Power and Influence in Art in Small Town Minnesota

Austin, Minnesota, is known for many things depending on who you talk to. When traveling for my regular job as a portrait photographer with Lifetouch, I often here of our biggest employer in town, Hormel Foods Incorporate. I hear, “The town of SPAM. They even have a museum dedicated to SPAM.” I hear of the days of the big labor strike that came through in the 80s. I occasionally hear, “Oh, I have been there many times. It sure has changed over the years.” And on occasion I even hear, “I am from there and I do not go back much. What is it like now?” Or I hear the opposite once in a great while of, “I grew up there and still have relatives there. I go back and visit them occasionally. Where do you life in Austin? They live over by…” Rarely do I hear though of people knowing about another aspect of Austin that I grew up with–a thriving place of, while small town in style, a performing and visual arts community.

One of the goals with Solid Rock Photography was to help bring the awareness of the arts in Austin to a greater audience. Sad to say it but it began to be true that focus was decimated after moving back to Austin in 2008 from the Twin Cities where I had been living and going back to school and looking for work there. It just seemed like the arts community did not really want to take off and be a bigger influence in the culture of the town. That did not really fuel the fire under my burner too well. The fire just barely stayed ignited almost like a pilot light on a stove use to be. It was still there and then little sticks began to put some fuel on the fire about a year ago. Since then, things have truly began to change with Solid Rock Photography and with the larger arts community of Austin. That passion now has come around like a fire not out of control but a steady log being added to the fire with many logs being thrown on it at times. It is certainly not an ember but is not a major blaze yet either. Who knows, it may never be the biggest flame around. It will be a contender for it though.

That brings up the question for the day. How do all of the pieces of the puzzle come together in order to make the puzzle what it is meant to be? Is it just a bunch of resources, time, people, money, expertise, and so forth, coming together randomly to make something work or is the Lord equipping us at this time to bring about His change within the community? If the prayers from Prayer Works have been any indication of what is happening, I tend to say it is the second of the two. And that is where my question of the day comes into play with Solid Rock Photography.

Being the Board Member now in a leadership role with in the Austin Area Art Center as the Director of the Social Media Marketing Committee, I had a choice to make. Keep trying to promote my own items or work closer with the art center in promoting the larger scale of artists in Austin! What way I went meant a lot of things. Today’s question in the Fathered by God Workbook that is a free download–strong suggestion for any men seeking to have a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father– is, “Can God entrust you with greater measures of His power at present? If so, to do what? If not, what must change before He can? Now is the time, and I am at a great peace about it, to let go of my own photography so much and be a part of the greater arts community in hopes of bringing His glory to the arts community of Austin and beyond. I have learned a lot with my own efforts and now hope to use them to foster the arts community in this part of Southern Minnesota and beyond through the Austin Area Art Center.

Daily Deals from Solid Rock Photography

Oh, that’s right! I extended my daily deals through Christmas Day. What a deal! But just in case you forgot what the deals were, here they are again!

Fine Art America products are at 35% off and Photo Shelter Products, prints, specialty items my book, all of the 6 different canvas styles, and all of the FRAMED FINE ART are at 40% Off. Nothing is held back from this sale! This price is only good if you purchase through my online portfolio however! NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY anything from my SRP if you are going to. I am going out of business so that I can try to be a conduit for the Lord’s Glory to come to the arts community of Austin!

  1. Photo Shelter Personal Archive 40% Off by using Coupon Code 40%GOBS. This sale is good through 12-25-11.
  2. Fine Art America Get anything at any of our three Fine Art America Powered Stores at 35% off by using Coupon Code SBUKVT. Cards, giclee prints, framed, canvases and more all at 35% off. Not a bad deal at all!

Artwork Sponsorship Pages from Fine Art America

        1. Creek Prints, Get a fine art print of a creek from Solid Rock Photography or other fine art artists.
        2. Sidie Hollow Park Photos Check out our images from Sidie Hollow and see if their are others from that park by other artists on FAA!
        3. Forest Posters There are many forests around the world and here are some of the art from them that Solid Rock Photography is sponsoring! Have fun checking them out and if you get something from another artists on this page, please let them know Solid Rock Photography Sponsored the page.

New Photos From Solid Rock Photography

I told you I would not give up doing photography as a whole. I just will do it more so for the fun it now. But, here are some photos that I took earlier this fall and just now got processed. So, here they are at our two different store fronts!

  1. Photo Shelter Gallery of Oxbow Park. Choose any image from this gallery and get it in a print on aluminum for as little as Glossy Metal Print for Under $31 plus tax and shipping. Make sure to use Coupon Code 40%GOBS to get that rate! Regular rate is only $56. This is wonderful way to display such a photo. It’s just one of the ways you can get this image and it is under my products tab under the cart! You will see that option and more under products not prints as it comes ready to hang on the wall unlike a print that must be framed.
  2. Fine Art America Gallery of Oxbow Park.Pick any image here and custom frame it on the screen in either one or two mate or no mae! Make sure to use code SBUKVT at check out to get the 35% off! Put it on a canvas of your own selection. Lot’s of options here and they are at 35% off! Many people have “liked” this page and it now appeared on their own Facebook pages! Thanks to those who have done that of late.

There You Have It!

Daily deal reminders, new photos, more sponsored art pages through Fine Art America, and a question of the day. Can God entrust you with greater measures of His power at present? If so, to do what? If not, what must change before He can? Tough questions and great deals to start out your Sunday. Now to get this published before going to church! Make sure and get there yourself if you can today! For the church is not much different then the court house if the people are not there!