Friends, Framing, Business, Downtown Red Wing John Becker Friends, Framing, Business, Downtown Red Wing John Becker

Go forth and conquer

Recognizing Our Local Talent: Devin and Hailey

We are very fortunate to have a steady source of dependable and reliable workers from the local vocational college.

Minnesota State College Southeast Technical has a unique guitar and mandolin building program. These students typically have an uncommon attention to detail and are always mechanically inclined.

We came to know Devin and his girlfriend Hailey this past year while Devin attended the guitar program. Devin is holding his final electric guitar project and Hailey is holding his mandolin project.

We hired Devin last year, and he was a terrific employee. He finished his program and immediately landed a job in St. Paul at a guitar shop.

We are delighted to have gotten to know both of them and wish them good luck!

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Friends John Becker Friends John Becker

Bear the Wonder Dog, 2000 - 2013

A Tribute to Bear

Bear has been a shop fixture since we opened the shop. His body failed him earlier this year, and it has been a steady decline ever since. He will be genuinely missed.

Bear was an extremely active dog with a terrific sense of humor. If he was in a playful mood, he knew exactly how to agitate to get the attention he wanted. He enjoyed greeting the customers long enough to get their attention and hopefully get a treat.

Rest in peace, Bear.

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Business, Friends, Events, Exhibits, Art John Becker Business, Friends, Events, Exhibits, Art John Becker

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!

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Personal, Photojournalism, Photography, Friends John Becker Personal, Photojournalism, Photography, Friends John Becker

Hole in the Wall

Supporting a Rising Filmmaker: My Niece's Journey

My niece is on her way to becoming a famous filmmaker. Recently, she won a grant from the IFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts, enabling her to film and produce her original screenplay, "Hole in the Wall." It's a short film that explores the intergenerational tension between a father and a son.

I had the privilege of shooting still set photography during the movie production. We shot the exteriors on the first day and the interiors on the second day. The interiors were filmed in a dilapidated house in Minneapolis with extremely small rooms. I used an extremely wide lens and shot mostly from the hip to capture the tightness of the set and minimize camera intrusion.

It was a fascinating yet tedious process. Everything was captured on real film, which presents its own challenges. A single overhead jetliner can ruin a shot, and you never know if there was a light leak until after the film is processed.

In the top photo, my niece Mandy is on the left, reviewing a shot setup. The bottom photo shows the primary room where the father confronts the son.

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Friends, Local, Downtown Red Wing, Events local, Exhibits, Fine Art Printing, Printing John Becker Friends, Local, Downtown Red Wing, Events local, Exhibits, Fine Art Printing, Printing John Becker

Cartooning…

Exciting Upcoming Art Exhibit: Contemporary Cartoon Artists

We are thrilled to announce tentative arrangements for an art exhibit later this year featuring the work of contemporary cartoon artists. Our friend Britt Aamodt will be releasing her book around the same time, driving this exhibit forward. Her book will be available at the Minnesota Historical Society Press.

The plan is to invite several talented artists, showcase large format cartoons, hold a cartooning Q&A session, and host a book signing event spread across three venues: Best of Times Bookstore, The Sheldon Theatre mezzanine gallery, and our gallery.

You might wonder if cartooning is a legitimate art medium. It absolutely is! And I would suggest keeping any doubts to yourself, lest you become the target of a parodied cartoon.

The beauty of cartooning lies in its versatility. It can lampoon or glamorize its subjects, be humorous or brutally frank, address real life or create an entirely new universe with its own rules. In other words, cartoon art defies definition.

This exhibit promises to be a lot of fun. I grew up reading the comics, and I still enjoy them today. I love the comics.

This event aligns perfectly with our past exhibits, including the Brown & Bigelow Pin-up exhibit in 2007, the Cream of Wheat original advertising art in 2008, and the original pulp magazine cover art in 2009. Stay tuned for more details as they unfold.

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