Meet Dawn

Artist and founder of Fire to Gold

Three women in front of a camera, one wears a leg brace.

Hi, I’m Dawn

A humanitarian at heart, life-long spiritual seeker, transformation enthusiast and devoted earth citizen, I am a modern day visionary artist and social entrepreneur.

Looking back, being present and seeing forward, I am called at this tumultuous crossroads in our world to contribute my authentic voice in partnership with other change makers, healers and artists to elevate women and inspire humanity to a higher ground.

Spirit in Form: Transforming Trauma into Agency

Through the lens of my camera, countless trainings, pioneering new initiatives and gathering in circles, I have been drawn to explore the experience of being human and being human together. This has included revealing the seen and hidden aspects of who we are. It has included visually exploring the threads of our interconnectedness with ourselves, each other, the earth and non-physical world.

With great courage and pain at times, I’ve leaned into building understanding across differences. I’ve sought the place of honoring our differences and our common humanity. I have discovered the power of sacred ”we spaces” and reconnecting with the majesty of the natural world to find respite and mirrors for each other’s healing and transformation. I am drawn to create beauty and bridge the spiritual realm into recognizable material forms and experiences.

My passion for this exploration was ignited in the early 90’s through being a contract trainer / consultant at the forefront of emerging technology and diversity trends. It was furthered through my trauma and my travels. It was influenced by the Baha’i Faith, which recognizes the oneness of humanity and that the crucial need facing humanity is to find a unifying vision for the future of society and the purpose of life.

Most of my career I have been a solopreneur. In 2000, I founded my own company which evolved from providing training / consulting services into Luminous Concepts Productions. I’ve since offered video production and photography services. Starting in 2017, by day I provide corporate video production for a company called Aon. On the weekends I have been incrementally creating Fire to Gold. I have also been immersed in my trauma healing journey, navigating life’s difficulties and blessings, studies and experiences of emergent approaches / practices for healing trauma and creating sacred healing spaces.

Press

  • “If a picture is worth a thousand words, Dawn Vogel’s photographs speak volumes about the changing face of Willmar.  Vogel a project director and consultant with the Center for Cross-Cultural Health in Minneapolis is creating a photographic record that documents Willmar’s journey from its Scandinavian Lutheran roots to a patchwork quilt of diverse cultures and backgrounds.”

    Anne Polta, West Central Tribune: Photo documentary captures the changing face of Willmar’s people.” 

  • “Dawn Vogel, a photographer who lives in Windom has traveled all over the world, capturing the everyday nuances of regular people.  Vogel bought a house in Windom, and realized that her own new neighborhood would be the perfect subject for an exhibit on diversity.  She began “Once upon a Time Windom,” a project that will document the stories of community members on film and bring them together in an exhibition.”

    Mary O’ Regan, Southwest Journal, Southwest Spotlight, “Window on Windom” 

Select Exhibition Highlights

Select Grants, Funding, and Artist Loans

  • City of Minneapolis City Arts Grants Program

  • Headwater’s Fund Special Opportunity Grant

  • Park Nicollet Healthy Communities Grant

  • Minneapolis Foundation for Seward neighborhood artists

  • Bloomington Public Schools, Indian Education Program

  • Dayton Hudson Artist Loan Fund, Springboard Center for the Arts

  • Mayor Rybak’s Office, Green Central School, Minneapolis Public Schools Administrative Offices, Minneapolis, MN still on display in 2025

    “If it is to be, it is up to me.” a quote on Richard Green Central Elementary School’s website, was put into action through a unique learning opportunity that empowered 3 successive 5th grade classes with a life changing opportunity to expand their worldview and belief in what is possible in life. “Green Central School: History Comes Alive” is a photo documentary story of 40 5th graders who experienced history first hand on a trip to Mount Rushmore. It was brought to life by the vision of two passionate teachers Ceola Lazo and Hila Dipman. The vision was furthered by the generosity of the community and a group of grassroots community members, and business owners, including myself who created “Fashioning a Dream” a Fashion Show Fundraiser that raised another $12,000 to allow a second class to go in 2009. A third class went in 2010. An exhibition was held in Mayor Rybak’s office and now is displayed in Richard Green Central Elementary School.

