I have a thing for renewal. I love watching something worn, old and nearly forgotten turn into something lovely, new and full of life. So, when I found out the Plains Art Museum was going renovate the depilated buildings to their west, I leaped at the opportunity to document the transition.

Renewal Phase, now on display in the Starion Gallery at the Plains Art Museum, consists of 18 photographs and is part of that body of work which documented the transformation of a building; of a site; and a way of thinking as four dilapidated buildings go from being unusable to a creative catalyst, the Katherine Kilbourne Burgum Center for Creativity.

These photographs trace, as best as they can, the way my eye searches for unseen and unnoticed patterns and lines in the situation of objects. We pass by them every day and see only their role, but we don’t see the accidental forms, shapes, and textures they create through their incidental placement. With the camera, I’m able to locate these and share them. It excites me to find them. They speak of a silent ordered beauty to the world and to the universe that depends on us to be in the right place and the right time and, more importantly, to be open to them and aware of them. As Dorothea Lange famously said, the camera is an instrument that teaches us how to see. That’s what the camera has done for me, and I hope that’s what you take away from these images.

If you get the opportunity, please stop by and see the show. They will be on display until April 5.

Throughout the month of December, a new series of work by Ann Arbor Miller and myself will be on display at the Spirit Room in downtown Fargo.  Similar to it’s predecessor Parallels, the photographic pairs of Commons are a curious mix of modern, organic and simple images. Tonight is the opening reception of the show and I’d absolutely LOVE to see some of your faces there.

What: Commons: A Pairing of Photographs by Ann Arbor Miller and Britta Trygstad opening reception
When: Tonight (December 6) from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. with a short talk and Q&A at 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Spirit Room - 111 Broadway in downtown Fargo
Why: Because you love photography, food and wine

Oh, oh… and for a great story about Commons, head on over to the ArtsPulse blog.

On our way home, we made a quick stop over at Itasca State Park, home of the Mississippi headwaters. It was a nice reminder that even the longest rivers begin somewhere.

Oh, and you can’t forget the keynote speech!

I must remember to pause.

This past weekend, I scheduled myself time to breathe. A kid-free Saturday allowed for some FMVA Studio Crawling and an afternoon marathon of the Walking Dead with the husband. And after a lazy Sunday morning on the couch, we trekked to the Trygstad Compound to take walks in the tall grass and talk to horses.

I’d say it was a pretty good weekend.

You may not know this about me, but my favorite Bob Dylan song of all time is “Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat.” It’s true. And ever since I first heard that song, I knew that someday I’m wear my very own brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat.

Yes, I’m a dork.

Anywho, this Saturday is the Plains Art Museum’s 16th Annual Spring Gala. This year’s theme? Well, hats of course! I’m so excited to see what everyone comes up with. I’m sure they’ll be some crazy, awesome hats.

Speaking of the gala, I’m so happy to say I have a piece up for auction this year! You can check out my photograph below (“Junk Arranged Neatly”) or cruise on over to the PAM’s website to view all of awesome artwork for sale.

Tickets are still on sale on the website and at the door! I hope to see you there.

Last December when I found out the PAM was going to finally begin construction on the Center for Creativity, I immediately volunteered to photograph the process. I’ve always been a fan of transformation and honestly believe the story of something as inspiring as this center needs to be remembered. It’s yet another step to making our community the coolest place on earth. No kidding.

A couple weeks ago, I joined a few PAM crew members and toured the buildings for the first time. While it still looked a little rough, you could tell they’ve achieved a lot since beginning construction a month or so ago. I hope to visit the emerging center every few weeks to document the process over the summer.

I returned today to photograph the official ground breaking ceremony. Wow! Lots of progress in two short weeks!

And here is who this center is for – some awesome little artists. They painted a beautiful mural that marks the first, official artwork of the new space!

For those who’ve followed my blog also know, I can’t resist a good simple detail. While, I’m trying to break out of my minimalist shell, sometimes it just consumes me and I can’t see anything else. That was the case this morning. I choose to blame the clean white snow,  but, really, it’s just the way I see.

For those photographer friends reading this post, I must tell you about VSCO Film. Lately, I’ve become more and more of a photoshop minimalist and I’ve been looking for something to simplify my editing process while still providing something special to each image. Enter VSCO film, a RAW conversation (I use it with Adobe Bridge) that basically mimics the qualities seen in real film. It’s beautiful, simple, realistic and extremely easy to use.