The ice is out on Sawbill—photo courtesy of Sawbill Canoe Outfitters.
Greetings from the North Shore where spring energy quickens in the rivers and lakes and rains replenish our waterfalls.
The High Falls after the Rains by Trish Francis.
Durfee Creek by Sierra Parsons.
Spring energy is alive in our gardens too, and the daffodils are just starting to bloom.
Daffodils don’t like freezing temps by Joan Farnam.
In art news, Art Night at Joy and Company this week will offer an opportunity to play with colored pencils.
Experiment with colored pencils during Art Night at Joy and Company.
There is much more to colored pencils than you might think. During Art Night, participants can experiment with different ways that colored pencils can be blended. Have you ever tried smoothing out your drawings with baby oil!? There are many ways to spread out those pencil marks and many will be covered in the session this week. Art Night Thursday activities and art demonstrations are from 3:30-5 pm at the shop. They are free, with a suggested $5 donation. Open to all.
This Thursday is Trivia Night at Up Yonder. The free event runs from 6-8 pm.
The Cook County Historical Society Trivia at Up Yonder is from 6-8 pm. Open to all. Free.
The games are hosted by the Cook County Historical Society and will feature lots of questions, including queries about Cook County History. The public is invited.
On Friday, the Johnson Heritage Post opens a new exhibit entitled, Species of Special Concern, with drawings by Tanya Piatz.
Tanya Piatz opens an exhibit at the Heritage Post on Friday with a reception from 5-7 pm.
Piatz is a self-taught artist who focuses on raising awareness for habitat conservation, and how the habitat directly impacts the diversity of species found in the environment. She does this by illustrating birds that we see every day, as well as lesser-known species, that are found on Minnesota’s DNR’s Species of Special Concern list.
The opening reception is from 5-7 pm Friday. Refreshments will be served. The exhibit continues through May 19.
The Heritage Post is open from 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Saturday and 1-4 pm Sunday. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Free.
Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day at Drury Lane Books.
Drury Lane Books will celebrate Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday.
Independent Bookstore Day is an all-day event at Drury Lane Books with an Author Meet and Greet, giveaways, goodies, and more.
From 11 am – 1 pm, author, illustrator, and printmaker Betsy Bowen will be signing books and doing a printing press demonstration at the bookstore.
Cedar Forest woodcut print by Betsy Bowen.
Bowen lives and works in Grand Marais where she creates hand-made art for her Studio-Gallery in a historic church. Her illustrations appear in books for children and adults; the artwork is created by hand with woodcuts, drawings, and paintings. In her words, “Nature inspires me to wonder and learn, as do literature and legends. Stories and art are the way that I understand the world.”
The event is free and open to the public, and mobility aid is accessible.
Also on Saturday, the Youth Drag Brunch and Variety Show will be held at the Cook County Community Center from 11 am to 1 pm.
The Youth Drag Brunch and Variety Show will be on Saturday at the Community Center.
Eat French toast and enjoy a myriad of youth performers and artists. Pay what you can; no one will be turned away for lack of funds. The event is presented by the LGBTQIA2S+ Youth Group and Sponsored by the Grand Marais Playhouse. The brunch will be served from 10 am to 11:30 am, the variety show starts at 11:30 am. Open to all.
On Monday, an Ecstatic Dance series will be launched in Grand Marais at the Log Building. They will be held on the last Monday of every month from 7-9 pm at the Log Building.
Ecstatic Dance is coming to Grand Marais this Monday.
Ecstatic Dance provides a liberating dance atmosphere that creates a melting pot of acceptance, giving all dancers permission and courage to dance without inhibition. Open to all. See the schedule below:
Ecstatic Dance to be launched in Grand Marais April 29 at the Log Building.
On Wednesday, May 1, the Northwoods Fiber Guild is hosting a Community Fiber Project on the fencing around the new Welcome Center under construction at North House Folk School.
The Northwoods Fiber Guild plans to decorate the construction fence around the new Welcome Center at North House Folk School on Wednesday, May 1 from 1-5:30 pm. The public is invited to join in the fun.
