Pictured at left:
Kathe luvs Elsie, 2009
Smooch! Project Archive category – All in the Family: Kids luv Moms

KATHE HETTERICK didn't know she was destined to become a Hero when she discovered the Smooch! shoot at the Minneapolis Walker Art Center in February 2009. I clearly recall my pleasure as I greeted this family group when they entered the shoot area. Leading the pack was an elderly woman in a wheelchair, followed by two adults and a seven-year-old child. Kathe and her mom, Elsie, are beautifully captured in the photo above. At the time, Elsie was 99. I knew she would likely be recorded in the project history as the oldest-ever participant. (She has just turned 100, by the way, but that's another story.) This feature is actually about Kathe and her unpictured husband, John, and what they did that earned them their Hero status. It was amazing. As soon as these two learned that The Smooch! Project was destined to leave Minnesota in its effort to collect photographs, out came the Rolodexes . . . or whatever passes for that these days. Within an incredibly short time, people from Taos, New Mexico, Washington, D.C., and New York City were calling to discuss how to bring The Smooch! Project to their locations. We've yet to take anyone up on their generous offers but hope to someday soon. With Heroes like Kathe and John standing ready to help when we are ready to move, how possibly can we fail? Thanks so much, John and Kathe! Your support is greatly appreciated. And a great big Happy Birthday to Elsie, who still loves to bowl. You go, girl!

Pictured at right:
Elizabeth luvs David, 2007
Smooch! Project Archive category – Together: Young Love (Dating)

ELIZABETH WILLIAMS and DAVID FLEMING are now both good friends of mine as well as staunch Smooch! supporters. The first time I met David is documented in the accompanying photo, Elizabeth luvs David. It was January 2007, and my friend Elizabeth had brought her new beau to a Smooch! shoot so I could meet him as well as to document their budding romance. Happily, their relationship has continued to thrive. I don't see them as often as I would like but when I put out a call in mid-2009 for help collating thousands of printed Smooch! postcards, I was very pleased to hear from them. At the moment, Elizabeth is very busy ace-ing all her graduate study classes in acupuncture and herbal medicine at a Minneapolis university and is scheduled to graduate in August 2010. Dave is an in-demand IT Business Systems Consultant. I felt extremely lucky that they both could show up at a postcard-collating event held at a local coffee shop. This gift of time to the project is what made them Smooch! Project Heroes. I asked Elizabeth how they managed to fit volunteering for The Smooch! Project into their incredibly busy lives. Her response: "We couldn't say no to an opportunity to help 'spread the love'!" Elizabeth and David are two important reasons why The Smooch! Project seems destined to reach its goal of collecting 10,000 photographs of the affectionately-inclined. I am blessed by their presence in my life as well as their ongoing support for this effort. Yup. I am one lucky photographer.

Pictured at left:
CONNIE LUVS TRACY, 2009
Smooch! Project Archive category – Together: Young Love (Engaged)

CONNIE BECKERS get things done. Most especially art things within her beloved North Minneapolis community. When searching for Smooch! shoot sites, I try to locate them throughout the Twin Cities. I don't know NoMi (North Minneapolis) very well. That's OK, 'cuz I know Connie who, among other things, is the Executive Director of the Northside Arts Collective. Within two hours of emailing her, I had a list of seven possibilities, complete with addresses, phone numbers, and contacts. I checked out the locations, chose one, made my pitch, but couldn't land a commitment. Connie intervened. In a snap, the way was cleared. While in NoMi, I photographed 60 people. Surprisingly, half of them simply walked in and marched up to me with a single question: Where do I stand? Puzzled, I'd ask how they found me. The invariable answer: Connie sent me. This made her a Smooch! Project Hero but is also why I occasionally suspected a Northside Art Mafia lurking in the background. Too hilarious! Let me assure you -- there is nothing sinister about the remarkable network found within this vibrant creative community, of which Connie is an integral part. NoMi is lucky to have her. I know she would say the same about her Northside community. I am lucky and grateful as well to have her support and friendship. And who is Connie is smooching above? Tracy is her new life partner, following their recent commitment ceremony. A self-described introvert, Tracy really pushed her boundaries while being photographed for the Smooch! Project, for which I am grateful as well. Please join me in wishing this couple well as they embark on their new life together!

