Hometime...yet again (ver. 2009)

Hometime Episode Re-Broadcast

The Hometime episode we were involved with last year is being re-broadcast over the next several weeks, beginning this past Saturday (01-24-09). Locally, it will be shown on Saturday, February 14, 2009, at 5:30 pm (TPT, channel 2).

What a terrific opportunity this has been for us, and I am thankful for being so fortunate. We have met many people and had a blast being involved.

One of the more interesting aspects for me was the challenge from an operational standpoint. Extremely tight (and rigid) deadlines required us to essentially close the shop for two days to conduct filming. If I remember right, it was six, 18-hour days in a row. There were a flub or two (or three) along the way, but nothing that couldn't be fixed (or reprinted).

Web traffic has been significantly heavier this year. I think it's because Hometime has a much better schedule this year on PBS (they typically block it right before "This Old House"), and search engines have had a full year to digest and sort relevant inquiries. Consequently, the search listings are more favorable.

The Beast

The Beast Project: Red Wing Shoe Company Store

Right next door to Norton's restaurant is the new Red Wing Shoe Company store that is being built. This store will be a showcase for The Shoe, which has its world headquarters directly across the street. Red Wing Shoes are simply the best-made boots and shoes in the world. I wear my Model 414 boots for nine months out of the year, and I personally vouch for the high quality and ruggedness of their products.

This project is labeled "The Beast" because of the conditions that these images have to tolerate... beastly. The first day of installation, the weather was -15°F with snow and high winds. The construction wall is literally 6 inches from Highway 61, and the images have to tolerate heavy truck traffic, dirt, grime, and salt, not to mention the weather extremes.

Each image (there are two) is 6' x 15'. The final architectural concept drawing is included, along with an opening date and Shoe logo. A heavy-duty scrim material was deployed, and it was further protected with the thickest laminate available. The edges were treated with a super glue-like adhesive, and 1/2" weather-resistant and reinforced nickel grommets were used every 2.5 feet.

Ode to W. H.

This is on a load-bearing post in the basement of the frame shop.

”W.H., July 17, 1919, Age 14”

Is this misleading?

The Sales Department and Marketing Department both said it was ok. The Accounting and Legal Departments were not so sure. You be the judge.

There were no complaints. Mostly these kind of events are about meeting our downtown neighbors and learning more about them...and getting rid of some things in the process is the bonus. The first two items to go were items that I only reluctantly sold, because of sentiment more than anything else. But hey, if it has a new home and somebody else can appreciate it, so be it.

Cream of Wheat; 1913-1925

Hosting Our First Major Exhibit at the New Location

This week, we decided to host our first major exhibit at our new location. It features original art from the Cream of Wheat advertising campaign from the period of 1913-1925. The exhibit begins on October 10, 2008, which doesn't leave much runway for a show of this magnitude, but it was a fairly spontaneous decision by all the players involved.

The worst thing an art gallery can do is be boring, and this exhibit is anything but.

This exhibit is fascinating on many levels. To begin with, the art is amazing. The campaign director was very insistent on using the best available illustration artists, and the art reflects that. The imagery is very wholesome and comforting, and humor is a common element in many of the illustrations.

The exhibit also presents and discusses the use of racial stereotypes in the media. Times change, and so do acceptable standards. The Cream of Wheat campaign usually used an African-American chef as a welcoming and reassuring icon. Was this naive, demeaning, or enlightened on the part of Cream of Wheat?

Additionally, Cream of Wheat went from a minor grain mill in North Dakota to a major worldwide cereal company in ten years because of its effective use of advertising and image branding. This alone is worthy of a Harvard business case study.

Cream of Wheat was located in Northeast Minneapolis from 1897 to 2002. The company has changed hands several times and is no longer independent. These paintings were in storage in the archives of the headquarters until the building was converted to condominiums in 2005. This might be the last opportunity to see a body of work this complete.

The best part of this exhibit is the chance to work with Dan and Sarah again. We first worked with them last year for The Dream Girl exhibit, and they are a class act. Maybe next year we can do a pulp fiction or science fiction theme?

The fine art of fine art printing

The Art and Science of Fine Art Printing

Fine art printing is one of my favorite aspects of this business.

Printing is a nuanced science. By this, I mean that while printing can be defined in technical terms, it is the final perception by the viewer that defines the print's impact.

But it isn't rocket science, and it isn't brain surgery.

The first thing a fine art print shop needs to accomplish is having all of the devices interpret color the same way. This is achieved through closed loop calibration, which normalizes the environment. Outside the loop, colors might shift unless the device outside the loop is given the same calibration specifications. Color calibration requires regular re-calibration due to temperature and humidity changes.

That solves the issue of repeatability. The next step is accuracy.

Accuracy requires understanding the personality of the devices and the media. Every media has unique characteristics. We create about 1,200 color patches for each media we use. These patches are read back into the computer with a photospectrometer (a device that reads color) and a compensation file is created based on the expected versus the actual color values. This color profile is used by the printer to compensate for any color shifts.

However, there is an infinite number of color frequencies between each of the 1,200 patches, and this is where the media personalities come into play. Does the media like blue frequencies? How well does it contrast? How bright is the base material? Stuff like that.

Fine art printing can be somewhat iterative, but it isn't 'black magic'. I smile every time I hear a printer try to make the process sound so mysterious.

So anyway, lots of variables, and each project is unique.

Good times, and Save the Chief.

Catching Up: The Move, Hometime, and Other Business Updates

Catching Up: The Move, Hometime, and New Beginnings

This will be a humble attempt to get you up to speed in one entry.

The Move: It deserves capital letters to convey its impact. I have a habit of thinking that if I live long enough (say, 200 years), I'll find a use for nearly everything. Consequently, I don't throw much out. This isn't an issue if you have the space to stash all your stuff, but when moving into a space that requires storage discipline, life can get, well, stressful.

The bottom line is that we have moved, and the new space is awesome (photos coming soon). I think my thumbs are only sprained, not broken. I'm still renting half of my old space (saw room, portrait studio, and more stored items), which is my way of not throwing things out.

The photo above was taken last Sunday from Barn Bluff. It gives you an idea of where we are located among the other buildings in Red Wing. The people waving in the inset (squint hard) are my wife and my older brother (who is celebrating his birthday today).

Hometime Summary: 'Amazing' seems like an appropriate adjective.

The Hometime show was originally broadcast a month ago and is typically shown at different PBS affiliates across the US every Saturday or Sunday, moving from East Coast to West Coast. I think some of the major markets in California will broadcast it this weekend.

We've made a lot of new friends from all over the country, and the added business has been very nice. I feel very fortunate to have had this level of visibility, and there are several interesting opportunities and partnerships that have emerged from the Hometime project. I should have something more concrete to share soon. Good stuff.

I want to thank Dean Johnson and his entire crew for thinking of us.

Other Business-Related Updates: We are fully operational in the new location. We're still straddling two locations, so that requires a bit more forethought and planning. The new neighborhood is fantastic—much more jogger and baby-buggy friendly. The intention is to use the outside of the building itself as a gallery. This will make more sense when we do it, rather than trying to explain it.

And finally: A video study group is forming in Red Wing, with the eventual goal of showcasing independent video projects. The AV Club of Red Wing. Every member will be required to have white tape on the bridge of their glasses. Email me if you need more information. In the meantime, "Save the Chief."