Finding Minnesota: Lake Wobegon Trail Gallery

ALBANY, Minnesota (WCCO) -- It's said that one picture is worth 10,000 words. And at a gallery in central Minnesota, that saying holds true.

Inside an old bank building in a small Minnesota town you can see the world through the eyes of Jack Evens.

"I heard another photographer say it one time, 'my favorite place is the next place I'm going to'," Jack said.

For 40 years, his work has taken him to places like Africa, Israel, and recently, Cuba.

"Every time he shows me something new it's breath-taking. He always has a beautiful image from anywhere he goes," Jack's daughter, Mara, said.

Decades of capturing the right light, the right colors, the right moments, may have taken Jack around the world... but it also brought him back home. He and his kids renovated a building in downtown Albany, and opened the Lake Wobegon Trail Gallery.

"Friends would tell me you are crazy to do it there. There aren't enough people and where would you put it? But we wanted to share it where we live and that's important and it's special," Jack said.

But there's another reason why it's here. One that touches close to home and close to the heart.

"She didn't take photographs, but she was the most important person here," Jack said.

Seven years ago, Jack lost his beloved wife Debbie to cancer. The couple had been married for 30 years, raising three kids together, and working side by side. With Debbie's help, Jack was able to capture thousands upon thousands of special moments for families and friends.

"If there was a necklace out of place or a collar, she was always right up there correcting it before I would take the photographs," said Jack.

And it was as much Debbie's dream as it was Jack's to one day open a gallery they could be proud of. While she never lived to see its grand opening, this gallery is now here in her honor.

"We thought what a perfect thing to do in her memory now, because it will go on forever. I think she would have tears in her eyes. Without a doubt. I think she would," said Jack.

"I think she would be speechless. As am I. It's always been her dream and it finally came true. I wish she was here to see it," said Mara.

But Jack feels in many ways she still is. And not just here. When he's capturing light seeping through a cave in Arizona. Or waiting for that perfect moment on a quiet street in Havana. This gallery is all about making both moments and memories last as long as they can.

"When I'm gone hopefully the kids will be able to keep it and share the experiences of a lifetime," said Jack.