The creative journey of Mankato photographer Kay Herbst Helms

By AUDREY KLETSCHER HELBLING Minnesota Prairie Roots

hen I first viewed a photography exhibit by Kay Herbst Helms in 2012 at the Arts Center of Saint Peter, I felt an instant connection. Her rural-themed black-and-white images with accompanying short stories and selected poetry resonated. At the time, I viewed her “Seeking What Sustains Us: considering the hands and the land of rural south central Minnesota” as honest as a hard day’s work on the farm. Given my Redwood County farm upbringing, the hands and country scenes she photographed felt comfortably familiar.

Eventually, our creativity merged at a Mankato exhibit, “Image and the Word.” I and other poets penned poetry inspired by photos, including Helms’. We would connect again, when I read an original water-themed poem at Helms’ “Seeking What Sustains Us—a photographic journey of hands and water” capstone event at the Carnegie Art Center in Mankato. A year later, Helms invited me to read at a celebration of water at the Treaty Site History Center in St. Peter which was hosting her “Water Rights” and other water-focused exhibits, including a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street Program. That Helms cares deeply about the subjects she photographs has always been apparent to me. From photos of hands to photos of the natural world, especially water, her images are not only connective, but also thoughtprovoking. And that’s exactly what this creative hopes, that her photos will prompt people to pause and think. About water. About the environment. And more.

Through years of developing her craft, Helms has been the recipient of numerous grants from the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council and also from the Minnesota Artist Initiative Program. She’s also won countless awards in exhibits throughout the region. She’s deserving. As a photographer, her work is important, inspiring and impactful.

While this artist is stepping away from new solo shows, she plans to participate in group photo exhibits. And she will continue to create, following a life-long path of creativity rooted in her childhood. Here is Helms’ story, in Q & A format, of her creative journey.

Our backgrounds help shape who we are as individuals and who we are as creatives. Tell me about yours—where you grew up, family, post secondary education, occupation, etc.—basically a snapshot bio of your life.

I grew up in a small town in Illinois, the daughter of a business owner father and an elementary school teacher mother. I graduated from Bradley University and then taught elementary school. I received an MS degree and worked as a guidance counselor, social worker and a naturalist. I’ve lived in Canada, Wisconsin, and now Minnesota, exploring my love of the outdoors in each state. I have three sons, seven grandchildren and five great grandchil- dren—all wonderful!!

WAs a child, were you already creating, maybe not with a camera, but in some other way?

Coloring books were always a favorite and drawing came about from that. I had many “How to Draw” (horses, dogs, whatever) books. I loved to play in the dirt, making roads and towns around the roots of trees. I also wrote little stories, but never showed them to anyone, until fifth grade.

Many creatives recall an individual who encouraged them or something in their lives which influenced them in their craft. How about you?

In fifth grade Miss Garber, a most amazing teacher, started an after school “Scribble and Sketch Club,” which encouraged me to do some writing as well as drawing. Thank you, thank you to Miss Garber and to all our teachers who make a difference in their students’ lives!

When did you realize you wanted to seriously pursue photography and when were you actually able to do that? Why photography?

I liked to take photos of my sons as they grew up. We all loved to hike, bike, swim, canoe and just be outdoors in nature. Photographing the beauty around us was soon added to my family photos. Through the years there were classes and workshops that enhanced my knowledge. I think my “decisive moment” was when I took a printing class and learned that I loved “developing” my photographs in Photoshop and printing them with my own printer as much as I loved making the photo in camera.

How would you describe your work?

Artistic, documentary, intentionallyfocused…?

At this point my work is mainly focused on how to reach people so they might think about what we humans are doing to the natural world. I would like people to step back a minute and understand how they/we might change to make the planet a better place—not through hate or greed, but through caring.

Your photography has focused many times on hands, from Catholic sisters to farmers to artists. You’ve also focused on rural scenes and now often on water. Why photograph these subjects?

