R. J. Kern 12/21/25 R. J. Kern 12/21/25

Tweed Museum of Art {Acquisition}

Moment 504 and Moment 621 from the series Ethereal Echoes has found a new home at the Tweed Museum of Art at the University of Minnesota Duluth, thanks to curator Julie Delliquanti. I appreciate the financial support they have given me for my work created during my 2025 Lakewood Residency in Minneapolis which will allow me to continue the series.

R. J. Kern 10/29/25 R. J. Kern 10/29/25

Amon Carter Museum of American Art {Acquisition}

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, TX has acquired a portfolio of ten prints from The Unchosen Ones series made between 2016 - 2021.

If you know Richard Avedon’s portraiture, you might notice echoes of his approach in my series—portraits of youth and their animals from county fairs who didn’t take home the ribbon.

I’m grateful to the Minnesota State Arts Board for supporting this work, and to the Veronique Wantz Gallery, Olson Larsen Galleries, Carrie Scott, Sarah Leen, Jennifer Phelps, and Deborah Ultan for championing my work. And for photography curator Charlie Wylie (Curator of Photographs) and Scott Davis (Head of Research Library) at the Amon Carter to make this acquisition happen.

It’s a special connection to see "The Unchosen Ones" join the Carter’s collection—notably the same museum that commissioned Avedon’s iconic "In the American West" series in 1979. That exhibition celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2025.

The Deluxe Edition Portfolio (Ed. of 10 + AP) includes twelve photographs and video interviews from "The Unchosen Ones: Portraits of an American Pastoral"—created as both an exhibition and an educational tool for university collections and study rooms. Each set includes a signed special edition of the book (MW Editions, 2021), a hand-built portfolio box and accordion book made in Minneapolis, and QR codes linking to documentary videos.

R. J. Kern 10/10/25 R. J. Kern 10/10/25

2025 Paris Photo Pop-Up Houseboat Party

Plans made. Boat booked. Artists confirmed! Today, seven photographers dreamt about the November 14 in Paris…. specifically, being on a houseboat sharing work.

For the second year, we will host a one-night pop-up exhibition at Paris Photo with signed photographic works starting at attractive prices (like $100) with complimentary wine & cheese & bread. Featuring works by: Jim Elzinga, Bethany Jacobson, Jamie Johnson, R. J. Kern, Dotan Saguy, Michael Rababy, and Ewa Zebrowski.

When: Friday, November 14, 2025 6 -10 p.m.

Where: Houseboat in front of Grand Palais (on the Seine), Paris, France, 1 Port Des Champs Elysees, 75008 Paris

R. J. Kern 7/17/25 R. J. Kern 7/17/25

Ethereal Echoes Exhibition at Lakewood Cemetery

My exhibition of new works from my series, Ethereal Echoes, on view now through Sept 1, 2025 at Lakewood Cemetery Welcome Center (Minneapolis, MN). Free to enjoy for all.

Opening reception and artist talk 6:30 - 8:00 pm Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at the Welcome Center.

Chromoskedasic Photography Demonstration 6:30 - 8:30pm Tuesday, August 12 at the Welcome Center.

For me, I create this work in response to a place that is not only about loss, but a transformation of loss into memory. Lakewood Cemetery is not a static monument—it breathes.

Elements of the cemetery— wood, water, ethereal light— are collaborators. The work wouldn’t look the same had the water, humidity, or temperature been different. They dilute the chemistry the paper, bend the paper, and exposure the photo paper. Every humidity shift, every slant of sun, alters what I create. Each piece is as unique as the souls who are remembered in this place. These pieces are as fleeting and singular as the lives they honor.

As a middle-aged artist, I’ve come to see this project as a kind of mirror. It reflects not just the stories beneath the soil, but my own reckoning with time.

There’s vulnerability in admitting how much lies beyond my control. Yet here, amid the impermanence, I find a strange freedom. As humans, we haven’t fixed this thing called death.

This work isn’t about fixing or conquering. It’s about leaning into what we can’t hold onto—and finding grace in the act. The cemetery teaches me that beauty isn’t a victory; it’s the quiet pact we make with impermanence. And in that surrender, there’s something alive.

Watch documentary >>

A video documentary by R. J. Kern fuses philosophy with photographic chemistry to create art. Drawing on teachings of impermanence and rebirth, Kern employs *Chromoskedasic* techniques – altering silver gelatin prints to produce shimmering, mirror-like surfaces reminiscent of 19th-century daguerreotype reflecting rhythms of life, death, and renewal. Through organic forms shaped by light and alchemy, this series invites viewers to pause and reflect on the cycles that connect us.
**Music**: Sarah M. Greer; **Framing Millwork**: Jessica Nelson; **Video Editing:** Independence Barnes

Acquire work >>

R. J. Kern 6/21/25 R. J. Kern 6/21/25

New project: Ethereal Echoes

This body of work merges impermanence and rebirth with chromoskedasic photography—a technique that transforms unique silver gelatin prints. Created steps from Minneapolis’ Lakewood Cemetery, these meditative pieces invite viewers to contemplate life’s cycles light, chemistry, and memory.

