Kevin McKelvey
“To be at this juncture in my career and to know I have at least 20 more years to make an impact across the state is exciting and rewarding and humbling for me.”
Kevin McKelvey’s renewal project revolved around his various writing projects and engaging with gardening, farming, and rural life in Indiana. “I did not grow up on a farm, but in the places around farms, and that distinction and the physical locations propel much of my work,” he said. Because his creative practice is often research- based, McKelvey ordered several books and market farming tools in order to become more familiar with his subject matter. He completed his own indoor seed germination station, equipped with grow lights and heating pads, to grow plants for projects. The culmination of his hard work became Under Glass // Under Plastic, an installation at South Circle Farm in December 2018.
The fellowship also granted McKelvey the freedom to travel to places he otherwise could not go. He bicycled in mountains around Los Angeles and in the Blue Ridge Mountains, backpacked through Yosemite, and tabled at the Purdue Extension Small Farms Conference.
During the fellowship, McKelvey had the honor of working with students in the University of Indianapolis’ Masters program in Social Practice Art. Student projects centered around socially engaged art and creative placemaking. McKelvey will continue to grow the program using aspects of what he learned during his creative renewal experience.
