Margaret Kerfoot Jennison (1901-1995)

 

In 1947, Kerfoot returned to her alma mater, Hamline University, where she served as a professor of art and department chair until June 1952.  From 1946-1948, Kerfoot served as an assistant professor of art at Hood College (Frederick, MD) and was a lecturer of art at Syracuse University. While in Syracuse, Kerfoot was active in the Associated Artists of Syracuse, the Faculty Women's Club, and her local church.

 

Kerfoot was a member of the Western Art Association and the Minnesota Art Association. She exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago (1936), the Kansas City Art Institute (1937), the Minnesota State Fair (1934-1941), the Minneapolis Institute of Art (1935-1941), and the North Shore (MN) Art Association (1936). Kerfoot eventually settled in Boulder, Colorado following the death of her husband; she died there in May 1995. Hamline University's fund to support its permanent art collection is named in Margaret Kerfoot Jennison's honor.

 

Kerfoot's noteworthy career as a secondary, art educator began at Austin, Minnesota's high school (1923-1924), followed by teaching at high schools in Ironwood, Michigan (1925-1926) and Highland, Illinois (1927-1928). Her first university appointment occurred at Montana State College (now MSU) in Bozeman (1926-1927). She also served as an art instructor at Illinois State Normal University (1929-1936). Kerfoot attended the 1933 session of the Stone City art colony. Soon thereafter, she began a second series of academic appointments, gaining a reputation as a gifted instructor on the undergraduate level.

 

Kerfoot joined the art department of Carleton College (Northfield, Minnesota) in 1937 as an instructor in art. During her eight years on the faculty, she taught courses in drawing, design, history of decorative arts and architecture, painting, art appreciation, drawing, composition, and advanced painting.  She soon became an assistant professor of art and served as chair of the art department.  Kerfoot left the campus in 1945 after post-World War II enrollment levels called for a reduction in staffing within the department. While teaching at Carleton College, Kerfoot served as a faculty member at the Stillwater Art Colony in Stillwater, Minnesota.

 

She frequently travelled to the Rocky Mountain region, participating in western art colonies. She founded the Gilpin County Arts Association (Central City, CO) in 1947; she often resided in Colorado during many of her academic term breaks. During the 1945-1946 academic year, Kerfoot was employed as an assistant professor of art at Allegheny College (Meadville, PA).