North Shore Arts Scene

Greetings from the North Shore, where the first storms of the season have pounded our rocky shores and, as predicted, Covid-19 infections have been spiking all over the state, including within our communities. New rules and changes are a-foot ... Keep up-to-date with the situation in Cook County here. This site includes lots of information about Covid-19, community resources, facts and more. It is updated regularly.

Meanwhile, our on-line lives continue and reflect, more than anything else, the caring and creativity of everybody who lives here and beyond. Kudos to all.

There are currently two on-going, on-line fundraisers to benefit the community: the WISE online auction, open through Nov. 15  and the Violence Prevention Center’s Lunafest, open though Nov. 14.

WISE (Women’s Initiative for Service and Education) has organized af an auction featuring items and services donated by members. There is lots to choose from: everything from estate planning to knitting lessons and Christmas cookies, this auction is worth a look. All of the proceeds will be used for local education grants, scholarships and food programs.

Check out all the items here.

Lunafest, a film festival by and for women and a fundraiser for the Violence Prevention Center, also includes an online auction this year. There’s lots to choose from here, too. The fundraiser concludes with an online gala, including live music and the film festival on Saturday, Nov. 14, starting at 6:30 p.m. Here’s a trailer for the films that will be shown this year.

There are a number of different ticket options available. For more information and to register, click here.

North House Folk School‘s Winterer’s Gathering is online this year as well, featuring classes, webinars and the Arctic Film Festival.

On Thursday, NorthHouse will hold a free Webinar via Zoom on The Sami Reindeer People of Alaska at 7 p.m.  To register, click here.

The film this week is “One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk.” The films will be available for free streaming for 72 hours. On Friday, North House will host a Lunch and Learn live webinar with film make to discuss the film and your questions. Click here to register.  Here’s the trailer for the film.

To view the entire film, click here.  For more information about all of the Winterer’s Gatherin events, click here.

Also this week, author Beatrice Ojakangas will be on WTIP’s The Roadhouse to talk about her latest  cookbook, “The Soup and Bread Cookbook.”

The Roadhouse airs from 5-7 p.m. on Fridays.

Upcoming:

Empty Bowls Cook County is on for this year, but, as with many other events, will be largely online this year. In short, it will truly be an empty bowl event, since serving soup is not feasible. Nevertheless, the fundraiser, which ia fighting for food security in Cook County, hopes to raise $30,ooo to support the Cook County Food Shelf and other community organizations working to alleviate hunger in the county.

As in past years, Empty Bowls is collaborating with the Grand Marais Art Colony for the event. The potters in the clay studio have made lots of bowls, which will be sold online.

To find out more, click here.

Exhibits: 

The Johnson Heritage Post is exhibiting new work by Grand Marais photographer, David Johnson, in an exhibit entitled “Cook County Through My Eyes: Vol II.”

The exhibit of landscape and wildlife photographs is currently on view at the gallery as well as online. To view online, click here. The exhibit continues through Dec. 6. The Heritage Post is open from 1-4 p.m. on Fridays, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Covid protocols in place.

Also, an exhibit of the work produced during this year’s Grand Marais Plein Air is available for viewing online through Dec. 31, as well. The event was sponsored by the Johnson Heritage Post and Outdoor Painters of Minnesota.

The next exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post will feature works by members of the North Shore Artists League. The exhibit opens in December. Stay tuned.

The Duluth Art Institute is open to the public, with Covid protocols in place. There are a number of exhibits, including quilts by Blair Treuer. Here’s a short video produced by WDSE’s The Slice, about how she got started making her extraordinary quilts.

The Tweed Museum of Art is exhibiting a retrospective of work by painter Carl Gawboy.

Here’s an interesting story about paddlers who retraced the historic Boundary Waters Circle Tour.

 Click here to read.

Artists at Work:

 

Here is one of the pieces that Neil completed.

 

 

 

 

 

And this sad news: Joan Drury, award-winning author, patron of the arts, and friend to many on the North Shore, passed away on Nov. 9.  She leaves behind an amazing legacy and the community’s favorite bookstore, Drury Lane Books, which will remain open.

Click here to read a story about her by WTIP’s Rhonda Silence. 

Music Videos

Only one music video this week, in honor of all of us.

Live Music:

Thursday, Nov. 12:

Gordon Thorne, Date Night at the Winery, North Shore Winery, 6 p.m. Reservations at https://www.exploretock.com/northshorewinery or call 218-481-9280.

Photographs:

We found lots of photographs this week. Here’s a selection.

First, wildlife:

Here’s the ultimate skycape:

Here are some of the great landscapes we found this week:

AnD finally, this:

Have a good weekend, everyone. And stay safe.

BTW: If you have enjoyed NorthShore ArtScene this week, consider donating to this volunteer effort to document the arts scene on the North Shore. Just click on the icon below to donate. And thank you!

Greetings from Grand Marais, where unusual high temps are making it seem like early fall up here. And they will last until Tuesday, according to weather forecasts, so we’re all happy to find out about that. There’s still plenty of time to get out and enjoy the Northwoods, the wonders of Lake Superior and/or finish those final projects in the yard or house that need to be done before the snow flies.

Meanwhile, here on the North Shore,  the virtual world continues with its gifts and surprises.

First up is a North House Folk School Crafting in Place presentation“The Utility and Artistry of Sami Knives” presented by Nathan Muus, Sami Cultural Center of North America board member and exhibit curator.

Muus will highlight the knives in the collection. Knife handles and sheaths of antler and bone are carefully detailed in scrimshaw—practical and portable works of art. They each have a story and often tell a tale in themselves. The presentation is free. To register, click here.

Also on Thursday evening, the Minnesota Humanities Center How Can We Breathe series will present artists and meaning-makers will discuss their role in shaping public dialogue after crisis events, specifically the murder of George Floyd. Learn how artists respond to crises, influence landscapes, drive narratives, and inform the public. Together we will address whose work is privileged, who “owns” public art work, and how is it preserved/memorialized.

Participants will be called to join this virtual space to learn, understand, and share. This conversation, centered on the African American experience, will identify strategies and resources advocates and allies for a racially just society can use to ensure that African Americans are fully empowered within our democracy. Free. To register, click here.

WISE, (Women’s Initiative for Service and Education) is holding an online auction of homemade food, services and other items donated by WISE members to fund local education grants, scholarships and food programs for the community,

This auction is definitely work a perusal with an amazing variety of offerings, from gift certificates to four hours of shoveling, ukulele lesion to a Chez Jude Tasting Dinner Menu for Four.

 To see all the items, click here. The online auction continues through Nov. 15.

North House Folk School will hold the annual Winterer’s Gathering and Arctic Film Festival will be primarily online this year, with weekly film screenings, seminars and skill share videos as well as a variety of online course work in November.

The film screenings and lunch and learns start this Friday, Nov. 6, and will be held Nov. 13 and 20.

