American Photography 41 {selected}

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My photograph, Live Action Role Players, Blue Earth County Fair, Minnesota (from the series The Last Fair), was chosen from over 7,000 entries to appear among 370 featured works in the AP41 annual award book. Explore the curated selection in the official online slideshow »

Project Statement: The Last Fair blends large-format photography with collaborative storytelling, crafting staged tableaux that draw inspiration from Pieter Bruegel’s nuanced humanism and Grandma Moses’ vibrant, folk-art energy. This work celebrates community narratives through a lens of timeless Americana.

Gratitude: Special thanks to this year’s distinguished jurors, including Skye Battles (WIRED), María Dubón (Harper’s), Maria G. Keehan (Smithsonian Magazine), Kyra Kennedy (Outside), Dana Kien (WSJ Magazine), Patrik Nyman (NY-Studio), Pia Peterson (Lonely Planet), Stacey Pittman (The New Yorker), Krista Prestek (Apple), and Shannon Simon (The New York Times Magazine).

Group Show at the Veronique Wantz Gallery

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I’m thrilled to share new work in the 2025 Spring + Summer Group Show at the Veronique Wantz Gallery in Minneapolis! Join us this Saturday, 4-7pm, during the North Loop Art Walk.

Indulge in: Signature pretzel bites , nostalgic jelly beans, wine, and champagne! Bring your friends and family—let’s celebrate art and community together!  

Behind the Lens:  

Huge thanks to the Douglas County Fair Board, and the incredible 4-H families. This photo almost didn’t happen— rain threatened to cancel the shoot, but a squad of enthusiastic 4-H Dads hauled sandbags, C-stands, and grit to make it work. Teamwork (and a little stubbornness) wins!  

Fun details:  

• The pavilion honors T.A. Erickson, who brought 4-H to Minnesota.  

• My kids are hidden in the chaos… can you spot them? 👀

“Corner of Exhibit Ave and Barnyard Lane, Douglas County Fair, MN, 2024”from the series “The Last Fair”, archival pigment print, Edition 1/7 + AP, 30 x 40 inches, framed in Optium

“A Minneapolis Rooster”, unique 8 x 10 inch tintype, 13 x 15 inches, framed with Optium, 2024

A Visit with Bill Hunt: Photography, Wit, and a Smear of Ink

A highlight from my AIPAD weekend in NYC: visiting W.M. “Bill” Hunt—collector, educator, and enduring champion of photography.

I carried my 20x24” portfolio across Central Park to meet with someone who takes the time to really look.

Bill and I first connected at the 2019 Center for Photography auction, and again at PhotoNOLA and Paris Photo. He's gone to bat for me more than once, and I deeply respect his instincts and eye for meaningful work.

This portrait, made by Jason Langer, captures Bill in his element: thoughtful dialogue about visual ideas, layered with just enough irreverent charm.

After our visit, Bill gave me a copy of his book—signed with a pen, then (true to form) closed it before the ink had dried. The signature smeared.

The next day, he saw me in the MW Editions booth and he asked: “What did you learn?”

I said, “Don’t close the book too quickly before the ink dries.”

He grinned: “Well, it’s worth more.”

That’s Bill—witty, sharp, and generous in all the right ways.

Sharing new work with W.M. “Bill” Hunt, NYC, 2025

Don’t close the book too soon.

Book Signing at The Photography Show 2025 - AIPAD

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Join me on April 25 at 6PM for a special moment—I’ll be signing copies of my monograph, The Unchosen Ones: Portraits of an American Pastoral, at The Photography Show 2025 - AIPAD in New York! 📖✨  

🗓 When: April 25, 6PM  

📍 Where: MW Editions Booth, Park Avenue Armory | 643 Park Ave, NYC  

This body of work published by MW Editions captures the quiet resilience and haunting beauty of rural America, and I’d love to share these stories with you. Whether you’re a longtime supporter or new to my work, swing by to chat, grab a signed copy, or simply say hello.  

Can’t wait to connect with fellow photography lovers under one roof. Bring a friend, spread the word, and let’s celebrate the power of visual storytelling.

Lakewood Cemetery Artist Residency

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲—𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲.

