Prospect Refuge Gallery, founded earlier this year by interior designer Victoria Sass of Prospect Refuge Studio, showcases objects designed for living environments, presented in a curated gallery setting. The gallery’s latest exhibition is from McKeever Donovan, a Minnesota native who now resides in New York, and is founder of design studio Midden Projects.
In “The Keep,” a solo presentation of new works, McKeever explores the intersection of theater, design, and domestic space through sculptural furniture, mirrors, and lighting that challenge traditional boundaries. The exhibition opened Oct. 23 and continues through Dec. 18. It’s the first Midwest staging of Donovan’s exploration of materiality and space.
Throughout Prospect Refuge Gallery, Donovan arranges furniture, lighting, and hanging curtains to create a staged scene where objects assume roles within a dramaturgical setting. He uses patinas across stainless steel forms to engage in dialogue with time, blending them with contemporary shapes to evoke both playfulness and solemnity.
“McKeever’s work invites us to see furniture as more than mere function,” says Sass of the new exhibition. “It’s about presence, reflection, and performance—concepts that resonate deeply with how we experience art and life. We’re honored to debut his new body of work here in Minneapolis.”
Inspired by medieval architecture and armor and the elaborate tableaus of that era, Donovan creates contemporary forms that “play with notions of sturdiness and simulacra, and the shift between presence and disguise.” This inspiration also informs the exhibition’s name, “The Keep,” referring to the central castle tower that is both a defensive refuge and space for performative activities. Works featured in the exhibition can be viewed online.
More About the McKeever Donovan
Originally born in St. Paul, Donovan is now based in Brooklyn, New York. He comes to his design practice from a fine arts background, studying sculpture at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and earning a master’s degree at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has been the subject of solo and group exhibitions around the world.
From 2016-2020, Donovan directed The Sunroom, a gallery for emerging and mid-career artists. His design studio, Midden Projects, has recently exhibited with Of The Cloth (NYC), and has furniture in residential and commercial collections nationwide.
