capture the notice of high-end art lovers and fine diners. 

“I've had a couple people send me notes saying that they saw my work while they were down there unexpectedly,” said Kenney. “They were visiting the museum and having lunch and suddenly like, ‘oh! I know him!’”  

Kenney is especially excited about this body of work because it’s a departure from his roots. “I'm sort of an artist that's wandered between mediums,” he said. “I studied sculpture in undergrad and have a master's in photography.”  

Seven years ago, however, he was feeling lost in his artistic journey and began playing with linocuts and painted patterns. 

“My art has always involved a kind of process where half of the work is me trying to develop ways of working. To me that's the fun—the puzzle-solving of it,” he said. “So if you're looking at my work, you'll see there's a lot of repeated fragments.” 

In the 2022-23 academic year, Kenney won a grant from CVPA, a $2,500 prize that helped him develop his current body of work. His art combines painting and printmaking through rhythmic layers that blend a variety of graphic elements, which emerge from the study of diverse sources—historical and contemporary—such as early modern printed books, textiles, cartoons, and scientific diagrams. 

“All of this work is new to the public,” said Kenney. “So the fellowship was definitely a boost to my confidence.” 

The VMFA fellowship program recognizes some of the commonwealth’s most talented up-and-coming artists. Kenney has, in the past, used the fellowship to help him identify artists to use in Mason Exhibitions, including , , and . 

The fellowship comes with an $8,000 prize, some of which Kenney says he will put back into his studio. But most, he says, he will save for his eight-year-old son’s future.  

“When you’re an artist, it can take away from other things that you cherish, especially when you have a full-time job. I see this as a way of paying it forward.”  

View more of Jeffrey Kenney’s art .