Pictured at right:
VIVA LUVS JERRY, 2006
Smooch! Project Archive category – Together: The Middle Years (5-20 years)

VIVA AND JERRY BECK seem larger than life, which helps explain how these two have garnered a substantial following for their weekly cable television variety show, Viva & Jerry's Country Music Videos, an effort they started in 1991. Vivacious Viva is the spokesperson for the duo, bubbling over with ideas, jokes and buoyant energy. In contrast, Jerry is a man of few words who provides the perfect foil for Viva's antics. I first met them in late 2006 at a Smooch! shoot in Lowertown during the Saint Paul Art Crawl. I photographed them and captured the image shown here. They were polite, gracious and supportive. They also featured The Smooch! Project on their show. I was very touched. Three years later, I called Viva to invite them both to participate in a very unique Smooch! shoot. That was when I learned that Viva and Jerry's support for The Smooch! Project had grown. Should I express even the slightest doubt about the future of the project, Viva's take-no-prisoners encouragement (with Jerry's full support) immediately nipped that in the bud. Viva and Jerry's relentless optimism and ongoing support have earned them their Smooch! Hero status. I asked Viva what she liked best about The Smooch! Project. Her response? "The photographer." OK, my error. I rephrased the question. What did she think about the project itself? Without hesitation, she said, "The Smooch! Project is a love stroke for the world." That pretty much nails it. I am both lucky and blessed to have these two as supporters as well as friends. If you haven't seen their work, you can sample it online by visiting the Minneapolis Television Network MTN.blip.tv website. If you live in the Twin Cities, be sure to watch them locally on MCN (Metro Cable Network, Channel 6) at 6pm Friday and 11pm Saturday. Go, Viva and Jerry!

Pictured at left:
ELENA LUVS ARI, 2009
Smooch! Project Archive category –
Animals & Their Humans

ELENA WALKER is the perfect friend to have at your back when you find yourself in a challenging situation. In an effort to collect images from all walks of life, some Smooch! shoots can be rather, mmmm . . . unique. For example, I might find myself standing in the midst of skittish horses, wondering if I am about to be kicked. Or photographing costumed science fantasy fans. Consider the challenges of explaining The Smooch! Project to a person covered with tattoos, some of which include violent words like 'mayhem' or 'gore.' Elena's been there with me, weathering it all with a balanced calm -- even when I am freaking out (which has been known to happen). I've developed quite a habit of asking for her help. Elena has assisted with four Smooch! shoots, making her the most seasoned volunteer yet. Elena has literally faced hundreds of people, answering their questions, and helping them become a part of The Smooch! Project. Her contribution allows me to turn my back to all that activity and focus on the people standing in front of my camera. I've asked her why she keeps signing up. She says she enjoys supporting the project in a very concrete way. Personally, I think she's a little nuts. But then, when it comes to the Smooch! Project, so am I, which means we get along just fine. Elena is an official Smooch! Project Hero and I am happy for the opportunity to publicly thank her for her ongoing support and friendship. I am also very pleased we were able to photograph her with her beloved cat, Ari. Thanks so much, Elena!

Pictured at right:
GLEN LUVS KAY, 2008
Smooch! Project Archive category –
Together: Old Marrieds (21 years)

KAY CHRISTIANSON really knows her way around a spreadsheet. She also knows how to cut to the chase and get the job done, having served for many years in upper management at several well-known Minnesota corporations and nonprofits. Now retired, Kay spends her time doing volunteer things she loves like teaching ESL, chairing committees for Children’s Cancer Research Fund and the Twin Cities Marathon, as well as running, kayaking, and traveling with Glen, her husband of 24 years. Here’s what I really like about Kay: She’s smart. She’s fun to hang around with. She’s my friend and a fellow meditator (which means we share some significant core values). And finally – this is very important – she comes to my aid whenever I ask for help. Kay has earned her Smooch! Project Hero status several times over. Present a project challenge to her and she helps clarify the issues and discover the solutions. Seek suggestions and I know I better be ready with paper and pen at hand. When asking for her opinion, I have learned to listen carefully. I especially appreciate it when she tells me she thinks my ideas are dumb. Whoo Hoo! Not that she would ever, ever say this to me in quite that blunt way but she does know how to communicate very clearly – a very welcome skill when decisions must be made. Kay is a trustworthy friend as well as a great supporter. Everyone who loves The Smooch! Project – not just the photographer -- directly benefits from her contributions. Thanks so much, Kay, for your ongoing help and support!

Pictured at left:
RENEE LUVS CAROLE, 2008
Smooch! Project Archive category --
All in the Family: Moms luv Kids


CAROLE OSTLUND’s dog, Greta, does not like to be photographed. Fortunately for The Smooch! Project, her 84-year-old mom, Renee, was much more cooperative, as evidenced by this beautiful portrait of her smooching her youngest daughter. Carole is now a Smooch! Project Hero. What she did to gain this accolade was not so extraordinary. She’s an intelligent, capable, and personable human being who volunteered for a day to manage a Smooch! shoot. Carole did a great job. The striking story here was the oh-so-tenuous link that brought her to that shoot. An amateur photographer and a published poet, Carole is interested in and supportive of all things creative. In March 2007, she attended an art exhibition in Wisconsin. The show included a work from The Smooch! Project. This was Carole’s initial exposure and she found the concept intriguing. She decided to add her name to the project email list. Nineteen months later, she was managing a shoot. It’s incredible how even small things – in this case, a photograph in an exhibition – can have such far-reaching powerful effects. Carole said the shoot management experience inspired her to push her own creative poetic strengths. It also led her to join the Smooch! Project DREAM TEAM, an inner circle group of people committed to helping the project reach its goal of collecting 10,000 images from around the world. The attraction The Smooch! Project holds for people continues to inspire me. I am touched by the heartfelt contributions that people like Carole continue to make on behalf of this effort. Thank you, Carole, for your help and support. The future of the project is quite bright as you and your fellow Dreamers rise to the challenge of bringing The Smooch! Project to the great big world surrounding our beautiful state of Minnesota.

