Word of the Day:
Pugnacious.
1) That which is about the mannerisms and/or characteristics of the pug-nosed dog. E.g., "That dog is sure pugnacious!"
2) George Will.
The Shell takes shape
Central Park Bandshell Construction Update
The Central Park Bandshell took a big leap forward yesterday when the crane arrived to install the ironwork. The entire back wall will be glass, making the bandshell inviting from both sides. The roof shape is designed to create a better acoustical environment. The rendering on the bottom image is the architectural orthographic projection.
And just to clarify, the actual audience will not be semi-transparent. 😊
Stewy's on Main
New Restaurant in Downtown Red Wing: Stewy's on Main
Another restaurant has opened in Downtown Red Wing. Stewy's on Main will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and provide a full bar offering.
Stew approached us a month ago and gave us free rein (with his final approval) to design attractive wall images. It was decided to focus on local iconic scenes, with a focus on both sides of the Mississippi River.
Panel prints are used. This is a print on hardboard mounted with a reverse frame to create a wall stand-off and laminated with a linen finish. The beauty of this product is that it is very contemporary, pool-table flat, no glass is used, and it creates a very nice drop-shadow effect. Each image is either 40"x40" or 27"x40".
The first grouping of three are all Downtown Red Wing photos, with the common denominator of the violin-playing model. These were printed with a brown sepia tone.
The second grouping is from the Maiden Rock Flood Run in 2004. Same image tone, different effect.
One wall is all about elegance and grace, and the other wall is all about machines and chrome.
Yin and Yang. Joanie loves Chachi.
Mr. Pin-up
Spotlight on Dan Murphy's Illustration Art Collection
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune featured a wonderful story today about Dan Murphy and his illustration art collection. We had the pleasure of working with Dan and Sarah on two different occasions: once in 2007 for The Dream Girl exhibit and again in 2008 for The Cream of Wheat exhibit.
Dan has an impressive collection and is a recognized expert in this genre. I look forward to working with Dan again this year, possibly on a pulp men's magazine (think True Detective) or a science-fiction exhibit.
The War on Poverty
Steve Liss: Photojournalist and Humanitarian
Steve Liss is a highly accomplished photojournalist, with an impressive 43 Time Magazine cover photos to his credit.
However, it is not just his professional success that Liss takes the most pride in. Steve Liss is a humanitarian who uses photo essays to shed light on tough topics. His subjects have included poverty in the Mississippi Delta, runaway youth living on the streets of Hollywood, and studies of the Nuns of Mankato and Alzheimer's disease. He has been honored with the Soros Justice Media Fellowship for his work on juvenile justice and the Alicia Patterson Fellowship for his work on domestic poverty.
We are thrilled and honored to be invited to participate in his latest project, titled In Our Own Backyard: U.S. Poverty in the 21st Century. This unique poverty awareness initiative is being undertaken by more than 15 preeminent American photojournalists. The project's goal is to utilize the visual power of large-format documentary photography to elevate the discussion of making the fight against poverty a national priority.
This project is in partnership with Catholic Charities and their campaign to cut poverty in half by 2020. Starting in the fall of 2009, nine major photographic and multimedia exhibits, each featuring 50 emotionally moving large-format photographs, will tour throughout the United States.
The project will kick off at a leadership summit on April 20, 2009, at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, MN. For more information, you can register here and view the invitation postcard here.
Poverty has many faces, and it is impossible to ignore when seen up close and personal. It is projects like this that make our work feel less like work and more like purpose.
Central Park Bandshell 2 month update
Red Wing Central Park Band Shell: Architectural Rendering
Currently, the bandshell is mostly shrouded under plastic, so there's not much to see. However, loyal readers may want to check out the architectural rendering of the bandshell layout. It's going to be awesome!
This building has historical bones
A Journey Through Time: The History of The Lidberg Studio
1894 - Andrew Lidberg, an immigrant from Jarpen, Sweden, builds and opens The Lidberg Studio at 443 W. 3rd Street, Downtown Red Wing, Minnesota (the corner of W. 3rd Street and East Avenue), right next to Charlie Wah's Chinese Laundry. The Daily Republican on April 9, 1894, writes, "Mr. Lidberg opened his gallery today, and it is a fine one. He will employ only competent workers and work at the lowest living prices."
1899 - Upon graduating from Red Wing High School, Andrew's son Edward joins the studio full-time. The Lidbergs begin producing the first series of colored souvenir postcards of Red Wing and the surrounding area. The photos are exposed on glass plates and developed at the studio. Negatives are then sent to Germany to be lithographed into color postcards. These postcards are now collector's items with a passionate following.
1902 - Local businessman T.B. Sheldon donates money to the City of Red Wing to build the country's first city-owned theater. To make room for the Sheldon Theatre, The Lidberg Studio is moved across the park mall to 312 West Avenue, where the building is located today. A glass wall is oriented to the east to provide natural light for portrait photography.
1910? - Andrew Lidberg retires. Frank Booth, a graduate of Effingham School of Photography in Illinois, joins the studio.
1915 - Due to the war in Europe, it becomes increasingly difficult to receive color lithographs from Germany. Senator Knute Nelson intervenes to get a production run of postcards released. Production is moved to Chicago (Acmegraph Company) and Milwaukee (E.C. Kropp Company).
1915 - Edward Lidberg begins his real estate career, and the photography business winds down. By 1920, the building becomes a full-time real estate office.
1920-1953 - Very few building details are available. It is believed that from approximately 1920 to 1936, it was a real estate office, and from about 1937 until 1953, it housed various photography studios.
1953 - The Chalet Studio opens. This portrait studio is owned and operated by Ms. Louella Champs.
1972 - Edward Lidberg passes away.
1978 - The Chalet Studio closes, leaving the building in very rough shape with the roof in danger of collapsing.
1979 - The building is repaired and restored by Dick Tittle, becoming home to InComm Realty and Maas Realty.
2008 - The building becomes home to Red Wing Framing Gallery and Red Wing Portrait Studio.
What goes around, comes around—even if it takes 114 years.