Five Guggenheim rejections later (art, like life, has its own timing), I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been named one of the inaugural artists for the 2025-2026 Lakewood Cemetery Artist Residency—my first residency, steps from my Minneapolis home. Since 2012, my work has wrestled with themes of place, memory, and belonging. Now, I’ll create Ethereal Echoes—a meditation on impermanence and rebirth—where loved ones rest, using Chromoskedasic alchemy to transform silver gelatin prints into ghostly, mirror-like relics. Light, chemistry, and chance will collaborate to echo Buddhist teachings and the cemetery’s quiet narratives. 

Meet the cohort and hear about our projects at the free Welcome Reception: May 15, 6 - 8:30PM.

In my studio using Chromoskedasic alchemy to transform expired silver gelatin prints into ghostly, mirror-like relics.

Museum Acquisition Announcement

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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.

Alternatives 2025 International Photo Biennial: Image as Record

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My artist book, Dumber and Dumb (Edition of 30 + 6 APs), has been selected by juror Willie Osterman for Alternatives 2025: Image as Record, the 15th International Photo Biennial hosted by Ohio University’s MFA Photography and Integrated Media program. The exhibition runs March 3–23, 2025, at Majestic Galleries in Nelsonville, Ohio.  

This marks the first public exhibition of Dumber and Dumb since its debut in December 2024. The project—a darkly humorous interrogation of AI’s collision with analog photography—has also recently found permanent homes in two major institutions: the Walker Art Center’s Rosemary Furtak Artists’ Book Collection and the Hirsch Library at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.  

Founded in 1978, the Alternatives exhibition series has long been a benchmark for redefining photography’s conceptual frontiers. I’m thrilled to join this lineage of artists questioning how images function as records—of memory, absurdity, and the unstable ground between human and machine authorship.  

Juror Willie Osterman, Professor Emeritus at Rochester Institute of Technology, described this year’s submissions as “expanding the possibilities of the photographic medium.” Dumber and Dumb embodies this ethos, using generative tools to rework vernacular photography into a surreal meditation on labor and obsolescence.  

Exhibition Details  

Alternatives 2025: Image as Record  

March 3–23, 2025  

Majestic Galleries, 20 Public Square, Nelsonville, OH 45764  

Dumber and Dumb is available for acquisition through my studio. For inquiries, contact me >>

Culture & Agriculture Exhibition (3rd Place)

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Since 1985, the Culture & Agriculture Exhibition has hosted a juried exhibition of work drawing inspiration rural landscapes, farm life, and work that address issues related to agriculture. Juror James Machtan selected two photographs from my series The Last Fair were accepted: Live Action Role Players, Blue Earth County Fair, Minnesota, 2022 and Santa on Vacation, Benton County Fair, Minnesota, 2022 for exhibition at Gallery Q Artists Cooperative, Stevens Point, WI running March 1- April 22, 2025.

I received 3rd Place for Santa on Vacation, Benton County Fair, Minnesota, 2022.

Click here to view the exhibition details >> 

Santa on Vacation, Benton County Fair, Minnesota, 2022 in Culture & Agriculture Exhibition, Juror: James Machtan, Gallery Q Artists Cooperative, Stevens Point, WI.

Live Action Role Players, Blue Earth County Fair, Minnesota, 2022

HCP Print Auction & Gala exhibition

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Tonight (2/20!) marks the opening reception of the Houston Center for Photography (HCP) Print Auction & Gala exhibition—a stellar lineup of photographic talent supporting one of the country’s leading non-profit photo orgs.

I’m honored to donate Supreme Champion Goose Male / Female Pair, 2018 Minnesota State Fair from my series The Best of the Best—a salt print over archival pigment edition celebrating the quiet grandeur of rural rituals. This piece (Ed. 3/5 + AP) will be up for bids at HCP’s March 20, 2025, Gala at Hotel ZaZa, honoring the legendary Malcolm Daniel of Museum of Fine Arts Houston. I’ll be there, donning the bowtie.

Why bid?

  • Support HCP’s mission to amplify photography’s role in culture

  • Own a piece of agrarian Americana, crafted with historic salt print techniques

  • Join a global community of collectors who value art with depth

Your participation ensures HCP can keep fostering dialogue, nurturing artists, and making photography accessible to all. Swipe to see the piece in detail—and whether you’re in Houston or bidding online, let’s make this auction legendary.

