Portrait of KVRR news anchor headed to State Historical Museum

The portrait was created by Bismarck artist Shane Balkowitsch

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – A portrait of KVRR’s Emily Welker, created by Bismarck, North Dakota artist Shane Balkowitsch, will be part of the North Dakota State Historical Museum’s permanent collection.

Balkowitsch says he created the portrait using “historic wet plate collodion process of silver on glass.”  It’s entitled “Lady Of The News.”

Subjects hold perfectly still for about 6 to 10 seconds. The photo is processed with silver. It’s one of the earliest known photographic techniques and dates back to the 1840’s.

The photo was taken in Balkowitsch’s Bismarck studio. The original glass plate will be part of the State Historical Museum’s permanent collection.

Balkowitsch also created a famous portrait of Greta Thunberg when she visited Standing Rock. His photo of boxer Evander Holyfield is in the Smithsonian Institution.