Heartland Portraits – Dawn Rossbach

And so it begins.



With the support of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, I’m launching Heartland Portraits—a photographic project that documents the lives, stories, and creative spaces of culture bearers and artisans in the Heartland Lakes region of Minnesota.

Through interviews, documentary photography, and portraiture, this project celebrates the rich cultural heritage of our community while challenging me to grow as both photographer and storyteller. Having been shaped by the creative spirit of this region myself, I’m excited to shine a light on the artists who make this place truly special.

The first session took place in May at the Armory Arts and Events Center, where artist and educator Dawn Rossbach led a portrait drawing class. It was the perfect setting to begin this journey.

More on Dawn soon…


📍 Heartland Lakes: From Osage to Akeley, Itasca State Park to Menahga—including Park Rapids and all the creative spaces in between.


Jeremy Simonson is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.This is a paragraph. Click edit and enter your own text. You can make changes like making the text bold, underline or italic. This is a great place for you to tell your clients more about your story and to describe the type of photographer you are. You can come back at any time to make more changes.

Students working together at a table in a classroom with various artistic prints and drawings displayed on the wall behind them.
Two people collaborate over artwork at a desk in a studio setting with framed pieces displayed on the wall behind them.
Two people working together at a desk in an art studio with illustrated artwork displayed on the walls in black and white.
Students work intently at their desks in a bright studio classroom with windows.
Two people examine artwork together at a desk in a black and white artistic workspace setting.
Person in black clothing works focused at desk with art materials and reference images.
A black and white photo shows people working at desks in an office or study area with art displayed on the walls.
A black and white photograph shows art students displaying their drawings during a class session at an art studio.