Sweet Email After Finals

All grades have just been submitted, and I'm a free man for the next week or so! After my first final about 10 days ago, I got this very sweet email from a student in my early design class at the University of Minnesota:

[click to enlarge]

Notes on My Door From Students

As we're starting to wrap up the semester at Concordia University (where I showed pics of students in the darkroom and where they printed some great photograms), I've been opening the darkroom 4 hours early a few days each week. I came in at our normal class time after having the lab open all morning to find this note on my door:

It's crunch time!!...

Failed Selfies

2022 MCAD Art Sale

This past weekend was the bigger-every-year MCAD Art Sale. I stopped by Friday night and took a quick look around before I became too overwhelmed. Here are a few pics:

[click any image for a larger version]

The main gallery and lines for checking out.


The main gallery.


The photography hallway.


One of my pieces at the upper left.


More of the photo hallway - I have a piece in the upper right and the one two spots to the left of that one.


Other side of the photo hallway.


Paintings back by the auditorium.


More paintings.


In the hallway to the studios.


A tiny section of the furniture area upstairs.


A lot of temporary walls set up in the lounge area on the 2nd floor.




More 2nd floor art.


The north side of the lounge area on the 2nd floor.


Heading toward the illustation section above the main gallery.


Over by the boutique (but I never made it all the way back to the boutique on the far right).


One final trip down the photo hallway.

I ended up selling a handful of pieces, so I'm happy to be bringing back home less than I dropped off!

My Boys Printing in the Darkroom

I recently made this reel for Instagram of my boys making a print in the Concordia darkroom:

Direct link: youtu.be/LF4P7j6gaP4

Maybe sweeter than that is this next video. This is an unedited 90 sec video of my 11-year-old teaching my 8-year-old how to make a print. I didn't have to say a word... my oldest was able to get through the entire process and teach his younger brother:

Direct link: youtu.be/qteX_4gUbnA

These videos were from last month when I was "testing" out the lab for the first time to make sure everything was working OK. I knew my boys could find this interesting, so I brought them along. They ended up loving it.

Upcoming MCAD Art Sale

I dropped off a handful of pieces at MCAD this past weekend for their Art Sale NEXT weekend:

Walking in from the back lot.


My pieces lined up ready to be labeled.


Labeling.


The back area by the auditorium was set up for labeling work.


I was early (completely not shocking if you know me), so there's
my work off toward the right on otherwise empty shelves.

Come check it out next weekend if you're in town!

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.