Exhibits:
The Duluth Art Institute‘s exhibit space in the Depot is closed. It will re-open in its new facility in the US Bank Building in May. Stay tuned.
The Tweed Museum of Art on the UMD campus is exhibiting several shows including From Where They Came: Portraits from Ukraine.
Child, Kyiv, Ukraine 1991, by Katherine Turczan, is one of the photographs in the new exhibit at the Tweed.
In 1991, Katherine Turczan, in response to her parents’ dementia, set out to photograph their homeland, Ukraine. There, she found a people in the midst of momentous historical change.
Using her 8”x10” large format camera, traveling by bus and train, Turczan set out into the streets of cities and villages to discover the country’s citizens. Between 1991, and 2008, she made many trips to Ukraine, searching for the collective experience of a nation undergoing profound change. The result is a body of work in the field, including nuns, and children from Chernobyl sanitariums. In each of her portraits, Ukraine’s struggle is given a human face.
The exhibit continues through May.
Cartoonist Maelo Cruz opened an exhibit in the atrium at the Zeitgeist Cafe last week.
Cartoon by Maelo Cruz. He is currently showing work at the Zeitgeist Cafe in Duluth.
Cruz is an illustrator and graphic artist. His exhibit continues through May.
Lizzard’s Gallery in Duluth is hosting an exhibit of work by members of the Lake Superior Watercolor Society.
Chickadee Chatter watercolor, by Sandra Maxwell, is one of the paintings in the show.
The show continues through May.
In the Twin Cities, the Minnesota Historical Society is honoring the life and legacy of one of Minnesota’s most influential artists, George Morrison (Grand Portage Band of Chippewa).
George Morrison at work on a project. Photo courtesy of the Morrison family.
Best known for his landscape paintings and wood collages, Morrison’s work drew inspiration from nature, combining impressionism with expressionism, cubism, and surrealism to develop a uniquely textured style. Morrison was a painter, sculptor, scholar, and teacher who left a lasting impression on Minnesota’s art scene and beyond.
Untitled, acrylic, by George Morrison.
Read more about George Morrison here.
Kudos:
Ice Fields in Alaska by Layne Kenney. He received an honorable mention in the B&W Spider Awards.
Upcoming:
The last session of the Winter Market will be held at The Hub from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, May 4. The market features a wide variety of work from local artists and artisans.
Scent from Nature, beeswax candles by Linda Newman. She is one of the vendors that will be at the Winter Market on May 4.
The following week, the North Shore Music Association will present the annual Grand Marais Ole Opry, on Saturday, May 18 at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts.
Featured this year will be Dusty Heart, Honky-Tonk Jump, and more.
Dusty Heart with Barbara Jean Meyers and Molly Dean will perform at the Grand Marais Ole Opry at the ACA on May 18.
The music starts at 7 pm. Tickets are available online or at the door. Click here for more info.
Highlights of the Upcoming Summer Season
Cook County Market
The Cook County Market opens in the Hub parking lot on Saturday, May 27.
Summer Solstice and Wooden Boat Show Festival
Summer Solstice and Wooden Boat Show Festival, North House Folk School, is June 21-22 this year.
Hovland Arts Festival
The Hovland Arts Festival is July 6-7 this year.
Grand Marais Arts Festival
The Grand Marais Arts Festival is July 13-14 in downtown Grand Marais.
Fisherman’s Picnic
Fisherman’s Picnic is Aug. 1 – Aug. 4 this year.
Grand Marais Plein Air
Grand Marais Plein Air is Sept. 6-13. The exhibit of work at the Heritage Post runs through Oct. 6.
Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour
The Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour is from Sept. 27 through Oct. 6 this year. To find out details, click here.
Artists At Work:
Magnetic Field Hunt, Red Fox in Woods, acrylic, by Rae Klesser.
Shadow Play by Bryan Hansel.
Collage by Jill Terrill.
After the party, acrylic, by Mary Boyle Anderson.