View project catalog, including essay and artwork titles (6MB PDF, view as 2-page) >>

ORDER ZINE >>

*Moment 410, 2025*, unique silver gelatin chemigram, gold toned, 9 3/4 x 113/4 inches, 2025

R. J. Kern 6/20/25 R. J. Kern 6/20/25

US Bank Corporate Art Collection {Acquisition}

Two framed Artist Proofs (float framed with Optium) will head to the headquarters building of US Bank in Minneapolis joining their corporate art collection. Thank you to the Veronique Wantz gallery and collaborator Daniel Zimmerman for making this a reality!

*APs of Hazel (left) and Olaf (right)*, archival pigment print, 2013, Ed of 3 + AP, 45 x 57.5 inches framed at the Veronique Wantz Gallery in Minneapolis.

*Olaf, Lofoten Islands,* *Norway* (2013)

R. J. Kern 5/29/25 R. J. Kern 5/29/25

Virtual Zoom Workshop on June 18 {Prints and Profit}

These two prints are off to their forever homes soon. Huge thanks to @veroniquewantzgallery + @danielzimmermanstudio for the magic!

As the school year winds down, I’m diving into creation + shipping mode—but the learning never stops!

🚀 REAL-WORLD EDUCATION IS ALWAYS IN SESSION.

Join me for a 3-HOUR VIRTUAL WORKSHOP designed to help photographers + visual artists thrive in the fine art world.

📅 June 18, 2025 | 🕐 1:00 - 4:00 PM CST

💻 Online via Zoom | Hosted by @hcponline (Houston Center for Photography)

🎯 No prerequisites | 🔒 Limited to 12 participants

WHAT WE’LL COVER:

📸 Key business practices of fine art photography

🤝 Building gallery relationships that work for YOU

💰 Smart pricing + licensing strategies

📢 Marketing tips to grow your audience

Questions? Bring ’em! We’ll have live Q&A + feedback on your work/biz challenges.

R. J. Kern 4/9/25 R. J. Kern 4/9/25

Museum Acquisition Announcement

I’m thrilled to share that Live Action Role Players, Blue Earth County Fair, Minnesota, 2022—from my series The Last Fair—has joined the permanent collection of the Worcester Art Museum. Director Matthias Wascheck describes the work as “address[ing] the ramifications of monoculture, a seldom discussed issue with considerable ecological and economic impact.”

A heartfelt thank you to curator Nancy Burns and donor Ed Osowski for championing this acquisition. Ed and I recently reconnected while collaborating on projects with the museum—a full-circle moment!

Since 2012, my work has centered on rural America’s quiet revolutions, where tradition and transformation collide. Through photography, I explore the unspoken tensions of class, community, and identity—stories often overlooked but deeply woven into our national fabric.

Poolside in Houston after the HCP Gala Auction with Ed Osowski and me with my Worcester Art Museum hat.

*Live Action Role Players, Blue Earth County Fair, Minnesota, 2022*, archival pigment print, Edition of 3 + AP, 40 x 54 inches framed.

R. J. Kern 12/3/24 R. J. Kern 12/3/24

Walker Art Center {Acquisition}

World-class contemporary art center in Minneapolis, MN acquired The Best of the Best and Dumber and Dumb artists books today as part of the Rosemary Furtak Artist Book Collection, honoring the memory of Ralph Burnet and the support of Jennifer Phelps.

The Walker Art Center is home to the first artist book collection for a museum library, founded by the visionary Rosemary Furtak. She believed these unique creations deserve to be experienced in person, not tucked away in a vault.

It was a profound moment to hand off my work alongside Peggy Burnet and my longtime gallery director, Jennifer Phelps to John Lyon and the wonderful staff.

Dropping off work at the Walker Art Center library in Minneapolis on December 3, 2024.

R. J. Kern 9/23/24 R. J. Kern 9/23/24

Grant Recipient | Puffin Foundation

I received my first grant from the Puffin Foundation to present a community engagement program and exhibition of photography in collaboration with the Gizhiigin Arts Incubator on the White Earth Ojibwe Reservation in Mahnomen, MN. Programming details will be finalized Spring 2025. The grant will increase awareness and visibility of my work and will also shine a light on the life and work of people in the Minnesota. Meeting new people in these communities allows for genuine exchanges between me and my subjects as we collaborate together to create photographs reflecting their lived reality.