“Four Spirits” statue in Kelly Ingram Park memorializing the victims of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. Birmingham, Alabama

A Mother & Daughter Alabama Road Trip

Kallie Rollenhagen April 10, 2020

In early 2020, before the world shut down, I invited my mom on an Atlanta/Alabama trip. I’ve not spent much time in the American South, and I was very curious what the mood and general landscape were of Alabama in 2020. The trip was both sobering and encouraging. As we continue to come to terms with the way racism lives on in this country, I urge others to visit Alabama, and especially check out the work of EJI in Montgomery.

The finished product: Wiksten’s Haori jacket

A Sewing Reunion: Wiksten's Haori Jacket

Kallie Rollenhagen March 6, 2020

2020’s late winter project (my antidote to the February blues) was sewing the Wiksten Haori jacket. The fabric came from the lovely and wonderful Lakes Makerie in South Minneapolis.

How the Swedes do Summer

Kallie Rollenhagen February 16, 2020

You can’t visit Torekov, Sweden without plunging yourself into freezing seawater, riding a ferry called Nanny to an island to see lighthouses and orange slug and roaming sheep, and leave with the feeling that Swedes really know how to do summer right.

Miranda

Kallie Rollenhagen January 22, 2020

I was pretty thrilled that the first photoshoot in our new Northfield home was with Miranda.

Overlooking Jordan Pond from North Bubble

Maine // Penobscot Bay

Kallie Rollenhagen January 20, 2020

In the fall of 2019, we took what felt like a very grown-up vacation to Maine. It was rainy, moody, and quiet. It was also so beautiful and filled with vivid pops of reds and golds, subtle pinks and faded blues, and deep, seaside greens.

Jenni

Kallie Rollenhagen September 30, 2019

Jenni and I met through work. Before we were officially coworkers, though, we met up for a hobby trade. I took her headshots and she read my Tarot cards. Through this shoot, I got to see how fun and varied Jenni’s personality is, and also how varied the textures and colors are along 38th Street are in Minneapolis, right near our apartment.

The North Shore: Grand Marais + Cascade River State Park

Kallie Rollenhagen June 29, 2019

As an evangelist for the southeastern, driftless region of Minnesota, along with the western prairies, I have a confession: I'd never been past Two Harbors. I've seen the plunging shoreline photos, had friends rave about Grand Marais, but just nodded politely, assuming THEY were the ones missing out. So, to back-up my claims that SE is where it's really at, I knew I had to give the other regions a fair shake. About a year in advance, we booked the best pack-in site at Cascade River State Park and spent a long weekend literally camped on the shore of Lake Superior and poking around Grand Marais.

First Christian Church, designed by leading Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen, built in 1942. Also pictured: Large Arch by sculptor Henry Moore.

Columbus, Indiana: A Tale of Architectural Philanthropy

Kallie Rollenhagen June 29, 2019

When I say “Columbus” you say “Ohio?” And I say, “No, Columbus, Indiana!” Then I’ll tell you to watch Kogonada’s 2017 film, “Columbus,” set in Columbus, IN. You probably won’t, and it’s also not likely you’ll find yourself in the middle of Indiana anytime soon (unless you have the Exit 76 Antique Mall on your bucket list, in which case we’re kindred spirits and should be friends!), so let me tell you about it.

Linnahall in Tallinn, Estonia. An event venue built for the 1980 Olympics hosted by the Soviet Union. Abandoned in 2010, it’s currently undergoing renovations and should be completed in 2019.

Tallinn, Estonia: A Quick Glimpse of Post-Soviet Reality, 2017

Kallie Rollenhagen May 30, 2019

When trip planning for Scandinavia, I had no real plan of going to Estonia. The guidebooks all mentioned that Tallinn could be an interesting stop, but only if you had time. Perhaps that underdog/under-explored factor is what tipped my decision to convince J we should go.

More than a year later, it’s still the city I think about most, even though it was the only place we visited where we didn’t also spend the night. We took the 2-hour ferry ride from Helsinki through the Baltic Sea to Estonia’s capital city. We had done little research and were not sure what to expect. Our blank slates probably contributed to our continual state of surprise and delight.

Fermentation Fest // Farm/Art DTour

Kallie Rollenhagen October 17, 2018

What better place for art installations than the driftless hills of Wisconsin? One of my favorite art crawls is Wormfarm Institute’s Fermentation Fest + Farm/Art DTour.