2014 Flyway Film Festival
Every year we take this photo because every year we like to be involved in the Flyway Film Festival.
This year the Festival will continue to grow and we are delighted to be a small part of it.
Fall is our favorite time of year
Downtown Red Wing looks spectacular in the fall. The colors absolutely pop and the well preserved buildings look fantastic.
2011 Flyway Film Festival
Flyway Film Festival: A Creative Celebration
The Flyway Film Festival is one of our favorite events each year. This uninhibited creative endeavor spans three days in October. Each year, the festival has grown in size and scale, and this year promises to be especially exciting.
First, the Flyway Film folks received a generous grant from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, which will significantly boost marketing efforts. This extra funding will help expand the festival's reach.
Second, the festival graphic is noteworthy for its artist. Gaylord Shanilec created the original etching of the three pelicans used in the poster. Gaylord is undeniably talented, and pelicans are indigenous to this area, making it an exceptional image representing our region.
Lastly, a very limited edition of signed fine art prints will be available for purchase, with proceeds helping to fund the festival. We printed these limited edition prints on Hahnemühle textured 100% cotton paper, ensuring they will last for hundreds of years.
Mark your calendars for October 23-25. We can't wait!
Barge season begins
Mississippi River Ice Breakup Signals End of Winter
The ice on the Mississippi River has broken up enough to allow barge traffic to begin moving upstream. This is significant for the area as it officially signals the end of winter weather.
We experienced a significant blizzard in December, and without a mid-winter melt, the snow accumulated all winter, resulting in the fourth snowiest winter on record.
This has led to flooding concerns along the Mississippi River. However, just as the days began getting longer, we entered a prolonged period of weather that hovered around the 32-degree mark. This substantially slowed the melting, and the river crested just below the flood point. Another crest is expected in about three weeks when the runoff from up north reaches this area.
The photo above was taken from the Eisenhower Bridge.
2010 Flyway Film Festival
Flyway Film Festival: A Red Carpet Sponsorship
Once again, we are delighted to be a red carpet sponsor of the Flyway Film Festival. Now in its third year, this event is really beginning to gain traction. The quality of the movies this year is very impressive.
The Festival kicks off on Thursday, October 21, with a gala event where sponsors, directors, actors, and organizers get together to nibble on snacks, drink some wine, and engage in creative discussions. The evening will conclude with an awards ceremony.
The films start on Friday, October 22, with the screening of "Baraboo," an intriguing film about life and the hands we are dealt. Over the course of the weekend, 21 films will be screened.
For more details, visit FlywayFilmFestival.org. See you in Stockholm in two weeks!
A busy gig
January Surprises and Exciting Projects
January is usually a quiet month in the art and framing industry. There might be a small bump in business due to some Christmas follow-up framing, but that trickles away pretty quickly.
This January was an exception. Several projects came in the door because of fiscal calendar years that started on January 1st. Another major Catholic Charities project was delivered, this time for a Centennial Leadership Summit in San Jose, CA. This was the largest venue so far (the 4th), and it will move across the United States every month until September, where hopefully it will exhibit at the White House. I love working on this project because it leverages the power of photography, and it is an absolute adrenaline rush to meet the tight deadlines. In this business, this is known as a 'good gig'.
We also had our first order from Turkmenistan, specifically Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. This is a former Soviet Union republic that declared independence in 1991. It was a nice-sized order of 10 large-format mounted images and one extremely large canvas print. There is a sense of satisfaction in knowing your handiwork is on the job in some remote part of the world.
On an unrelated note, Downtown Mainstreet agreed to co-sponsor a photography competition with Red Wing Framing & Fine Art Printing. It's always fun to have too much to do.
And finally, if nothing else, I learned a long time ago to surround myself with very smart people. Or at least stand close to them.
I am uber-excited about a new project that some very smart people I have come to know are advising me on. This is on a six-month timetable, so the details will roll out over time.
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.
