Next stop: The Newseum

The Newseum: Celebrating the First Amendment

The Newseum, an interactive museum of news and journalism in Washington D.C., is dedicated to educating the public about the value of a free press in a free society. The museum tells the stories of the world's significant events in unique and engaging ways. Located just off Pennsylvania Avenue near the U.S. Capitol, it occupies a high-profile spot in a high-profile city.

As part of our ongoing collaboration with the AmericanPoverty.org photojournalism exhibit, we produced several large (48”x72”) mounted prints for a reception at the Newseum later this week. The images needed to be substantial because the reception hall is spacious, and visual impact is crucial. This exhibit aims to create momentum for the AmericanPoverty.org campaign moving forward.

These images feature a beautiful platinum print finish. Platinum prints, sometimes called platinotypes, are one of the oldest photographic processing techniques, offering the greatest tonal range of any printing method using wet chemistry development. In the digital age, platinum prints are replicated on the computer, yet they do an excellent job of recreating the original look.

2010 promises to see an acceleration of activity with Catholic Charities and AmericanPoverty.org.

Hard Boiled Art exhibit

Hard Boiled Art: Original Pulp Magazine Cover Art Exhibit

Details have been finalized for our next original art exhibit. "Hard Boiled Art" presents original pulp magazine cover art from the 1930s to the 1960s. The exhibit will run from November 5th to December 6th, 2009, with a reception date still to be determined.

This is a unique art form. Pulp magazine covers were very sensational and were considered the most important aspect of the sales of any particular pulp series. The socially acceptable boundaries were often tested, and the topics reflected the popular culture of the time.

The covers were typically machismo in nature, with elements of evil or danger and at least one hero. The 1930s had strong detective and science-fiction followings, while the 1960s were all about the 'Red Scare' of the communists.

Regardless of the threat, the damsels in distress typically had a torn blouse. :)

Come and enjoy the exhibit. This is a rare opportunity to see the original art used to create the published covers. It's fun and an absolute snapshot of an industry that hardly exists any longer.

Today was a good day

A Pleasant Surprise from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune

This morning, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune business columnist Dick Youngblood wrote a very favorable column about our business here in Red Wing. It was a lot of fun getting to know Dick over several conversations and meetings, and I really didn't know what to expect. Needless to say, I was very happy and a bit embarrassed by the attention.

But it was the sub-headline on the second page of the hard-copy article that really made me smile. For many years, I thought I was a "washed-up sales rep" when, in fact, I was only a "burned-out sales rep." Imagine my relief.

You gotta love it. 😊

The article can be found here.

Thanks for the article, Dick, and thanks for the support, Dave Murphy from Red Wing Shoes.

Flyway Film Festival countdown

2nd Annual Flyway Film Festival

This weekend is the much-anticipated 2nd annual Flyway Film Festival. The event kicks off on Thursday night with a meet-and-greet reception, and the opening night of movies begins on Friday night with "Storm," followed by "Ink." In many cases, both actors and the directors of the films will be at the festival to answer questions. Over the course of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, more than 30 independent films will be shown.

Saturday will be a bit different, featuring a one-day, genre-specific event of classic and cutting-edge independent zombie films. And everybody loves a good movie about the undead :)

We are proud to be a red carpet sponsor of this ambitious art endeavor and to have provided the large format graphics to promote this event.

Details are available at FlywayFilmFestival.org. See you in Stockholm this weekend!

Why don't you take a picture? It will last longer.

Capturing Moments Before They Disappear

For the humor-deprived, the title might seem borderline inappropriate, but it's actually quite fitting.

Photographers have a duty to document the world as it is. Many iconic pieces of our existence are vanishing, and once they're gone, they're gone forever. A drive-in movie theater, for example, lasts only as long as the economics of local development allow. Once the land becomes more valuable for another purpose, adios drive-in movie theater.

Pay attention to everything and take nothing for granted. Don't tell yourself that you'll take a certain photo someday. Take it today.

AmericanPoverty.org

AmericanPoverty.org Exhibit Kicks Off at Catholic Charities USA Annual Conference

Last week, Catholic Charities USA kicked off their annual conference in Portland, Oregon, with the large format photojournalism exhibit produced by the In Our Own Backyard photojournalism team. Entitled AmericanPoverty.org, this exhibit aims to raise awareness of people living in poverty in the United States. Catholic Charities has set an ambitious goal to reduce poverty in the United States by 50 percent by the year 2020. They understand that the only way to meet such an aggressive goal is to set the bar very high.

In Our Own Backyard is a team of skilled and seasoned photojournalists who have witnessed firsthand the struggles of extreme poverty in the United States. This team includes talented photojournalists such as Steve Liss, Jon Lowenstein, Brenda Ann Kenneally, and Eli Reed. They have crisscrossed the United States, capturing exactly what it means to be poor.

It has been a delight to be involved in this project. The deadlines were tight, and God bless overnight delivery. There are at least six more cities that will be hosting this exhibit over the next year, so we look forward to future involvement. Learn more about this large format photojournalism project at AmericanPoverty.org.

New Red Wing Shoe Store and Museum

Red Wing Shoe Company: A Pillar of the Community

Red Wing is a company town, and the name of that company is the Red Wing Shoe Company.

Red Wing Shoe (or 'The Shoe' to the locals) has been manufacturing shoes and boots in Red Wing for over 100 years. The company manufactures and sells purpose-built footwear. Some of their target markets include oil and gas, construction, iron workers, agriculture, hunting, and hiking. Their largest manufacturing plant is in Red Wing, Minnesota. Almost all other footwear today is manufactured and imported from low-cost countries, so a work boot made in the USA is unique.

The Shoe is paternal about the City of Red Wing. When The Shoe announced last year that they were going to purchase a blighted downtown building and create a flagship shoe store and museum, it was a major announcement, especially locally.

This past week, The Shoe moved their World's Largest Boot (20x a normal boot) from a warehouse to the new store. It was an exciting event that garnered a lot of attention. As exciting as that was, the energy level is even higher inside the store as employees scramble to meet an aggressive deadline in opening the new store.

Red Wing Shoe understands the value of visuals and is an image-oriented company. We are proud to have provided the graphics and framing for this exciting new venue. The store opens August 3rd, and the museum later this month.