March 20, 2025 | 6–10 PM

Hotel ZaZa | Bid in-person or online

LINK for tickets + previews >>

Supreme Champion Goose Male / Female Pair, 2018 Minnesota State Fair from my series The Best of the Best—a salt print over archival pigment edition (Ed. 3/5 + AP) up for bids at HCP’s March 20, 2025, Gala at Hotel ZaZa, honoring Malcolm Daniel of Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

Kentucky Gateway Museum exhibition

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My touring exhibition of The Unchosen Ones: Portraits of an American Pastoral is now on display at the Kentucky Gateway Museum (Maysville, KY) running February 1 - April 12, 2025.

Thank you to Executive Director Dr. Robert Boone, Marla Toncray, and the museum staff for their support. The exhibition includes 19 photographs sized 43 x 53 inches paired with items from the museum’s permanent collection. The touring show, which launched in 2023, has been exhibited at 12 venues including Elkhorn Valley Museum, Masur Museum of Art, Oklahoma State University Museum of Art, Museum of Culture and Environment at Central Washington University, and the Blanden Art Museum.

To learn more about the The Unchosen Ones touring exhibition, click here to view the prospectus >>

The Unchosen Ones exhibition at the Kentucky Gateway Museum (Maysville, KY) runs February 1 - April 12, 2025. Photos by Marla Toncray.

Dear Dave, Fellowship (finalist)

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The DEAR DAVE, Fellowship 2024 was juried by an esteemed group from the international photography community including Alessia Glaviano, David Campany, Elena Navarro, Marie Gomis-Trezise, Matthew Leifheit, Ra Mell Ross, Rebecca Morse, Narda Van ’T Veer, and Stephen Frailey.

My 20-photograph portfolio from the project The Last Fair was considered by the jury to be “of the strongest quality.” I’m honored to share work on this international platform aside photographers from all over the world.

View the Fellowship 2024 archive here >>

Rock County Fair 4-H Rabbit Show, Luverne, Minnesota, 2024, from the series The Last Fair by R. J. Kern

New E-Book: Prints and Profit

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"Art is either priceless or worthless."

This striking sentiment, attributed to Gertrude Stein, encapsulates the dichotomy of value in the fine art world. As artists, we grapple with pricing something deeply personal and profoundly impactful. Yet, understanding the mechanisms of the art market allows us to confidently assign worth to our creations while connecting with those who find meaning in them.

In Prints and Profit: Selling Prints in the Fine Art World, I’ll take you through the journey of building a thriving fine art print business. You’ll learn how to price your work, find and connect with collectors, and navigate relationships with galleries. Through stories, strategies, and practical examples, we’ll unpack the mystery of turning passion into profit.

Why This Guide Matters

I’ve been fortunate to learn through years of trial, error, and success. From being featured by National Geographic to navigating the nuances of gallery partnerships, my journey has been rich with lessons. This guide is my attempt to give back—to help artists like you thrive.

ORDER ON APPLE BOOKS >>

Prints and Profit: Selling Prints in the Fine Art World (2025), now available as a digital download on Apple.

ORDER HERE >

About the book

Prints and Profit: Selling Prints in the Fine Art World is a introductory guide  that explores the dynamics of building a successful fine art print business. With insights drawn from personal experience and the broader art world, the guide is tailored for artists looking to monetize their passion and connect meaningfully with collectors, galleries, and curators.

The book opens with a historical perspective on the art market, recounting André Level’s revolutionary creation of the first modern art investment fund in 1904. This example underscores the long-standing value of art as both a cultural artifact and a financial asset. It sets the stage for artists to understand the dual nature of art as deeply personal yet commercially viable.

I introduce the foundational principles of the art business, emphasizing the importance of understanding buyer personas. These personas—connoisseurs, aesthetic collectors, trophy hunters, and enterprising collectors—each have distinct motivations, from emotional resonance to financial investment. By recognizing these differences, artists can tailor their approach to forge stronger connections with their audience. The guide also delves into pricing strategies, stressing that prices should reflect the value of an artist’s work and grow consistently over time. Using real-life examples, I illustrate how tiered pricing models and thoughtful presentation can enhance the perceived worth of art. A standout point is the transformative power of storytelling in art sales, where personal narratives about the creation and inspiration of artwork deepen the collector’s connection.

