As a visiting professor of art, Steven Lemke ’08 can’t imagine himself teaching anywhere other than the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University.
“To me, it’s a no brainer,” Lemke said. “What truly motivates and energizes me to go to work is teaching in a liberal arts setting. So being at a Benedictine institution like CSB and SJU is a dream come true.
“I love the history and legacy of these schools, and the sense of community you find here.”
Lemke’s commitment to the mission of CSB and SJU carries through to his work in the classroom, making him the perfect choice as this year’s Catholic Benedictine Educator Award winner.
The award – sponsored by the Benedictine Institute at SJU and the CSB Koch Chair in Catholic Thought and Culture – recognizes a CSB and SJU faculty member whose teaching “successfully integrates the Catholic Benedictine tradition with courses in their academic discipline and/or the Integrations Curriculum.”
“The Catholic Benedictine tradition has relevance for all academic disciplines,” said Jessie Bazan, acting director of the Benedictine Institute. “It was exciting to celebrate Steven’s work in the art department and the intentional ways he roots his classes in the faith missions of CSB and SJU.”
Lemke said he was deeply humbled and incredibly grateful to receive the honor.
“This is my first year in a full-time teaching role so I was extremely surprised to say the least,” said Lemke, who served as environmental artist-in-residence at SJU from 2021 to this past summer before moving into his new role.
“It’s an unbelievable honor to receive, and as someone who was lucky enough to benefit from the Benedictine tradition here in my own education, it has special meaning to me.”
After graduating from SJU, Lemke went on to earn an M.F.A. in sculpture from the department of art, art history and design at the University of Notre Dame, a school where he later worked in a variety of roles before spending a year as a visiting assistant professor of sculpture at Auburn University.
Lemke’s prior honors range from honorable mention distinction from the Midwest Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) for excellence in teaching to a U.S. Fulbright Research Fellowship in sculpture to the Slovak Republic. He has received funding for his work from the U.S. Department of State, the College Art Association (CAA), the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Central Minnesota Arts Board, the Nanovic Institute for European Studies and the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts.
In addition, he has completed a number of residencies including the 2022 Steven Holl Foundation/T-Space Architecture Fellowship in New York, the 2023 Saint Croix Watershed Research Station Residency in Marine on Saint Croix, Minnesota, and the 2024 Anderson Center at Tower View/Stadt Salzburg Residency in Austria.
In 2023, Lemke was selected by the Benedictine Institute to serve as the SJU faculty representative to the annual Collegium conference – an event focused on how to serve the mission of Catholic universities.
He said his experience there continues to inform his scholarship and teaching.
“At Collegium I was reminded of the incredible impact that CSB and SJU has made in the arts,” Lemke said. “Here were faculty from Catholic universities across the U.S. who saw in us a significant commitment to creativity in community. It was a real light-bulb moment for me.”
As an example, students in his sculpture course at CSB and SJU, as well as participants in an art and sustainability internship program he created make use of recycled materials donated by the community, showcase a commitment to the Benedictine value of stewardship.
Likewise, his sustainability-focused architecture and design courses give students a chance to look at current challenges through the prism of Benedictine values like human dignity and care for the poor.
“His courses demonstrate the Benedictine practices of good stewardship, hospitality and the development of the whole person,” wrote Br. David Paul Lange, OSB, the vocation director at Saint John’s Abbey, in his letter nominating Lemke for the Catholic Benedictine Educator Award.
“His approach to our curriculum is designed to challenge students to connect technical skill and artistic expression with how art can serve the common good.”
Lemke credits Lange – whose role as an art faculty member he inherited – as a role model for his own work. Together, the two created the 614-pound bronze statue of Saint Benedict found on the Stephen B. Humphrey Auditorium Plaza near the Abbey Church and Great Hall on the SJU campus.
“I try to channel his work ethic and passion for teaching every day,” said Lemke, the first faculty member to receive the award who is also a CSB or SJU alum. “It was a tremendous honor to co-create (the statue) with him.
“CSB and SJU are great places to study and practice art because of the work of Br. David Paul and so many others. This creative legacy is a vital part of what makes our two campuses such a special community.”