- You know, when you, when you have a house that has a lot of art in it, you change it up, you change it seasonally or you change it year to year.

But the Richter stuff always has a place because it's so treasured, so revered and it's the the kind of work that when people come into your house they say, "Whoa, who did that?"

- Franz is someone who has real vision and humanity and is able to express it.

- [Kristi] Franz Richter is an amazing graphic design artist.

He's a good friend.

He's somebody who cares deeply about where every line lands.

Anytime you can spend some time with Franz and have him just tell you about his art and what he was thinking when he was doing it, he's such a storyteller.

It's really, it's precious time.

(classical music) - Because he's a graphic designer I would sometimes ask for help with stuff.

I said, "Franz, what do you think?"

And he looked at it for a long time and he was really quiet and then he leaned over and said, "Well, you know, Andy White space is okay too."

A little while later I learned that he was right that white space is okay.

Ever since then, I've tried to listen to him 'cause he knows, he's got an eye.

- My name is Franz Allbert Richter and there are two L's in Allbert.

I am named after my grandfather's.

This is where my people settled, south of Clarkfield, this hunters earths homestead.

And that house was going to be sent to Norway back in the thirties.

This photo was taken about 1893 and that little building still has a lot of, a missing chunk out of that log to this day.

(instinct chatter) Hey.

Started drawing when I was three, dad worked for the hatchery in Clarkfield and they would use a long, fairly long roll of paper, heavy paper but the rolls came a little bit too long so they sawed off a piece about this big and dad would bring it home and gave it to me.

And I got out the crayons and started drawing horses and cowboys.

Firing rifles.

Firing pistols into the air with purple flames.

(exciting music) Oh, that's it.

Okay, there.

Oh!

(upbeat music) - Was it surprising to you, that all, you had so much stuff around?

- Yes.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And yeah, to be able to see it, yeah.

One surprise after the other.

Yeah.

- Does it make you happy to see it all together?

- Yeah.

Yes, yes.

(exciting music) I'm just me.

I don't know if they're, but so.

I'm glad people have kept these things.

(upbeat music) Oh, I see they've got the plow.

There's an outcropping of rock surrounded by slough but this is a little piece of Avro-rock a part of that big exposure of heart stone.

And these are little buffalo that Jean had in his collection and he decided to display them on this little piece of Avro-rock along with some nature that collapsed there.

(calm music) 16th of October, I turned 80 years old and when you turn and look back, realizing that's your life looking that way.

And it is a real treat to see what I'm seeing here.

(emotional music) - [Narrator] Postcards is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the Citizens of Minnesota.

Additional support provided by Margaret A Cargill Philanthropies, Mark and Margaret Yackel-Juleen on behalf of Shalom Hill Farms, a retreat and conference center in a prairie setting near Wyndham, Minnesota.

On the web at shalomhillfarm.org.

Alexandria, Minnesota, a year-round destination with hundreds of lakes, trails, and attractions for memorable vacations and events.

More information at explorealex.com.

The Lake Region Arts Council's Arts calendar, an arts and cultural heritage funded digital calendar showcasing upcoming art events and opportunities for artists in West Central Minnesota.

On the web at lrac4calendar.org.

Playing today's new music plus your favorite hits, 96.7kram.

Online at 967kram.com.

(peaceful rhythmic music)