The on-line campus activities include the Outdoor Arctice Film Festival on Friday, Nov. 20, and the Outdoor Gear Swap and Intern Portfolio Show on Saturday, Nov. 21. To learn more and register to see the films and participate in the online events, click here. And stay tuned for details.

Also this Friday, WTIP’s The Roadhouse, will feature an interview with author Elle Andra-Warner on her new book, “Lighthouses of Lake Superior,” published by Northern Wilds, as well as an interview with Twin Cities musician Paul Metsa, who will talk about his music and play a few songs. The Roadhouse airs from 5-7 p.m. Fridays.

Here’s a video of Metsa playing a song that was recorded seven months ago.

 

Lunafest, the film festival of films made by and for women, a fundraiser for the Violence Prevention Center, will be online this year. An online auction starts on Saturday, Nov. 7, with the films available for viewing on Nov. 14. These films are always great. Here’s some more information about them.

To purchase a ticket, click here. The Silent Auction starts Nov. 7. Click here to find out more.

Exhibits:

David Johnson‘s exhibit, “Cook County Through My Eyes, Vol. II: Photographs by David Johnson“ continues at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery through November. The exhibit, featuring his wildlife and landscape photographs can be viewed at the gallery as well as online.

 To see and shop the virtual exhibit, click here. The Heritage Post is open for in-person viewing with Covid protocols in place from 1-4 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Free. Open to all.

The Coho Cafe in Tofte has recently installed a painting exhibit by Kathy Weinberg.

For those who want to get a taste of the exhibit, Weinberg recently posted this video of her work there.

 The Minneapolis Institute of Art’s “Foot in the Door 5″ virtual exhibit is now open. Since 1980, “Foot in the Door” has been an open exhibition for Minnesotan artists of all ages to present their work at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The exhibition occurs once every 10 years, and by now, generations of artists have participated in it. The sole curatorial criteria? All submissions must measure at or under 12 inches in height, width, and depth—literally inviting artists to place “a foot” in the museum’s galleries.

There are more than 2,000 pieces in this exhibit from artists of every age throughout Minnesota. To see, click here.

Artists at Work:

 Lutsen sculptor Greg Mueller recently installed Pathway Parabola in Sisseton, S.D. This round-about sculpture site was a collaboration with the South Dakota Department of Transportation, the Bush Foundation and the Arts Council of Sisseton, S.D.

The sculpture reflects the Tribal College colors and includes inner lighting of LEDS to reflect a star-like composition of fish and leaves, acknowledging the Dakota’s reverence for the celestial and their identity: Sisitonwan (Dwellers of the Fish Ground), Wahpetonwan (Dwellers Among the Leaves.)

Paul Sundet Wolf has been creative with her remnant sock yarn.

 

Online art exhibit by art students at ISD 166.

In Stillwater, artists have been painting utility boxes with river themes to beautify the community and honor the river.

To see all the fascinating work created by these artists on utility boxes, click here.

The North Shore Artists League is featuring new work by its members, with a special shop featuring gifts under $50.

 To see work by members of the North Shore Artists League, click here.

Virtual Music:

We found a potpourri this week:

Here’s a very early Joni Mitchell.

Marie Bonine, Sami

Mary Chapain Carpenter

Al Green

Yo-Yo MA and a Celtic song

Arlo Guthrie, talking … and singing.

Live Music:

Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6 p.m., For reservations, click here, or call (218) 481-9280.

Photographs:

Let’s start with wildlife: We found a lot of bird photographs this week.

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Bears are still around.

The full moon:

 :Landscapes, waterscapes and skyscapes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Peoplescape:

And the ultimate birdscape:

Have a good weekend, everyone! And stay safe.

 Note: If you would like to donate to NorthShore ArtScene, click on the icon below. You can also become a sustaining contributor through this link if you’d like, a boon to this blog. And Thank You!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings, friends. This is going to be a crazy week, no doubt. Halloween is just around the corner, then a return to regular time on Sunday, and then the election, whatever that entails this year. So the offerings this week are just the opposite … you can click on many links and just sit back and listen or watch, and enjoy  being a human being. There’s more stuff, of course–artwork, a drive-in movie, music, to name a few.

First up is a presentation on Lichens on the North Shore — those beauteous and mysterious organisms that can be found all over the Northwoods.

Lichens are an example of the ultimate symbiotic relationship-a complex life form that is the partnership of two separate organisms, a fungus and an alga. Joe Walewski, the naturalist at the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, will lead a webinar through North House Folk School on Thursday, Oct. 29, to explore this mysterious and beautiful world. The webinar is free. Click here to register.

Halloween is on Saturday, and there are a variety of ways that families have decided to celebrate it. The YMCA is doing it two ways, with a virtual costume contest and a social distancing event and movie screening in the parking lot at the Y.

The YMCA is sponsoring a Halloween costume contest virtually this year, and ins inviting everyone to post a photograph of themselves and their family, including pets, in their Halloween costumes on their Facebook page.

There are three categories: kids, family or group and pets.Photos must be posted by 9 p.m. Oct. 31. Special prizes for those with the most likes. To post photos, click here.

On Saturday, the Y will host a Halloween event in the parking lot with social distancing in place. There will be treats and more, as well as the screening of a movie at 7 p.m.

For a virtual live theatre experience of Halloween, the Duluth Playhouse will present, “Tales from the Ghost Light,” a series of creepy vignettes that will stream via their Facebook page and YouTube channel Thursday through Sunday.

The tales can be seen anytime from 7 p.m. Oct. 29 and through 11 p.m. Nov. 1. To see, click here or here.

Exhibits:

 David R. Johnson’s exhibit, “Cook County Through MyEyes, Vol 11″ continues at the Johnson Heritage Post.

The exhibit features a wide variety of photographs including landscapes and seascapes as well as wildlife photographs.

The exhibit can be viewed in person at the Heritage Post from 1-4 p.m on Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, or online. To view all the photographs and shop, click here. The exhibit continues through Dec. 5.  Covid protocols, including masking, social distancing and hand sanitizing are in place at the gallery.

Upcoming:

Rose Arrowsmith DeCoux will teach a class entitled “Once Upon a Folktale” from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Grand Marais Art Colony.

In this laid-back class, participants will explore a variety of traditional folk tales, learn to tell a story without memorization and spend time spinning yarns with old and new friends. This family class is open to ages 7 – adult. All participants must follow the Art Colony’s social distancing and mask protocol. Learn more and register here. 

 

Artists at Work:

 David Gilsvik and his wife Patti took at trip to Amsterdam and Tromso, Norway just before Covid hit. He writes “the virus was right behind us as museums were closing right and left, and eventually the whole continent, and we had to go home.” But, he continues: “Quarantined, I worked with a new energy born of travel and experiencing the land of my Ancestors.”

The result? An exhibit of the paintings at Cedar Coffee in Two Harbors, which is located just north of SuperOne.

