People – A Sense of Place by Virginia Danfelt includes an interesting variety of community members like Roger Kelly who reluctantly posed next to his portrait at the opening reception. The show continues through Sunday, June 24.
PEOPLE: A Sense of Place by Virginia Danfelt opened at the Johnson Heritage Post in Grand Marais on Friday, June 1, 2012. The opening was a bit surreal, with an eclectic collection of 60 individual portraits of community members hanging on the gallery walls—with many of those same community members taking in the show.
The photos in the show have a unique appearance—allwerecreatedwitha2¼x 2 ¼ Hasselblad camera using Kodak T-Max films with speeds of 100 and 400. She meticulously developed the photos in her Hovland darkroom, in a process little used today.
Each photo could stand alone, a portrait of a Cook County resident, standing nervously or confidently at home or at work. Together the portraits—of the construction worker, the artist, the nurse, the logger, the fisherman, the farmer, the business owner, the retired person and more—create an interesting look at our community.
In her exhibit brochure, Danfelt explained, “This photographic collection is a small sampling of a variety of Cook County residents who live in Grand Marais, Hovland and Grand Portage communities. They represent the distinct group of people who have chosen both with deliberation and by default to stay and make this place home.
“Some are from families that have lived here for generations. Others are first generation county residents. They are who we are: Americans and Minnesotans living today,” Danfelt wrote.
Although the exhibit is enhanced by knowing the individuals in the photographs, it will be enjoyed by all as a snapshot of our community.
Portraits: A Sense of Place continues through Sunday, June 24.
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