RECOGNIZING SORENSEN STUDIOS

On 2026-09-30, Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) delivered a floor speech titled "RECOGNIZING SORENSEN STUDIOS" in the Senate.

RECOGNIZING SORENSEN STUDIOS

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 155 (Wednesday, September 30, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 155 (Wednesday, September 30, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S5246-S5247] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING SORENSEN STUDIOS Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, as chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Iowa small business that exemplifies the [[Page S5247]] American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize Sorensen Studios of Adair County, IA, as Senate Small Business of the Week. The initial idea for Sorensen Studios was born when Maria Galanakis realized she needed a helping hand to complete her journalism projects at Iowa State. Luckily for Maria, her future husband Ray ``Bubba'' Sorenson was an artist himself, with a particular talent for painting murals. During college, Bubba was inspired by the movie ``Saving Private Ryan'' and came up with the idea to honor veterans by painting a mural on a 12-foot-tall boulder. This was dubbed ``The Freedom Rock,'' with the first rock mural completed in 1999. Every Memorial Day, Bubba repaints the rock to update the design and highlight stories of Iowa veterans. As the couple continued to work together, they soon realized that Bubba's talent for painting and Maria's knack for photography and logistics was the perfect combination. In 2008, Maria and Bubba opened their own small business. Through the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Sorensens were able to get the capital they needed from local banks and build their business. As the business gained traction, the market for murals grew, inspiring Maria and Bubba to reconfigure Sorensen Studios to focus more on painting projects. In 2013, Bubba and Maria started the Freedom Rock Tour, with the goal of painting one rock mural in each of Iowa's 99 counties. Over the next 10 years, Bubba traveled across the State, creating a Freedom Rock tailored to the history and veterans of each county. Today, all 99 Iowa counties have a Freedom Rock, and the 100th Freedom Rock was completed in Altoona, IA. Nearly two decades later, Sorensen Studios is still solely owned and operated by Maria and Bubba. After years of success, the pair started the Freedom Rock Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to maintaining Freedom Rocks and governed by a board of veterans. The Sorensens have taken their mission to honor veterans through art nationwide, starting the 50 State Freedom Rock Tour, with Bubba painting messages of gratitude for American veterans across the country. In addition to Sorensen Studios, Bubba serves his community as a State representative for the 23rd district in the Iowa House of Representatives. The couple has worked hard over the past 18 years and acknowledge they could not have done it without the support of their family. I am pleased to recognize Bubba and Maria of Sorensen Studios for their creative entrepreneurship and longstanding commitment to our Nation's veterans. I look forward to their continued success and wish them the very best in the years ahead. ____________________