Bryan Hansel has put out a new newsletter entitled “The Lows of Photography.”

To read his post, click here. It includes links to his workshops.

The art students at ISD 166 usually have an exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post during the year, but that isn’t possible. So art teacher Mila Horak  is posting their work online. Here’s a beauty:

 

 

 

For your listening and viewing pleasure:

(Note: This is where you get to sit back and enjoy. Most of these posts are about an hour long.)

The Cook County Chamber’s annual Gala Award Ceremony was held virtually this year through a Zoom event on WTIP Community Radio on Wednesday.

It was really fun and such a great way to experience and celebrate what this community is all about. To listen, click here.

  In Duluth, the Tweed Museum of Art is not yet open to the public, but they are active online, posting examples of exhibits as well as videos. Here’s a video with Carl Gawboy, discussing a few of his paintings in his retrospective at the Tweed.

 

The Duluth Art Institute is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday with Covid protocols in place. One of the exhibits features the textile art of Bemidiji artist Blair Treuer.

Treuer’s portraits of herself, her husband, Anton Treuer, and nine children move off the walls with emotional energy. In her exhibit, “Identity,” Treuer becomes a storyteller delivering a message, “magic can be created when two people from different cultures love each other and build a life together,” she says.

The Duluth Art Institute just had an extraordinary interview with Treuer, where she talks about her art, how she got started, her family, her techniques. It’s so worth the time to watch. Here’s the link:

You might have to register to see. Click here if necessary.

Here’s a great video about the search for the places that the Group of Seven painted. In it, author and wilderness photographers Joanie and Gary McGuffin and art historian Michael Burtch set out to find the actual locations in northern Ontario that inspired the legendary Group Of Seven and some of their most iconic works of art. The film weaves the paintings and fascinating stories of these artists with the modern-day journey, taking viewers through some of Canada’s most stunning landscapes.

And here’s this great video featuring the legendary Japanese potter Hamada and British potter Bernard Leach entitled “The Art of the Potter.” The film, which is available for viewing for free through Nov.1, is offered courtesy of the Thunder Bay Potters Guild. Enjoy!

And finally, Cook County Higher Education recently hosted a webinar entitled “We Are All Treaty People: A History of Treaties in Minnesota.”

More than 750 people registered to see this extraordinary piece. You can too. Here’s the link. It’s free, but registration might be required before you can view.

Virtual Music:

 

Live Music:

Thursday, Oct. 29:

• Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, make reservations here. or call (218) 481-9280

Photographs:

We were lucky again this week. Here’s a selection of what we found.

First, wildlife:

Two from not around here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some landscapes, skyscapes and waterscapes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And last, but not least, a hope for this week:

Have a good weekend, everyone! Stay safe!!

P.S. If you would like to donate to NorthShore ArtScene, just click on the icon below. And thank you!!

When two seasons collide,  like they did this week on the North Shore, it’s easy on the eyes. That’s not so easy if there’s more than six inches of snow and you aren’t quite ready for winter in the middle of October, but … we are keeping on.

North House Folk School celebrates this week with a great webinar, “Raptors of the North Shore,” co-hosted with the Raptor Center in St. Paul. The webinar on Thursday, Oct. 22, will explore the fascinating world of northern raptors –eagles, hawks, owls, falcons, and vultures. Come eye to eye, closer than you ever could in the wild, with a live Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Red-tailed Hawk, and Great Horned Owl during this live and interactive online program. Free.

Learn about different raptor species found along the north shore, learn where to find them, and about their migrations. This program will last 45 minutes and will be followed by a 15-minute Q&A.  The webinar is free. To register, click here.

The Grand Marais Art Colony will host multi-media artist Galilee Peaches as its Instagram takeover artist on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 22-23.

Peaches is an interdisciplinary artist with a studio practice of drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, and writing. She was one of the Art Colony’s 2020 juried Artists-in-Residence. Follow her Instagram Takeover here.

Both North House Folk School and the Grand Marais Art Colony are offering online and in-person classes and workshops this fall. Check out their websites to learn more.

FYI: WTIP Community Radio holds its annual Fall Membership Drive this week with live music featured for Friday and Saturday. Boyd Bump Blomberg plays at 1 p.m. on Friday with Fred Anderson performing at 4 p.m. On Saturday, Gene Lafond and Amy Grillo will play at 2 p.m.

Also, WTIP has set up a special Listener Comment Line for fans to share a favorite program or just say hello to a friend in the world-wide listening area of the radio station. To comment, call 218-353-1033 to record your message for the fall drive.

Our online lives continue.

On Monday and Tuesday, the Grand Marais Playhouse will stream their production of the play, “The Remarkable Susan,” live, from the Cook County Courthouse at 7 p.m. each evening. The short play by Tim Kelly is about the trail of Susan B. Anthony, who was on trail for the “crime” of casting a ballot.

Also, a recording of Cook County Higher Education’s outstanding webinar, “We Are All Treaty People: the History of Treaties in Minnesota,” will be available free, online, on Monday, Oct. 26.

The webinar is one of the series of Lifelong Learning webinars sponsored by CCHE. To learn more and see the webinar, as well as links to others, click here. 

Exhibits:

A new exhibit, “Cook County Through My Eyes II: Photographs by David R. Johnson” continues at the Johnson Heritage Post. Johnson’s exhibit includes a wide variety of landscape and wildlife photographs, including the amazing photograph, below, of a wolf running off with lunch.

The  Johnson Heritage Post is open from 1-4 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, with Covid protocols in place. You can also see the exhibit online here,

The Duluth Art Institute, located in the Depot in Duluth is open to the public, with Covid protocols in place. There are a number of different exhibits on view, including “Identity” by fabric artist Blair Treuer.

In this exhibit, Treuer becomes a storyteller delivering a message, “magic can be created when two people from different cultures love each other and build a life together.”

Other exhibits at the Depot include “Integument,” multimedia by Susanna Gaunt, “Material,” by Alyssa Swanson, “Reflections” by Kristen Kaas and “Tignon” by Chelsea Antoinette. To learn more, click here.

The AICHO (American Indian Community Housing Association) Gallery in Duluth has installed a new exhibit entitled “Manidoominens: Still Beading After 10,000 Years.” The exhibit is curated by Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe tribal member and artist Wendy Savage and features the works of 29 beadwork artists in the region representing 14 tribal Nations in the midwest and Canada.

The exhibit is virtual. To see outstanding photographs of the artwork as well as take a virtual  tour of the show, click here. The exhibit continues through Jan. 8.