Retro Rosey, Summer, ink and watercolor by Marty Harris.
Henwen, felt, by Elise Kyllo.
Ask Me Again When The Tide Comes In by Nancy Ortenstone.
Online Music:
Live Music:
Thursday, Apr 25:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
Saturday, Apr 27:
- Zulu Link, Up Yonder, 7-11 pm
Monday, Apr 29:
- Ecstatic Dance, Log Cabin at the Community Center, 7-8:30 pm
Tuesday, Apr 30:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- Open Stage, Up Yonder, 6-9 pm
Thursday, May 2:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
- Open Old Time Appalachian Music Jam, Community Center, 7-9:30 pm
Photographs:
Here’s a selection of photographs we found this week:
Wildlife:
Naturalist and photographer, Sparky Stensaas spent Earth Day in a floating blind and made a video about it:
The wood ducks have returned.
Famous Frank, the Cinnamon Ruffed Grouse, shows off by Paul Sundberg.
Canada Lynx on the prowl by David Johnson.
Sage Grouse by Keith Crowley.
Heeeyy-yyyy by Chuck Olsen.
Grabbing the catch courtesy of birdlovers.
Young Sandhill Crane not flying yet by Dada Hiking and Outdoor Adventure.
Hooded Merganser pair by Chuck Olsen.
Roseate Spoonbills by Debs Andige.
Fawn in the UP during the April 17 snowstorm by Sandra Updyke.
Potpourri:
Waiting for Wood Ducks by David Johnson.
The first bud from our ancient, 7-flower Pink Ladyslipper plant! Exciting! Photo courtesy of the Devil Track Wildflower Sanctuary.
Nature’s art after the storm by Eric Humphrey.
Netting in the Big Lake by Mike Wiggins, Jr.
An April Shoreline Lunch by Mike Wiggins, Jr.
Spring rock hunt by Creaking Tree Farm.
Skyscapes, Moonscapes, Waterscapes & Fromtheairscapes:
Am amzing dawn breaks over the Grand Marais harbor by David Johnson.
Celestial videography in progress, 29° on the big lake! by Chuck Olsen.
Full moon arising by Greg Fangel.
Sunrise, Grand Marais harbor by Marie Zhuikov.
Moon’s Up by Mary Lou Williams.
Morning view out the window by Siffy Torkildson.
Catching the Sun by Roxanne Distad.
Full Moon Setting by Sandra Updyke.
This lake would swallow me whole. Tonight she only tasted me. I got sprayed pretty good by Ron Benson.
April 10 by Mike Wiggins, Jr.
Love the Big Lake by Mary Ann Gagnon.
Lake Superior moonrise over Gull Island by Chuck Olsen.
Reflections by Bryan Hansel.
Lake Superior at rest after many days of action by Eric Humphrey.
Ontario Sunset by Dennis Chick.
Enjoying the water by Eric Humphrey.
Always nice to see a spring sunrise at the marina by David Johnson.
Moningwanekaaning by Mike Wiggins, Jr.
The last of the lake ice (BWCA) by Chuck Olsen.
Northern Lights by Mathias Mullin.
The Cascade by Chuck Olsen.
Crescent over cargo ship by Tanner Hermes.
Spring light by Christian Dalbec.
Passing by Greenland by Ella Halberg.
Star light, star bright, all the stars I see tonight by Violet Ruffa.
Timberframe, North House, Tooty toot toot for the moon. Photo by Tom Healy.
And finally, this, from the solar eclipse:
Diamond Ring by Jeff Grotte.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Note: Just so you know, we do depend on your contributions to make this blog a success. Please consider donating today through the Icon below, or mail your donation to NorthShore ArtScene, PO Box 1232, Grand Marais, MN, 55604. And thank you!
And not to forget these three wonderful people who helped make this blog what it is: Jeremy Lopez (Live Music Schedule, technical advice, and music selections,) Yvonne Mills (proofreading), and Kari Carter (caption editing and research.) Your contributions thank them, too.