Announcing our 2025 Jerome Residency Recipients
Congratulations to the 2025 MCBA/Jerome Residency recipients, Genie Tran, Essence Enwere, and alter hajek!
Genie tran
Genie Hien Tran (Vietnam, b. 1996) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Minneapolis, MN. She was born in Ho Chi Minh City and grew up there before migrating to the U.S. at 16.
Her work is informed by diasporic memory and the exploration of identity through the use of collage, poetry, design and textiles. In their work, Tran layers elements of contemporary cultures with historical learnings and artifacts, in order to capture the beauty and nuances of home, loss and belonging.
Tran received her MFA in Visual Arts at Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2022 and BFA in Illustration at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2018.
ESSENCE ENwere
Essence Enwere (b. 2000) is a Black and queer interdisciplinary artist living and working on occupied Očeti Šakówin and Wahpekute land, now known as Minneapolis, MN.
Their work fuses design, typography, artist publications, and printmaking to tell stories of Black history, genealogy, and ecology. Rooted in an engagement with land and ancestry, their practice explores how visual language can preserve memory, connect lineage, and honor cultural resilience. Enwere creates work that bridges the poetic and the archival, weaving together design traditions and book arts as forms of storytelling and collective remembrance.
Enwere received their BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Minnesota in 2024. Their work has been exhibited at HGA Gallery, the Creating Change Gallery, and the James Wegner Gallery. They were a 2024 Creating Change Fellow, awarded a Public Functionary Residency in 2025, and will be apart of the 2026 Cellar Press Residency. Their practice has been featured in Artdose Magazine, The Minnesota Star Tribune, MPLSArt, KARE 11, and MSPMAG. Many of their works are housed in national collections, including the National Gallery of Art Library, Minnesota Historical Society, University of Minnesota, and Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.
alter hajek
alter hajek writes about devotion and surgical inter-dimensional transsexual embodiment in several mediums, including cast metal, sound, textile, installation, coding, projection, letterpress, analog photography, sculpture, translation, and text.
Jurors
Joshue Molina is a letterpress educator, studio manager, and book arts advocate. As the Studio Manager of Archetype Press at ArtCenter College of Design and an Adjunct Professor of Graphic Design, Joshue’s teaching blends traditional and experimental print methodologies, exploring the intersection of typography, storytelling, and contemporary design. They have facilitated workshops, residencies, and collaborations with renowned artists such as Amos Paul Kennedy Jr., Erik Spiekermann, Alan Kitching, and Dafi Kühne, fostering an inclusive, hands-on learning environment. Beyond academia, Joshue engages in community-driven print projects through organizations like Partners in Print (PiP), working to expand access to book arts and letterpress.
Sara Luz Jensen is an Assistant Librarian, Studio Manager, and Instructor for the Book Arts Program and lead printer for the Red Butte Press. She holds a BA in English from the University of Utah and an MFA from the University of Iowa Center for the Book. Under the small-press imprint Fingertips Press, she designs and produces artist book publications and printed matter, many of which are collaborations with writers and visual artists. Sara Luz’s work is held in public and private collections and is exhibited nationally.
India Johnson is a book artist working across craft, artist publishing, and social practice. Her work has been installed in churches, libraries, and laundromats throughout the Midwest, and exhibited nationally and internationally. She is a founding member of LGBTQ Iowa Archives & Library, and half of Late Night Copies Press.
Johnson teaches art and humanities courses at the college level, and in community settings like public libraries, art centers, and guilds. She designs courses that balance her love of fine craftsmanship with a holistic approach to making. Her teaching is driven by a systematic approach to hands-on research and materials testing, and a desire to welcome and support adult learners as they experiment with techniques and process.
The MCBA/Jerome Book Arts Residency
Every two years, the MCBA/Jerome Book Arts Residency Program awards three early career book artists based in Minnesota with $3,000, 24/7 studio access for one year, and a discount on Artist Collective membership after completion of the residency.
The yearlong residency, complete with group critique sessions, culminates in an exhibition in MCBA’s Main Gallery. The goal of this program is to encourage creation and exhibition of new and compelling artwork, strengthen skills and career development, and deepen relationships in the book arts community.
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