Artists at Work:

Here’s a treat. Perfect Duluth Day has created a series of videos featuring the artists who will be participating in a new exhibit at the Tweed Museum of Art entitled “Creating Apart: Local Artists Respond to a Global Pandemic.” The videos were filmed by Mike Scholtz and produced by Ann Dugan. The Tweed exhibit has been made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities,

Artists from a variety of media who are included in the exhibit include Adam Swanson, Aaron Kloss, Karen Savage-Blue, Moira Villard, Brian Barber, Lyz Jaakola, Joe Klander, Sarah Brokes and Ivy Vainio. The videos were filmed by Mike Scholtz and produced by Ann Dugan. The exhibit

To get a taste, here is a video of Adam Swanson working in his studio. There are links to the other artists here as well. Check it out. It’s really fun.

 Perfect Duluth Day has also produced a series of stories about local artists entitled “Selective Focus.” Grand Marais potter Hannah Palma was featured in one of these.

 Here’s a link to the story and more photographs of Hannah Palma and her work.

Here are some of the recent artworks we found this week:

 

 

 

 

Also of interest: WTIP’s Annie Possis recently interviewed internationally renowned wolf expert Dave Mech about how he got his start studying wolves on Isle Royale when a graduate student in the late 1950s. At 62 years and counting, the Isle Royale Project is now the longest continuous study of any predator-prey system in the world. Dave and outdoors writer Greg Breining have written an account of those first years called “Wolf Island,” and they joined Annie on The Roadhouse to talk about it.

To listen to this outstanding interview, click here.

Virtual Music:

 A classical piece:

A song for our times:

And this gift:

Live Music:

Thursday, Oct. 22:

• Gordon Thorne, Date Night at the Winery, 6 p.m., registration required. Visit https://www.exploretock.com/northshorewinery or call 218-481-9280.

Friday, Oct. 23:

• Bump Blomberg, Live from WTIP, 1 p.m.
• Fred Anderson, Live from WTIP, 4 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 24:

• Gene Lafond and Amy Grillo, Live from WTIP, 4 p.m.

 Photographs:

First, wildlife:’

 

 

 

 Plants and trees:

 

 

 

Landscapes, waterscapes and skyscapes:

 

 

 

 

Potpourri and peoplescapes:

 

A 3-season image.

Grand Marais, Oct. 21,2020 , photo courtesy  of Joy & Co.

And finally, this:

Have a good weekend, everyone. Keep safe!

Greetings! and welcome to the first snows of winter that have kissed the land. Expected and unexpected, one might say.

Just to do a brief weather history — at this time last year, Thomas Spence recorded this:

And here is what it looked like in Duluth two years ago this week.

So, yes, we don’t expect 70 degrees for Moose Madness Weekend here in Grand Marais. Covid-19 has made the event even more complicated this year, but, as always, the “Moosey spirit” continues with special activities for families, both in-person and online, throughout the community.

For avid fans, the Moose Medallion Hunt is on! Sponsored by the Grand Marais State Bank, the medallion will be secreted somewhere in downtown Grand Marais and clues will be posted online, instead of being  picked up at the Visit Cook County headquarters. Moose Central (the Visit Cook County headquarters) will be closed this weekend to protect the health and safety of participants. However, clues are still in play and can be found in two places: the VisitCookCounty web page and the VisitCookCounty Facebook page. The clues will be released at 9 a.m., 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Friday and will continue to be released throughout the weekend until the medallion is found.  Good luck to everyone! A cash prize of $100 goes to the winner.

North House Folk School will be open and will feature a number of drop-in classes  and activities for families as well as “take-out” craft projects and online projects. Craftspeople will also be demonstrating this weekend.

North House is also organizing a Moose Madness Family Instagram Challenge to create a moose with almost anything and then post a photo on its Instagram page. A random drawing will award prizes and gift certificates to the winners. For more information about the weekend at North House, click here.  Other weekend events include surprise bags for kids at the Cook County Coop and an art supply sale under the orange tent at Joy & Co., to list a few.

Also this weekend, weather permitting, the 2nd annual Grand Marais Apple Festival will be held on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring apple picking at four orchards, cider-making at Great Expectations School, caramel apple demos and sale at the Gunflint Mercantile and an Apple Farm Stand and winter vegetable sale in the parking lot of the Cook County Community Center in the afternoon.

For more information about the Apple Festival and all the activities planned for this weekend, click here.

Art is alive and well on the North Shore, as we all know, and this weekend, the Johnson Heritage Post celebrates that with an exhibit by Grand Marais photographer David R. Johnson. The exhibit is entitled “Cook County Through My Eyes: Vol. II.”

The exhibit features a great selection of David Johnson‘s photographs taken in all seasons. The Heritage Post is open from 1-4 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, with Covid protocols in place including masking, hand sanitizing and social distancing. You may also schedule a viewing of the exhibit here.

Also on Saturday, the two craft markets in town, the Cook County Market and the Maker’s Market, will be open, weather permitting. The Cook County Market is held in the parking lot of The Hub and is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Maker’s Market is located next to the Beaver House and is open Thursday through Sundays.

In Duluth, the Duluth Art Institute, located in The Depot in downtown Duluth, presents two new exhibits this weekend.’ “Reflections,” two large-scale wearings by Kristen Kaas. The pieces are located in the Depot entrance.

The Art Institute is also featuring a temporary installation of artwork for sale. Instead of waiting for an exhibit to end, art lovers can bring their choices home right away, making for a lively and changing exhibit. Artists currently represented include: Shaun Chosa, Michael Dahmen, Sue Rauschenfels, Alyssa Swanson, and Blair Treuer.

The Tweed Museum of Art on the UMD campus is currently closed to the public, but it posts artwork regularly on its Facebook page.

Artists at Work:

Here’s a selection of pieces we found this week:

 

 

 

 

 

 Opportunities:

Applications for the The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council’s $2,000 Emergency Working Artist Grant are currently open. The deadline to apply is Oct. 30. The grant provides $2,000 for working artists to do a work of art in the next six months and sustain themselves during the COVID-19 crisis. For more information and to apply, click here. 

The Grand Marais Art Colony is offering an opportunity for artists to have their work photographed by Jess Oullis Smith, a professional photographer.  Art Colony members can schedule a session for Nov. 17. Cost is $55. For more information and to register, click here.

The Art Colony is also offering a number of virtual classes and workshops. To find out more, click here.

Virtual Music:

Michael Lipton of The Carpenter Ants will be interviewed on WTIP’s The Roadhouse on Friday. The Carpenter Ants have a new album out, “Tearin’  Down the House.”

Lipton will talk what it was like making an album during the pandemic and play a few cuts from the new work.

The Roadhouse airs from 5-7 p.m, with the featured musician usually starting about 6:20 p.m.

And here’s some more gospel we found this week– The Eagle Rock Singers.

 Live Music:

Thursday, Oct. 15:

• Eric Frost, Date Night at the Winery, 6 p.m., Reservations required. Reservations are required. Reserve here  or call at (218) 481-9280.

Friday Oct. 16:

• Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert, rural Grand Marais, visit www.michaelmonroemusic.com for more info.

