Royal Ghost Town

Former Duluthian Jason Huntzinger returns for his first exhibit in Duluth since 2013. Royal Ghost Town is a one-night only pop-up exhibition and reception in the Hostel du Nord Art Annex.

In 2021, a fire and flood ripped through a canyon close to Huntzinger’s home, revealing remnants of an early 20th-century ghost town that had been obscured by foliage. This exhibit looks at the textural and temporal layers revealed by the forces of nature at the site of the former town of Royal, Utah. Huntzinger, who is typically a black-and-white photographer, expands his palette into mixed media, which includes material extracted directly from the site, such as charcoal from charred trees, and works on burnt and rusted roof tins which were found washed down through the town.

Huntzinger cut his teeth as an artist as part of the vibrant music and arts scene revolving around the Norshor Theatre from 1999 to 2002, while he was an art student at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

He now lives in the arts community of Helper, Utah, a former railroad and mining town. He teaches photography at Utah State University Eastern, and is active as an artist. His most recent exhibition was a version of this show at Utah State University Eastern Gallery East in April 2023.