I emphasize the importance of relationships in the art world, particularly with galleries and curators. By nurturing professional partnerships and leveraging events like portfolio reviews and art fairs, artists can expand their network and visibility. Real-world anecdotes highlight the nuances of gallery agreements, the benefits of residencies, and the significance of maintaining professionalism.

A central theme throughout the book is the need for artists to think like entrepreneurs. This mindset involves treating income as seed money for future growth, avoiding debt, and maintaining financial sustainability. I provide actionable tips for tracking expenses, staying profitable, and protecting the value of one’s work. The book concludes with ten timeless lessons for artistic success, including embracing authenticity, fostering community, and staying adaptable. Kern’s reflective tone encourages artists to celebrate small wins, learn from challenges, and believe in the long-term value of their journey.

In essence, Prints and Profit combines practical strategies, inspirational stories, and professional advice to help artists navigate the complexities of the art market. It serves as both a roadmap and a source of encouragement for artists aiming to turn their passion into a sustainable and fulfilling career.

The Unchosen Ones touring exhibition

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The Carver County Historical Society hosts The Unchosen Ones touring exhibition November 22, 2024 to January 10, 2025. I stopped in today to view the exhibition and talk with the staff and enjoyed my time in Waconia, Minnesota a short drive from Minneapolis. Several youth from the project were from Carver County, and the fairgrounds where I began principle photography in 2016 was a few blocks away. This was the first venue that hung the portraits from the ceiling and I thought it made good use of the space— I give this curatorial and installation freedom to all my venues, since they know their space and audience best. Thank you to Wendy Petersen Biorn, Jeremy Murray, and Jayna Hulleman for your support!

Minnesota Tamil Sangam Portraits | MSP Exhibition

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For the next year, my portraits of artists from the Minnesota Tamil Sangam will be on exhibition at the Minneapolis-St.Paul airport. The artists celebrated in the portrait are Aditya Nandhiyar, Kamatchi Sureshkumar, Manigandan Jayaraman, Nirmal Sundhar, Prasanna Gajavarathan, Rohini Balamurugan, Sanjay Govindasamy, Saravanan Durairajan, Shanker Narayan, Tamil Kadir Rajavel, Trisha Sebastin, Velmurugan Marimuthu, Vijaya manikandan Mohana Vijayan, and Vijayalakshmi Sridhar.

The series was inspired by "the inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny” metaphor shared by Martin Luther King Jr. Blue fabric connects each artist, flowing like a river of color and honoring “wakpa,” the Dakota word for “river.” Traditional Tamil community performances occur by the river edge, and flowing blue fabric remains meaningful and symbolic.

Installation photos courtesy Sachidanandhan Venkatakrishnan

Walker Art Center {Acquisition}

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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.

Phase One XC40 Review In Iceland

It’s not often I write photography gear reviews. However, in this case I couldn’t refuse!

I test out the Phase One XC40 loaned to me and I share my experience in this post >>

The XC 40 encouraged me to create more photographs than I anticipated—an undeniable win. Its simplicity played a massive role in this.

Critical Mass Top 50 {2024}

I’m honored The Last Fair project was awarded Critical Mass Top 50 (award winners here >>). Foodies: this is like the James Beard Chef award in the post-documentary photo project world. I appreciate the 150+ jurors for sharing their time, energy, and enthusiasm for photography. I couldn’t have done this project without the trust of the Minnesota 4-H youth and their families.

Inspired by the cancellation of the Ramsey County Fair in 2021, I launched the project, visiting 25 county fairs across Minnesota over three summers. During this journey, I spent 70 nights away from home and drove 9500 miles, reflecting on how we often don’t appreciate joy until it’s gone.

Each large group photograph requires extensive planning and engagement with participants through workshops, presentations, and exhibitions. As rural youth experience a generational shift, with aging farmers retiring and fewer young people entering agriculture, my work aims to highlight the importance of these fairs in fostering community and agricultural traditions. These issues have driven my artistic endeavors since 2012.

My Kids, Junior Motocross Race, Carver County Fair, MN, 2022

Grant Recipient | Puffin Foundation

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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.

Opichi Drum performance at Mahnomen County Fair, White Earth Indian Reservation, Minnesota, 2023 from the series The Last Fair