Saturday, Oct, 17:

• Boyd Bump Blomberg, Cook County Market, 10:30 a.m., weather permitting.

Photographs:

Here’s a collection of photographs we found this week.

First, let’s start with flowers and leaves.

 

 

And this wildlife explanation. It’s a Facebook link. Hope you can see it.

From the air:

 

And landscapes, skyscapes, treescapes, waterscapes and more:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a great weekend, everyone! Stay safe.

Did you enjoy NorthShore ArtScene this week? Consider making a donation to this volunteer effort. It’s easy. Just click on the button below. And Thank You!

 

 

 

The silken days of fall have arrived — those smooth, calm days where the fragrances speak of finished growing seasons and skittering leaves remind us of what is to come. For many in Cook County, the first frosts have already touched the land, but in some spots, like in one of my gardens closer to Lake Superior, everything is still green. But that, as we all know, won’t last forever.

Meanwhile, enjoy this respite from the cold to come.

Artists, of course, look forward and backward, inward and outward and, sometimes, in-between. Here’s a great little piece by Betsy Bowen that was posted on her Facebook page the other day. It’s part of her letter “W” series that she’s doing for an Apostle Islands project. Made us smile, for sure, and then realize that, hmmmm,  those times aren’t that far off.

The Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour ended on Sunday, and from all accounts, was a success. And since many of the artists chose to exhibit virtually this year, their sites are still live. Given that, you can still peruse their work and see what you can find. To help out, here are some links.

• Betsy Bowen Studio 
• Elise Kyllo/Works in Wool
• Christine Novotny, weaving
• Melissa Wickwire/Wickwire Clay Works
• Maxene Linehan, https://www.northshoreartistsleague.org/Artists-Directory
• Nancy Hemstad Seaton, glass
• Seaton Guitars,
• Joan Farnam, pottery
• Neil Sherman, Plein air painter
• Lou Pignolet Bowls
• Jason Trebs, pottery
• Greg Mueller, Mueller Studio
• Kari Vick, Ink,
• Kathy Fox Weinberg, painting
• Kat Gabrielsen, jewelry
•  Sharon & Steve Frykman | Art of the Elements gallery
• Mary Reichert | Otlak Felt Studio
• Jim Sannerud | J. Sannerud Studios
• Hannah Palma Laky | Hannah Palma Ceramics
• Julie Arthur,Wif-Man Weaving
• Jo Wood | Jo Wood Bead Art
• Dan & Lee Ross, Stone & Clay Sculptures, collage

A Creativity Share:

North House Folk School recognizes our need to “make” to keep our hands and hearts happy, and hass put out a call for artists and artisans to participate in a Community Show & Share. The Show and Share, originally scheduled for tonight, Thursday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. as a Zoom event. has been postponed. Stay tuned.

“Everyone is invited to join us in Zoom to share their work: either hold up your items or have an image on your screen ready to share,” North House posted on its web page. “We’ll use smaller groups to keep things manageable if the size is large. Prepare to be inspired and impressed by your fellow humans—we all need more of that right now.”

It sounds like a great time. Stay tuned. It will be rescheduled.

It’s going to be a pretty quiet weekend, but there are things to do and see.

This is the last weekend to see Grand Marais Plein Air, the exhibit of work created for the Plein Air event this year that is currently on view at the Johnson Heritage Post.

As in most events this summer, it was a combo of in-person and virtual participation. Painters from throughout the region participated, although some chose to paint-in-place rather than traveling to Grand Marais for the week-long event. The in-person exhibit is at the Johnson Heritage Post and features lots of interesting work.

The work can also be seen (and purchased)  online at pleinairgrandmarais.org.

For virtual music, check out WTIP Community Radio’s The Roadhouse on Friday night when Jim McGowan will talk about his music and play a few tunes. The show airs from 5-7 p.m., and McGowan will be featured around 6:20 p.m.

Saturday is busy. Two artisan markets, the Cook County Market and the Maker’s Market will be held in downtown Grand Marais to start the day.

The Cook County Market is held in The Hub’s parking lot from (new hours)  10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The market closes for the season next Saturday, Oct. 17.

The Maker’s Market is located next to the Beaver House and is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Also on Saturday, the North Shore Winery will hold Plein Air Art at the Winery featuring weaver Emily Wick. Wick will talk about her work and show how she creates it.

To find out more about her work, click here. Reservations are required. To make a reservation, click here or call (218) 481-9280.This event is weather dependent – if it’s raining, we can’t hold the event. Not sure? Check for more information.

For a very interesting time, consider attending the opening reception for Sam Zimmerman’s exhibit at Joy & Co from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday. The title of the exhibit is “Coming Home–Chapter 3.”

The exhibit and reception is free and open to the public. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served. Some of Samuel’s original works will be for sale along with some of his prints and smaller gift items.

Zimmerman has a Bachelor of Fine Art in Studio Art from the Rochester Institute of Technology and has participated in numerous exhibits in the region over the past few years. He’s also known in Grand Marais for his barrels painted with traditional Anishinaabe animals and symbols scattered around town.

Upcoming:

Moose Madness is still happening this year during MEA Weekend, although some of the events are virtual. Nevertheless, the Moose Medallion Hunt, for example, is on, with online clues, as are other events.

North House Folk School will hold Family Weekend Oct. 15-19, and will host a number of short drop-by activities for family small groups on campus: outdoors and/or windows open, masks on (probably coats too!). The public is invited to drop by and observe craftspeople demonstrating or try their hand at a small family project.

Also, the 2nd annual Grand Marais Apple Festival will be held on Oct. 17 at local farms, schools and the Cook County Community Center.

This is a multi-pronged event featuring everything from picking apples in local orchards, making apple cider, presentations and a chance to take home apple goodies, produce and more. Click here for more info.

 Artist Opportunities:

The Arrowhead Regional Art Council is joining with other arts councils around the state to offer free workshops to help artists navigate digital spaces to promote and exhibit their work.

The first workshops are focused on teaching the basics. Later, artists will have some free cohort work and individualized support. For more information and to register,  click here.

Artists at Work:

 

Virtual Delicacies:

Opera 

“Tales from a Safe Distance,” Fridays, October 9, 16, 23, 30 at  7-8 p.m. Created by the Decameron Opera Coalition, “Tales from a Safe Distance” features nine one-act operas and a tenth wrap-around story. Each Friday in October, an episode with two or three of these operas will premier virtually. A $15 ticket gives you access to all four episodes, with the flexibility to watch any time after first airing.

Lyric Opera of the North, Duluth’s premier opera company, is part of these performances with their opera, Everything Comes to a Head.

“Everything Comes to a Head” is part of is part of Episode 1: Both Gladsome and Grievous. This newly commissioned, 30-minute horror-romance-comedy is sung in English and features illustrated, animated sets. Music is by Rachel J. Peters. Libretto by Margi Preus and Jean Sramek. Learn more and buy tickets at decameronoperacoalition.org

The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra will perform “Love’s Longing” for a free digital concert on Facebook. from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18.