  • Betsy’s Back Porch, and Time Out Studio, Windom Neighborhood, MN

    Photodocumentary celebrating the diversity and sense of community in the Windom neighborhood where I purchased and lost my first and only home in the 2008-9 economic crisis

  • Solo exhibition of diverse faces and families in day to day moments locally and globally. Diplayed at Minneapolis Baha’i Center Minneapolis and Antonio’s Restaurant, Willmar, MN as part of Changng Communities: WIllmar community wide initiative on cultural competency funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. Included diverse cultural music, performances and community activities for families and children

  • YWCA Midtown, Minneapolis, MN

    A collaborative community art installation with a Somali, Hmong, Mexican and Russian artist, the four largest immigrant communities in Twin Cities at the time, to promote awareness and understanding between the growing diverse communities in the Twin Cities area and build community through art and education. Cultural music, food and performances were provided.

  • Collaborative project with Riverside Alternative Therapies to photograph and exhibit diverse mothers and their children from pregnancy to birth.

  • Babies, Bodies, Buddahs and Beauty was a solo exhibition exploring the common visual thread and sacredness in each of these topics. As an artist, with a free spirited smile I also gave myself the permission to create freely what I was inspired to create without it having to make logical sense.

    Riverside Alternative Therapies, Minneapolis Minnesota

  • A solo photography exhibition displaying photos of my travels in Africa, France, Hong Kong and Guatemala for attendees to expand their worldview in collaboration with family center which included activities for mothers and their children to create art about what they dreamed for the world.

 My Professional Background

Career Journey

  • I currently deliver video production and photography services for corporate and small business clients, primarily in the healthcare or community health sector. Select Clients include:

    • Aon

    • HealthEast

    • Affordable Housing Connection Inc.

    • HealthPartners

    • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota

    • Honoring Women Worldwide

    • Center for Cross Cultural Health

    • Wells Fargo

    • Entira Family Clinics

    • Women’s Congress

  • I served as Project Director for “Changing Communities: Willmar” a community wide-initiative on cultural competency, through The Center for Cross-Cultural Health, funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. The initiative was in response to a growing Somali and Latino population in Willmar, a primarily Scandinavian community.

  • Luminous Concepts’ mission is to “illuminate people and bridge worlds through photography, training and pioneering large scale organizational and community change initiatives.” In 2012 I added video production and became Luminous Concepts Productions with a mission to “illuminate new frontiers of health & human potential” through photography and video production services.

  • HBO and Company, then Possibilities Company

    Provided contract training services in technical and soft skills topics from development to delivery

  • I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon, Africa doing health education, small business development and photographing day-to-day village life.

Credentials & Training

TWT Timeless Wisdom Training, Thomas Hubl, The Academy of Inner Science 2025 - 2027

Strategies for Trauma Awareness & Resilience, Certificate, Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute, 2024

Trauma Informed Women in Leadership Certificate of Completion, Pocket Project, 2023

Ancestral Healing Journey Certificate of Completion, Thomas Hubl, 2022

Mastering Convening, Center for Purposeful Leadership Certificate of Completion, Center for Purposeful Leadership, 2022

Talking Circle Training, Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute, 2022

Individual and Collective Trauma Healing Journey Certificate of Completion, Thomas Hubl, 2021

Whole Person Leadership for Women Certificate of Completion, Center for Purposeful Leadership 2020

Feminine Power Certificate of Completion, Feminine Power by Claire Zammit, 2018

Timeless Earth Wisdom Medicine Wheel Ceremonies, Regular Participant following cycles of the earth, 2017 - current

Agents of Conscious Evolution Certificate of Completion, Barbara Marx Hubbard, 2015

AWE Awakened Wisdom Certification, 2012

Myers Briggs Certification, Myers Briggs Company, 1997

Photography and Video Continuing Education 1986 - current

BA, Psychology, Minor in Photography, French and Spanish proficiency, University of Minnesota, 1986