“Follow the Yellowstone Trail” started as a photographic documentary exploring the intersections of art, history and community along the historic highway, the Yellowstone Trail. The first portion on exhibit now will be continued along the full length of the coast to coast trail in 2019-2020.
The research of the photographic project produced the desire in artist, Jess Gorman, to continue the tradition of trail marker murals in communities, started over a hundred years ago. The first marker was completed in Watson Minnesota in fall of 2018.
These goals along with a strong need to unite and promote artists and arts along the trail passing through many rural regions, sparked the formation of the organization, Follow the Yellowstone Trail.
The famed trail was developed and promoted on the ingenuity of rural community leaders in the northern Midwest starting in 1912, and carried popularity with travelers until 1930. The route was coined as “a good road from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound” and a primary architect, Michael J. Dowling, predicted it would bring an abundant stream of tourism to the served communities.
The trail was the first northern transcontinental highway in the US and for a golden moment in time, traveling this road to the nations treasures was a drivers dream. Many of the rural communities across the northern US were sprung forth by railroads but their flames were stoked by the development of roadways of connection.
The photographic series captures the old and new non-conventional landscapes of the Yellowstone Trail Communities. Their changing architecture, imagery and citizenry tells the story of each towns individual identity. Out of the discovery process more will emerge. Projects and purposes can rarely be defined in infancy, and in looking at “Follow the Yellowstone Trail” and the trails revival, there is no difference. We are not just taking pictures here.
There will be tangibles -- smells, textures and sounds -- from this journey. It is our hope they will stir the collective consciousness to recall the value of trail while also contributing to its living legacy.
The first photographic project of this series was funded by the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council (SMAC) with funds from the McKnight Foundation in March of 2018 and will cover Western Minnesota, home to trail champion Michael J. Dowling.
The research of the photographic project produced the desire in artist, Jess Gorman, to continue the tradition of trail marker murals in communities, started over a hundred years ago. The first marker was completed in Watson Minnesota in fall of 2018.
These goals along with a strong need to unite and promote artists and arts along the trail passing through many rural regions, sparked the formation of the organization, Follow the Yellowstone Trail.
The famed trail was developed and promoted on the ingenuity of rural community leaders in the northern Midwest starting in 1912, and carried popularity with travelers until 1930. The route was coined as “a good road from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound” and a primary architect, Michael J. Dowling, predicted it would bring an abundant stream of tourism to the served communities.
The trail was the first northern transcontinental highway in the US and for a golden moment in time, traveling this road to the nations treasures was a drivers dream. Many of the rural communities across the northern US were sprung forth by railroads but their flames were stoked by the development of roadways of connection.
The photographic series captures the old and new non-conventional landscapes of the Yellowstone Trail Communities. Their changing architecture, imagery and citizenry tells the story of each towns individual identity. Out of the discovery process more will emerge. Projects and purposes can rarely be defined in infancy, and in looking at “Follow the Yellowstone Trail” and the trails revival, there is no difference. We are not just taking pictures here.
There will be tangibles -- smells, textures and sounds -- from this journey. It is our hope they will stir the collective consciousness to recall the value of trail while also contributing to its living legacy.
The first photographic project of this series was funded by the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council (SMAC) with funds from the McKnight Foundation in March of 2018 and will cover Western Minnesota, home to trail champion Michael J. Dowling.