.Click here to see and learn more.

Tofte photographer Thomas Spence was out in the Superior National Forest the other day and got to see this:

And here’s a music video to enjoy.

 Live Music:

 Thursday, Oct. 8:

• Gordon Thorne & Friends, North Shore Winery, 6 p.m. Reservations are required. Reserve here  or call at (218) 481-9280.

Saturday, Oct. 10:

• Boyd Bump Blomberg, Cook County Market,  10:30 a.m.

Sunday Oct. 11:

• Eric Frost, Weekend Wine Down, North Shore Winery, 3 p.m.

Photographs:

We found some interesting photographs this week. Here’s a selection: Let’s start with wildlife:

 

 

And plantscapes:

 

Treescapes, landscapes, waterscapes and skyscapes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out this sequence of photographs taken by Susanne von Schroeder in a few minutes as the sun seems to light the island on fire.

First, this view:

A waterfall:

And two night views:

 

Have a great weekend, everyone! Stay safe.

We are accepting donations to NorthShore ArtScene, a volunteer effort to bring you art news from the North Shore. You can donate by clicking the icon below. And thank you!

 

Greetings from the North Shore, where colors are still spectacular and bears are everywhere. Spring and early summer drought made the blueberries and other favorite and necessary bear food hard to find, so they’re foraging where humans live. Caution is advised always.

And Covid-19 continues to stalk our communities. Two new cases were identified this week in Cook County. For the latest information, click here. Also, WTIP Community Radio has been covering this story. To listen, click here.

There are other stories in the county this week, too, and one of the most exciting is the Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour. It started last Friday, Sept. 25, and continues through Sunday, Oct. 4. This year, art lovers have two different ways to see the art — in-person and online. Because of the pandemic, some studios and galleries have chosen to just exhibit online, while others have opted for a cautious Covid-protocol approach. Brochures are available at venues throughout the county, but to make things a little easier, here’s a breakdown of who is open and who is exhibiting online.

Open with Covid protocols

Mary Jane Huggins, Tall Tale Shop, 19 Music Row, Tofte, open, with guest artists Julie Arthur, fiber, and Marcie McIntire, beadwork.

 Jeweler of the North Shore/JNS Gallery  in Lutsen is open during the tour. Jeweler Steve Hahn is exhibiting his own work as well as work by local artists.

Maggie Anderson | Clay Phoenix Ceramics, 4690 Cascade Beach Road in Lutsen. Guest artists include Mary Bebie, fused glass, Rebecca Wicklund, jewelry, Beth Wicklund, letter press.

 North House Folk School is open for the tour, featuring craft demonstrations and more.

 The Grand Marais Art Colony‘s new space, at 21 Highway 61, Grand Marais is open for the tour.  Featured artists are Nan Onkka, printmaking; Andy Ness, painting & drawing. The exhibit in the Art Colony’s new space also includes work by instructors and studio artists.

Betsy Bowen | Betsy Bowen Studio at 301 W. 1st St., is open during the tour. Guest artists include Elise Kyllo/Works in Wool, hand-felted whimsy and craft; Christine Novotny, weaving; Melissa Wickwire/Wickwire Clay Works, custom handmade tiles and More; Maxene Linihan, freeform woven paper collage.

Yellow Bird Fine Art, 101 West Highway 61, Grand Marais is open during the tour. Guest artists are  Kenneth Albrecht, Jewelry; Quay Flom, Jewelry; Deborah Spear, Stone Carving.

Upstate MN, 16 1st Ave. W.  is open featuring contemporary items created by smaller makers, designers, and artists from Minnesota and beyond.

The Big Lake, 21 1st Ave. W., is an art gallery and gift shop that reflects the unique beauty and culture of the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Sivertson Gallery, 14 W. Wisconsin St., is open during the tour, and is featuring work by painter David Gilsvik.

Nancy Hemstad Seaton, 318 South Hungry Jack Road, Gunflint Trail, featuring fused glasswork.  The studio is open during the tour. David Seaton, Seaton Guitars, will also be showing his handmade guitars.  Guest artist is Joan Farnam, pottery.

Neil Sherman, Plein air painter, 4194 County Road 69, Hovland.

Lou Pignolet | Lou Pignolet Bowls, 20 Tamarack Trail, Hovland, will be open for the tour. Pignolet makes bark-edged bowls, handmade on a lathe from local wood, and will be displaying bowls and showing how they are made.

  Online Art (Check for new additions)

Jason Trebs, online plates, mugs, trays and more. Guest artist, printmaker  Nick Wroblewski.

Greg Mueller | Mueller Studio, 17 Railroad Drive, Lutsen, online only.

Kari Vick | Kari Vick, Ink, featuring her paintings and prints as well as her books, is closed for the tour. Online participation only. Click the link above to see her work and read about her inspirations and funny stories.

Kathy Fox Weinberg | KFox Studio, online only this year. Click the link to see her work, Guest artist is Kat Gabrielsen, jewelry.

 Sharon & Steve Frykman | Art of the Elements gallery is online this year. The location is closed, but appointments can be made to see work. Guest artists are Natalie Sobanja, Clay; Brittany Foster, Jewelry; Paul Bondhus, Stone; Bryan Hansel, Photography; Lara Hollway, Clay.

Mary Reichert | Otlak Felt Studio, online only this year. Click link to learn more.

Jim Sannerud | J. Sannerud Studios, is online only.Sannerud is a designer and maker of furniture, turned greenware and sculpture. Guest artist is Mike Loeffler, woodenware.

Hannah Palma Laky | Hannah Palma Ceramics. Online participant only.  Click on the link to see more.

Jo Wood | Jo Wood Bead Art, online participant only. Click on the link to see more. Guest Artist: Jacob Carr, woodwork.

Dan & Lee Ross, online participation only. Location closed for the tour. Click on link to see more. The artists work in stone, clay, glass & mono-prints. This year features collage work and stone and clay sculptures. On view on their website.

The Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour  continues through Sunday, Oct. 4. Enjoy the tour both ways — online or in-person.

On Saturday, the Cook County Market will open in The Hub’s parking lot at 10 a.m., weather permitting. It runs through 2 p.m. And the Maker’s Market, which is next to the Beaver House opens at 9 a.m and closes at 4.

Also on Saturday, Anna Hess will be demonstrating her painting at a plein air event at the North Shore Winery. The event is from 3-6 p.m. with Covid protocols in place.

To make a reservation to view the Anna’s work, click here or call (218) 481-9280. This event is weather dependent – if it’s raining, we can’t hold the event. Not sure? Check back here for more information.

Exhibits:

Grand Marais Plein Air happened this year and, like many events, was a combo of live and virtual participation. There currently is an exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post through Oct. 10, which is open to the public. There is also an extensive exhibit of work online at pleinairgrandmarais.org.