Pictured at right:
BECKY LUVS ADDISON, 2007
Smooch! Project Archive category --
All in the Family: Moms luv Kids

BECKY PELANT is unrelentingly optimistic about the future of The Smooch! Project. She first heard about it in early 2007, shortly after the birth of her third child, Addy. As you can see from the Smooch! archive photo with 6-week-old Addison, it did not take the entire Pelant family (husband Tom, daughter Riley, and son Trey) very long to attend a Smooch! shoot. Becky is a Smooch! Hero because she believes in the project and is not shy about telling people about it. Send Becky an email about The Smooch! Project and it multiplies, cascading out to family, friends and co-workers. Ask her about the project and her enthusiasm brightens the room. Wow. Every project should have the support of at least one person like Becky. Fortunately for The Smooch! Project, there are already several people who share Becky’s love for this photographic effort. And that makes this Hero story about more than Becky. It is also very much about the many individuals – largely invisible to the project photographer – who support the project in dozens of ways, large and small, whenever they can -- just like Becky does. If this project is going to succeed in reaching its goal, it will be largely due to the people for whom Becky is the representative Hero featured here. The photographer is always, always grateful for Becky’s heart-felt enthusiasm and interest in anything Smooch! Multiply this by all the people who support this project just like Becky and, well, the heart will hardly hold it. Thanks so much for your support, Becky and everyone like her! It is very much appreciated.

Pictured at left:
EVY LUVS ROSS, 2008
Smooch! Project Archive category --
Together: Old Marrieds (21-plus years)

ROSS & EVY SUSSMAN are a couple of cool cucumbers. Last winter, I received an email from Ross: He & Evy wanted to volunteer. I gratefully accepted, expecting the shoot would be an easy one. Ooops! I guessed wrong. Look closely at the photo of this dapper man and his classy wife, captured at the end of the event. Do they LOOK like they just finished managing a crazy four-hour shoot? The event began reasonably enough but rapidly morphed into controlled chaos. We were buried by dozens of teenagers interested in participating. With only a few moments of training, Smooch! Heroes Ross & Evy held their post with poise & humor. Then the shoot was over, Ross & Evy went home, and I still knew very little about them. To help write this Hero profile, Ross sent me the following: "Evy is a retired special ed schoolteacher. Plays cello. Reads a lot. Is vivacious and has lots of friends. Loves to socialize. Ross is just the opposite: He is still working as a lawyer who helps families plan their futures to save taxes and still end up speaking to each other when one passes away. Listens to music, but doesn't play (after all, someone has to listen). Reads a lot. Is quiet but funny. Is happy being alone." I don’t believe the last sentence fragment is factually true but I do know this: Evy & Ross did a great job and really helped. These are good people. I am lucky to have had the opportunity to work with them. Thanks, Ross & Evy!

Pictured at right:
DAN LUVS PATRICE, 2006
Smooch! Project Archive category –
Together: Old Marrieds (21-plus years)


PATRICE KOELSCH is a good friend to have, especially when times are dark. And, wow, was it ever dark for The Smooch! Project in the fall of 2006. One month following a June Smooch! shoot, a child died in a horrific sequence of extremely poor parental decisions. In August, without realizing the connection, a large area newspaper published an earlier Smooch! photograph of the father with one of his surviving children, one of a dozen images illustrating a feature story about the project. The image shocked an angry, grief-stricken community and the project was suddenly embroiled in a controversy not of its own making. The Smooch! Project was scarcely four months old and experiencing its most painful period to date. Many people rallied in support the project, a kindness for which the photographer remains extremely grateful. But it was Patrice Koelsch, shown here with her hubby Dan, that the photographer reached out to for help. A Smooch! Project Hero, Patrice teaches meditation and is specifically trained to help people deal with difficult circumstances in their lives. And help she did, guiding the photographer to some much needed clarity during an emotionally confusing period. Patrice continues to share her practice in a variety of settings, including maximum security prisons and while working for The Minnesota AIDS Project. In her own words, Patrice believes that “gratitude is the foundation of human happiness.” There IS much to be grateful for in this world. The photographer well knows that Patrice is high on that list. Thanks so much for your help, my friend!