Manuscripts Collection
The Minnesota 2000 project ran from 1997-1999, documenting through photographs the "state of the state" at the end of the twentieth century. Members of the local photography community first began planning the project in 1994. The project solicited proposals and from the applicants 12 photographers were selected by jury. The project marks the first time the Minnesota Historical Society commisioned photographs for its permanent collection.
120 photographs, all black and white, from the Minnesota 2000 Documentary Photography Project were selected and used in an exhibit that resulted from the project. It opened in January, 2000 and ran until June 18, 2000. 368 photographs from the Minnesota 2000 Documentary Photography project were selected and added to the Minnesota Historical Society's fine art photograph collection.
The goal of the Minnesota 2000 Documentary Photography Project was to create a benchmark for measuring future change by focusing on ordinary aspects of life in Minnesota and the changes in Minnesota landscape, towns, and streets.
This collection contains project files, photographs, copies, work prints, exhibit prints, and background material about the Minnesota 2000 Documentary Photography Project, photographers and exhibit. Slides of the photographs submitted to the project are also included. The collection also includes files on each photographer which contain debriefing transcripts, field notes, and papers collected by the photographer.
The topics and photographers represented in the collection are Joe Allen, who photographed the Twin Cities American Indian community, Thomas Ardnt, who photographed recreational life around Minnesota lakes, Stephen Dahl, who photographed telecommunications workers, and George Byron Griffiths, who focused on raising and educating children.
The other photographers selected for the project include Terry Gydesen, who photographed senior snowbirds; David Heberlein who photographed visitors in state parks; Wing Young Huie who focused on diversity in rural communities; Mark Jensen, small independent retail businesses; Peter Latner, Minnesota's changing main streets; David Parker, industrial works and their environment; and Keri Pickett, who photographed teenagers.
The collection is arranged into the following sections:
Photographers retain all rights and copyrights in all photographs and writings, work prints, copies, and exhibit prints. Quotation or publication, beyond the fair use provisions of copyright law, requires permission of the Minnesota Historical Society.
The Society is licensed to reproduce all photographs, work prints, writings, copies, and exhibit prints and to distribute and display, and to authorize others to distribute and display the photographs produced by the photographers for non-commercial use only. Consult the reference staff for more information.
Accession number: 16,047.
Processed by: Alex Kent, February 2009.
Catalog ID number: 006796425
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the
Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics
should
The project files contain background information on the project and exhibit, donor information, exhibit files, publicity files, jury submission files, and photographers files with debriefing transcripts. The debriefing transcripts include interviews with each photographer, discussing their photographs and topic for the project.
Includes all photographs each photographer created for the Minnesota 2000 Documentary Photography Project, papers collected by the photographer, background information on locations and subjects, field notes, and other material.
Slides of final photographs submitted to the Minnesota 2000 Documentary Photography Project by the 12 participating photographers, from which 120 photographs were selected and used in the exhibit that resulted from the project.