The event included a number of different categories and awards.

To see a list of all of the Plein Air Grand Marais Award Winners and the links to the pieces that won them prizes visit: pleinairgrandmarais.org/awards

The Johnson Heritage Post if open from 1-4 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Free. Covid protocols in place.

To see a virtual Art Fair featuring Thunder Bay artists, check out the Painted Turtle Art Shop’s website www.paintedturtleart.com/gallery The Virtual Art Fair is co-sponsored by the Community Arts and Heritage Education Project and the Painted Turtle Art Shop in Thunder Bay and continues through Oct. 25.

Artists at Work:

Here are two just-completed pieces we found this week:

Virtual music is definitely happening now, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra will present Four Piano Quartets with Stewart Goodyear on Saturday and Sunday.

Click here to find out more.

And here’s a music video for today:

Live Music: 

Thursday, Oct.1:

• Gordon Thorne & Friends, Date Night at the Winery, 6 p.m. Make reservations here or call (218) 481-9280.

Saturday, Oct. 3:

• Boyd Bump Blomberg, Cook County Market, 10:30 p.m.
• Michael Monroe Concert, 7 p.m., rural Grand Marais, reservations at www.michaelmonroemusic.com

Sunday, Oct. 4

• Mary Bue, Weekend Wine Down, North Shore Winery, 3 p.m., Make reservations here or call (218) 481-9280.

Photographs

Fall has definitely frung and we found lots of great photos, but let’s start with a few wildlife shots first — companion shots, if you will.

 

Vegetables & Flowers:

 

Leaves:

 

 

Leaves in Landscapes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waterfalls and leaves:

 

No leaves:

 

And this beauty:

An ode to fall:

Have a good weekend, everyone. And stay safe.

P.S. If you enjoyed NorthShore ArtScene today, please consider making a donation. Just click on the icon below, and Thank You!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We read somewhere that orange was the color of happiness, and if that’s the case, the North Shore is having a big party these days. The woods are alive with every shade, but orange is the queen and red her most raucous attendant. So yes, we’re at peak fall color and happy about it.

This is also the week that we celebrate the arts and artists on the North Shore with the annual Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour. Covid-19 has changed how the tour has been organized. In past years, the tour has included home studios as well as galleries with guest artists all along Hwy 61 in Cook County. This year, some of the tour stops may not be open to the public due to the pandemic, but their work is available online.

This makes for a new and unusual art experience. Art lovers can get it both ways — in-person for some places, virtual-browse-at-your-own-pace in others. There are 21 galleries and studios participating in the tour this year, running along Highway 61 and up the Gunflint Trail.

Stops include home studios as well as galleries with guest artists. Some of the tour stops may not be open to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All locations open to the public will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for the duration of the tour.  Masks are required and some studios may limit occupancy.

Starting at the county line with Lake County, here are links and info about the studio tour: Note: The web pages will be live on Friday, Sept. 25.

• Jason Trebs, online plate sale only. Guest artist, printmaker  Nick Wroblewski,

• 

  Jason Trebs will have an online plate sale this year. The sale starts on his Web page on Sept. 25. Click on link to learn more.

Mary Jane Huggins, Tall Tale Shop, 19 Music Row, Tofte, open, with guest artists Julie Arthur, fiber, and Marcie McIntire, beadwork.

Greg Mueller | Mueller Studio, 17 Railroad Drive, Lutsen, online only..

Steve Hahn | Jeweler of the North Shore/JNS Gallery, is open during the tour.

Kari Vick | Kari Vick, Ink, featuring her paintings and prints, is closed for the tour. Online participation only. Click the link to see her work.

Maggie Anderson | Clay Phoenix Ceramics, 4690 Cascade Beach Road in Lutsen. Guest artists Mary Bebie, fused glass, Rebecca Wicklund, jewelry, Beth Wicklund, letter press.

Kathy Fox Weinberg | KFox Studio, online only this year. Click the link to see her work, Guest artist is Kat Gabrielsen, jewelry.

 Sharon & Steve Frykman | Art of the Elements gallery is online this year. The location is closed. Guest artists are Natalie Sobanja, Clay; Brittany Foster, Jewelry; Paul Bondhus, Stone; Bryan Hansel, Photography; Lara Hollway, Clay.

Mary Reichert | Otlak Felt Studio, online only this year. Locatin closed. Click link to learn more.

Jim Sannerud | J. Sannerud Studios, is online only, this year. Sannerud is a designer and maker of furniture, turned treenware and sculpture. Guest artist is Mike Loeffler, Woodenware.

 North House Folk School is open for the tour, featuring craft demonstrations as well as tours on the Hjordis.

The Grand Marais Art Colony‘s new space, at 21 Highway 61, Grand Marais is open for the tour.  Featured artists are Nan Onkka, Printmaking; Andy Ness, Painting & Drawing. The exhibit in the Art Colony’s new space also includes work by instructors and studio artists.

Betsy Bowen | Betsy Bowen Studio at 301 W. 1st St., is open during the tour. Guest artists include Elise Kyllo/Works in Wool, Hand Felted Whimsy and Craft; Christine Novotny, Weaving; Melissa Wickwire/Wickwire Clay Works, Custom Hand Made Tiles and More; Maxene Linihan, Freeform Woven Paper Collage.

Yellow Bird Fine Art, 101 West Highway 61, Grand Marais is open during the tour. Guest artists are  Kenneth Albrecht, Jewelry; Quay Flom, Jewelry; Deborah Spear, Stone Carving.

Upstate MN, 16 1st Ave. W.  is open featuring contemporary items created by smaller makers, designers, and artists from Minnesota and beyond.

The Big Lake, 21 1st Ave. W., is an approachable art gallery and gift shop that reflects the unique beauty and culture of the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Sivertson Gallery, 14 W. Wisconsin St., is celebrating its 40th anniversary of bringing Art of the North to the community.

Nancy Hemstad Seaton, 318 South Hungry Jack Road, Gunflint Trail, featuring fused glasswork.  The studio is open during the tour. David Seaton, Seaton Guitars, will also be showing his handmade guitars.  Guest artist is Joan Farnam, pottery.

 Hannah Palma Laky | Hannah Palma Ceramics. Online participant only.  Click on the link to learn more.

Jo Wood | Jo Wood Bead Art, online participant only. Click on the link to learn more. Guest Artist: Jacob Carr, Woodwork.

Neil Sherman, Plein air painter, 4194 County Road 69, Hovland.

Dan & Lee Ross, online participation only. Location closed for the tour. Click on link for more info. The artists work in stone, clay, glass & mono-prints. This year features collage work and stone and clay sculptures. On view on their website.

\Lou Pignolet | Lou Pignolet Bowls, 20 Tamarack Trail, Hovland, will be open for the tour. Pignolet makes bark-edged bowls, handmade on a lathe from local wood, and will be displaying bowls and showing how they are made. Click on the link for more.

The Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour opens on Friday, Sept. 25 and runs through Oct. 4. Enjoy the double experience of this online/in-person art tour this year!

In other community events, the Cook County Market opens at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, in The Hub parking lot featuring work by local artists. The market runs until 1 p.m.

The North Shore Winery will hold a plein air event on Saturday, weather permitting, featuring artist Savanna Corliss. For reservations, visit https://www.exploretock.com/northshorewineryor call at (218) 481-9280. The event starts at 3 p.m.

Exhibits:

Grand Marais Plein Air has opened at the Johnson Heritage Post featuring a great selection of work created by artists who painted in the county for a week. There is an online component of the exhibit as well. Check it out here.  The Heritage Post is open on Fridays from 1-4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Covid protocols are in place.

Plein air painter Neil Sherman recently gave a great live t0ur of the show. Click here to see.

 Live Music this week:

Thursday, Sept. 24:

• Gordon Thorne & Friends, North Shore Winery, 6 p.m. Make reservations at https://www.exploretock.com/northshorewineryor call at (218) 481-9280.

Saturday, Sept. 26:

• Bump Blomberg, Cook County Market, The Hub parking lot, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p..

Sunday, Sept. 27

• Weekend Wine Down with  Gordon Thorne & Friends, Jim Elverhoy and Boyd Blomberg, 3 p.m. Make reservations at https://www.exploretock.com/northshorewineryor call at (218) 481-9280.

Photographs:

Here’s an interesting story. Paul Sundberg and David Johnson were out in the woods calling moose. They got a bull to respond, but they also called in a big wolf pack.

Here’s a shot of the wolf pack that responded.

To see all the photographs and read about Sundberg’s experience, click here.

Other wildlife photographs we found this week:

 

 

 

 

 

And for a little humor:

‘

Why is the media not covering the fact that raccoons are breaking wild hogs and riding them into battle against the opossums? By Carol Dal Porto.

And here are a few plant/vegetable shots:

 

 

And some beautiful landscapes, skyscapes.. without orange.’

 

 

 

 

And now, for the oranges and reds of a spectacular fall.

 

 

 

Have a great weekend, everyone! And stay safe.

Note: If you enjoyed NorthShore ArtScene this week, please consider making a donation to support this volunteer effort. Thank you!

 

 

 

 

We’re in  for it now– Fall has arrived on the North Shore and the woods are beginning their final show of the season.

And with that comes two showy fall events: Grand Marais Plein Air and North House Folk School‘ s Unplugged, both happening this weekend, modified by Covid-19 protections. And then, in two weeks, the 10-day Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour begins, again modified for Covid.

The good news?  There will be lots to see, and even do, this year.

Grand Marais Plein Air draws painters from all over the region to spend a week painting what they see around Cook County, culminating in an exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post. The event has been modified this year, so artists who don’t want to travel can paint in place and still participate in the competition by uploading their completed paintings on www.pleinairgrandmarais.org  It’s a fun site to visit, because it changes every day as competitors upload their pieces.

But, there are still lots of plein air painters out there. They can be spotted on roadsides, on the shore, in neighborhoods …

And this Thursday, those who are in town will carry their painting gear out to Artists Point for the Quick Paint Competition. It starts at 3:30 p.m. and runs through 5 p.m., in which time the work has to be completed. Everyone is invited to watch, with masks and social distancing rules in place. It’s a fun event. WDSE made an award-winning video of the Quick Paint several years ago. They called it The Plein Air Brush Off.

Check out the video here. And wander down to Artists Point to see what’s happening this year.

There will be a virtual opening at the Johnson Heritage Post on Friday, Sept. 18, and the gallery will be open to the public on Saturday, Sept. 19, with Covid protocols in place. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1-4 p.m. on Fridays.

Here’s the link to the Johnson Heritage Post Facebook page to see the latest submissions and view the opening on Friday at 5 p.m. 

On Saturday, check out the two local artisan markets, the Cook County Market and the Maker’s Market.

The Cook County Market is held in The Hub’s parking lot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Marker’s Market is held in the alley next to the Beaver House on Thursdays through Sundays.

Also on Saturday, the North Shore Winery continues its Plein Air Art events featuring demonstrations and sales by local artists. This week, Bonnie Gay and Howard Hedstrom will be featured — Howard with his wood turned bowls and Bonnie Gay with her mixed media works, including felting and painting.

This outdoor event is weather-dependent and requires reservations. Covid protocols are in place. To make a reservation, click here or call 218-481-9280.

And, on Saturday night, North House Folk School will present “Unplugged 2020: Bringing It Home Online. To kick off the show, the Plucked Up String Band will play. Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of “Braiding Sweetgrass” is the featured speaker and her presentation will be followed by a live auction and Fund-a-Need opportunities. Then Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Eliza Gilkyson will take to the on-line stage.

To find out more about Unplugged and get tickets, click here. 

Upcoming:

The Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour, which runs from Sept. 25-Oct. 4, has a new online component because of  the Covid-19 pandemic.

This year’s tour features 23 art studios and galleries, many of whom will be exhibiting online. The artists have been making lots of new work. If you can’t make the tour in person, visit the artist and gallery websites here. You can also visit the Art Along the Lake page from North Shore Arts League, which features many of the Fall Studio Tour artists. Stay tuned for more next week.

Artist Opportunities:

The North Shore Artists League has put out a call for member artists to participate in the Johnson Heritage Post 2nd Annual Member Show. The exhibit will open Dec. 11. Artists may submit up to three pieces. The opening reception will be a live Facebook event, with the gallery open over the weekends during the show. For more information,

The Grand Marais Art Colony has opened a Virtual Mentor Program, featuring artists from a variety of media who will be available for one-to-one mentoring sessions.

 

Sun Yung Shin, Shannon Gibney, Denise Walser-Kolar, Donna Bruni, and Ernest Miller are the selected mentors for these sessions. For more information, click here.

Artists at Work:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cook County Historical Society has created a number of interesting videos. Here’s one:

 Virtual Music:

 

Live Music:

Thursday, Sept. 17:

• Eric Frost, Date Night at the North Shore Winery, 6 p.m., outdoors, reservations required at https://www.exploretock.com/northshorewinery
  or call at (218) 481-9280.

Saturday, Sept. 19:

• Boyd Bump Blomberg, Cook County Market, 10:30 – 1 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 20:

WineDown with Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 3 p.m., reservations required. Reservations at https://www.exploretock.com/northshorewinery
or call at (218) 481-9280.

Photographs:

We found some good photographs this week. Let’s start with plants, mushrooms and flowers.

 

 

And here are some wildlife photographs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here are some landscapes/skyscapes/waterscapes.

 

 

 

 

And a few Peoplescapes:

 

 

Have a great weekend, everyone. And stay safe!

P.S. If you enjoyed reading NorthShore Artscene this week, please consider donating today by clicking on the button below.