More Shots of My New Work at the MN State Fair

Last month, I shared 2 posts (here and here) about a piece of mine that got into the Minnesota State Fair's Fine Art Exhibition. Here are a few more shots of my piece at the fair.

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My son and I were there when the building opened on the first day of the fair!
(It's usually CRAZY busy in here otherwise.)


My little wooden-framed piece off to the right.


My son told me to enter a printmaking piece next year as I'd have the best odds.


When we were back at the fair another day, we caught this woman enjoying my piece.


I received many photos of my photo from friends who saw it at the fair, like this one from my favorite librarian...


... and this one from a neighbor...


... and this one from a friend.

Even my dental hygenist (who I only know in her professional capacity) asked "was that 'Steve Stenzel' piece at the State Fair yours?!?" And then she had a lot of questions about how it was created. I loved that.

When the fair was over, I stopped by to pick up my piece. We never got to try the Amish Donuts at a stand near the Fine Arts Building, and there were still signs of it the day after the fair:

The Fine Arts Building being dismantled for the year.


Walking through the fairgrounds with my piece.


My piece in the 203-page 2026 Fine Art Exhibition Catalog.

In case you missed it, check out this post about the process of making my piece for the fair and then this post about the Fine Art's "Preview Night" at the 2026 Minnesota State Fair.

2026 Minnesota State Fair 'Fine Arts Preview Night'

I posted earlier this month about having a piece at the Minnesota State Fair's Fine Art Exhibition. Here are a few pics from the Preview Night that was 2 days before the State Fair opened to the public:

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Me with my piece at the "Fine Art Preview Night" a few days before the fair started.


Running into a family friend and her son at the Preview Night (they are on the left).


A few shots of the crowded Preview Night!








There’s my piece near the right.






With malts outside of the Fine Art Building.


Leaving the Preview Night.

See more about my piece in this post.

I'll have a few more pics of my piece up during the State Fair in an upcoming post.

New Work on Display at the MN State Fair

I received some good news about a month ago when I was informed that my piece was accepted into the 2026 Fine Arts Exhibition at the Minnesota State Fair! I got to work cutting a mat and making a frame:

Cutting a rabbet in a piece of poplar.


Mitered and dry fit.

The work I submitted was brand new work from me. I've been experimenting with "cameraless photos" or "photograms" for the last 15 months or so, and I hadn't shown any of the work to anyone, except for a few students. So it was a vulnerable step to submit it to the competition, especially knowing that only about 10% of photography work gets accepted. It's WILD that my piece was picked!

A photogram is made by shining light through a semi-transparent object with photosensitive paper underneath it. That will give you an image like a negative - where the light doesn't get through stays white, and where more light gets through it starts turning black. It takes trial-and-error to figure out the proper exposure time to get a solid range of values.

The negative of some tiny maple seeds. [Click the image for a larger version.]

After the chemistry steps, washing, and drying, I then repeat the process. This time, I place the paper "negative" on top of another sheet of photo paper, do tests to get the proper exposure time figured out, and then shine light through that paper negative to make a proper "positive" print. And voilà: a photo created directly from the object without the use of a camera. The result is a life-size small print as there's no way to enlarge it.

The final print. [Click the image for a larger version.]

There any many more choices that go into making this work, but that's the gist of it. I don't know what I'm doing with this "series" yet. Right now, I'm still just playing. But in a world moving more and more towards embracing A.I., this physical work being created solely in a traditional wet darkroom feels like an intentional return to a slower, tactile practice. And honestly, that could have been part of the draw for the juror of this exhibition - it might sound funny, but there could be a "rebellious" undertone to this cute little idea.

Getting ready to deliever my piece to the fair a few weeks ago.


On display in the Fine Arts Building! [Click the image for a larger version.]


My piece on the wall near the front of the Fine Arts Building, just moments after
the building opened on opening day. [Click the image for a larger version.]

The Fine Arts Building has been BUSY, and I've had friends say they haven't made it in because it's been so crowded. I was there a week ago when the building first opened so I could see more of the work and snap that image above before it became too busy.

I'll have more photos from the exhibition shortly! In the meantime, you have a few more days to stop by the State Fair and check it out!

Crop Art at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair

My son and I were in the horticulture building before it was open on the opening day of the Minnesota State Fair last Thursday. I was entering cherry tomatoes (I ended up earning a 3rd place ribbon!), and the drop off was 6:30 a.m. through 9 a.m. when the building itself didn’t open to the public until after that.

So we had the opportunity to do something amazing: look at the “crop art” with NO ONE else around! Usually that room has a huge line, and it’s packed with viewers during normal fair hours! Here are a few pics:

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My son and about 1/3 of the crop art, before all the building lights were even turned on.

I had a good time explaining some of the “art puns” that were being made with some of the crop art. For example: here we see “Girl with a Pearl Earring” portrayed as a squirrel, as well as “The Son of Man” shown with a corn dog instead of an apple:

"American Gothic" with the 2 MN State Fair mascots, Fairchild and Fairborne.


"Saturn Devouring His Son" but with a corn cob.


Another version of "The Son of Man"


"The Birth of Venus."


"Migrant Mother" - one of the most famous photographs of all time!


"This is not a corn dog" which is a take on "The Treachery of Images,"
and you can see it won an award from the Minneapolis Institue of Arts!

The Minnesota State Fair at 4 a.m.

Last month, I was granted access to the Minnesota State Fair during the 4 a.m. hour as the State Fair was underway. I spent a few early mornings at the State Fair making photos. Here's a selection of what I was able to capture, arranged roughly chronologically.

Click any image to enlarge.

Damp picnic tables.


Corn roast.


Grandstand ramp.


Live reptiles.


Tables at "The Peg" restaurant.


Sunflowers.


El Camino and gladiolus outside of the Agriculture Horticulture Building.


Sunflowers and lights.


Bumper cars.


Ferris wheel before sunrise.


Pronto Pups.


Ferris wheel.


Ball Park Cafe.


Fresh French Fries.


Outside the Food Building with the Agriculture Horticulture Building in the background.


Washing cows. (By FAR the most activity during the 4 a.m. hour was in or near the barns.)


Sheep building.


What the Hay!


Sunflowers and hay bales.


Photo op.


Horse barn.


Sweet Martha's Cookies.


Minnesota Beef Expo.


Large cattle.


Grandstand.


State Fair.


Knitted Elvis.


A crocheted bison.


World's Largest Midway.


Blue Barn.


Lost stroller.


Standard Oil Co.


Only in MN.


Food Building deliveries.


Empty Food Building (a striking scene if you know about the madness that is usually happening in there).


Danielle Hunter and Kirk Cousins.


Miracle of Birth Barn.


Uncle Sam in the Horse Barn.


Early morning practice in the Coliseum.


Empty Coliseum.

Follow me on Instagram at @PhotoStenzel to see more.