I was a volunteer at the Living Earth Center on the Good Counsel Campus in Mankato when I first met Sister Dorothy. We became friends who shared a common interest in nature. She often talked about Thomas Berry and the importance of the Universe story. At that point, photography was a hobby for

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CONTINUED from page 15 me, but the more I got to know Sister Dorothy and hear about all the amazing experiences from the other Sisters, the more I thought I’d like to tell their stories through interviews and photographs of their hands. The exhibit, “Blessed Are the Hands That Have Served,” was very well received and I decided to continue with the hands of other groups of people—artists, musicians, writers, farmers and refugees. Let’s talk water. I’m especially drawn to this sentence in an artist’s statement you wrote: “Water is the foundation of our existence from our beginnings in a watery womb to our ends when ice is all we can swallow.” That’s so relatable. When you photograph water, what are you attempting to convey? Is there a message in your photos?

From the time I waded barefoot in puddles as a child, I’ve always loved the water. My reading and my work with environmental groups have opened my eyes to the problems we humans are causing, not only for the water, but for the world as well. That is my focus at this point.

Sometimes I’m just amazed by the beauty of our waters and its crucial role in our existence. I hope to record that in my photographs. Sometimes I’m looking for a scene that might wake us up to how little we are concerned about our water. Sometimes I’m looking for a scene that will illustrate/accompany a quote that I believe is important for people to hear and see. I’m an avid reader about water and the natural world and find so many wonderful quotes (some beautiful, some a wake-up call) by amazing writers that I want to share with others.

Years ago I took an Environmental Studies class where I first heard about “The Commons.”

“The Commons” is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water and a habitable earth. These resources are held in common, not owned privately... It is one of the few ways we have to acknowledge our debt to the past generations, and to embody our link to future generations. It shows we believe in ourselves as an enduring civilization, not an economy. I hope that my photographs help to convey that idea.

To quote Sharon Day, the founder of the Nibi Walks for Water: “What does it matter who ben- efits or gets richer if we lose our precious water and continue to destroy the land?”

What are you working on now?

And where can readers see your current or next photo exhibits?

I will continue to take and print photographs of all the exhibits held at the Carnegie Art Center in Mankato, which I’ve done since 2013. I just finished transferring all of them to a new database, where they’ll serve as an historical record as well.

“Honor the Water” at the Carnegie in February was probably my last new solo exhibit. However, I still plan to participate in member exhibits at Carnegie, the Arts Center of Saint Peter, and The Grand Center for Arts and Cul- ture in New Ulm. My photos will also be in The Bend of the River Photo Club exhibits at the Blue Earth County Library and the Blue Earth County Historical Society.

I am exploring how to put my work online in the hope of reaching more people and am working on a children’s book about our connections with water.

Audrey Kletscher Helbling creates with her Canon camera and words from her home base in Faribault. She focuses on the ordinary, on everyday life. You can find more of her work on her blog: https://mnprairieroots.com 

Audrey Kletscher Helbling creates with her Canon camera and words from her home base in Faribault. She focuses on the ordinary, on everyday life. You can find more of her work on her blog: https://mnprairieroots.com

By PAT GARRY Guest Contributor

Owatonna’s Chris Norbury is the award-winning author of the mysterysuspense-thrillers “Straight River,” “Castle Danger,” and “Dangerous Straits.”

He’s written for several websites as a freelance writer. His essays on wilderness canoeing have been published in the Boundary Waters Journal. Chris is a member of both the Twin Cities and national chapters of Sisters in Crime. He’s also a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi).

As a volunteer Big Brother for 20 years and now a “Big Brother Emeritus,” Chris donates a portion of all book sales to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota.

During the golf season in Minnesota, he works on perfecting his golf game. It’s an impossible dream but also a good excuse to get out of the office. Recently, I visited with Mr. Norbury

Southern Minn Scene: Do you work at a job other than your writing profession?

Chris Norbury: Writing is my main job, although I sometimes feel like golfing is my fulltime job during the golf season. My previous work background includes teaching instrumental music in a public school, financial planning, wine consulting, and private investing.

SMS: What is your latest book and briefly, what is it about?

CN: My latest book, “Dangerous Straits,” was published in 2022. It’s the third book in the Matt Lanier mystery-thriller series. Lanier is a professional musician whose life was nearly destroyed when he uncovered a violent conspiracy