One thing led to another and she found herself selling photos at a now-defunct bookstore in Pierre called Prairie Pages .
“ They hung my 8x12s on their walls and held a reception ,” she said . “ Some friends from my community an hour away showed up to offer their support and Marty and I went out to supper to celebrate what was / felt like my very first exhibition or showing .”
Participation in shows has snowballed throughout the past seven or so years , as at every show Cristen attends she meets someone who recommends another show in which she should participate .
She has shown at the Governor ’ s Prairie Arts Showcase ( it was the First Ladies ’ Arts Showcase when she was there , and she fondly remembers Linda Dauggard walking around passing out loaves of homemade banana bread to all the artists ) and thoroughly enjoyed it . She now regularly shows at the Black Hills Stock Show , Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival , Gift from Mother Earth Art Show and Sale at Crazy Horse , at Prairie Edge in Rapid City and at Rehfeld ’ s Art & Framing in Sioux Falls . In addition , she maintains a website where anyone can buy her breathtaking photographs .
In addition to this , Cristen and Marty are in the midst of restoring a 1911 schoolhouse that sits next to their driveway . It was purchased by a previous owner of their property from a neighboring township and then was left to slowly settle into the earth . But Cristen and Marty have other plans for it .
The first phase was to get it off the soil and onto a solid foundation . The next phase , which they are currently in , is to replace its siding , roof and windows . Cristen wants to remain true to the heart of the schoolhouse so has tried to find materials that preserve the style rather than transform it . It won ’ t be a historical preservation , Cristen said , but will be renovated keeping with most of the history while making it functional for future use .
In 2020 she had her first open house at the schoolhouse . She and her family cleaned , hung photographs , cleaned and sent out invitations . Then they waited .
“ It may not seem like much ,” she said , “ but it was to me . 70 people came ! A friend drove from four hours away , folks came from Rapid City ... it was so nice !”
In the future , Cristen hopes to bring to Murdo what she so desperately missed as an eighth grader who loved art : art education . She hopes to offer all sorts of courses in the little schoolhouse , not only by herself on photography , but from all sorts of folks on a variety of different arts and crafts : crocheting , basket weaving , watercolors , and more .
But for now Cristen loves hiking the cattle trails on their ranch and pasture , camera in hand , capturing the beauty of His creation around her .
“ It ’ s a chance to breathe and pause ,” she said . “ It ’ s rest for my soul .”
You can find Cristen on her website at cristenjoyphotography . com . �
Mountain top views of the Black Hills make one feel so small . The layers and depth of the landscape invite us to take it all in . My son and I hiked to the top of this peak from which this photograph was taken . We soaked in the landscape for an hour or so before the lighting was right for the shadows while still illuminating much of the Black Hills . Photo by Cristen Roghair
17