Greetings from the North Shore, where summer is making the transition from lock-down to phased Covid-19 openings a lot easier with lots of sun, a shimmering Lake Superior and flowers blooming everywhere. It’s not “back-to-normal” by any means, but businesses, campgrounds, outfitting, restaurants and lodging have definitely changed from a few weeks ago. The only advice we can give here is “Bring a Mask” with you when you leave your house.

For details, check out these links:  visitcookcounty.com and exploringnorthshore.com . Also, WTIP Community Radio has lots updates and latest news from the region as well.

We thought it might be fun to highlight some of the businesses that have opened for the season. All have various protocols in place. But, in downtown Grand Marais:

Drury Lane Books is now open for in-store browsing:

Upstate MN opened this week with proprietor Kristofer Bowman masked and ready to give visitors a virtual hug.

Sivertson Gallery has been open for in-store shopping for a few weeks now.

The Big Lake is open for curbside pick-up.  Check here for more info and to shop online.

Joy and Co. is open for in-store browsing. This week, the store received a wide selection of silk fabric dyes.

 Also, the Makers Cooperative, an outdoor market located in the alley next to the Beaver House, has opened, and vendors are there from Thursday through Sunday. A new food stand, The Bad Seed by Rebel Girls, is featured this year.

The Cook County Market, which celebrates its 24th season this year, will open in the Senior Center’s parking lot on Saturday, July 4. The Market has featured all local artists “through rain, or snow or Covid,” says Jennifer Shoals, president of the organization.

 The Grand Marais Art Colony is slowly re-opening, with artists now using some of its studios (strict Covid-19 protocols in place.) Three outdoor classes have been organized for this summer. as well: Youth: Outdoor Sketching and Painting with David Hahn, which begins July 9; Out and About Sketchbook with Nan Onkka, beginning Aug. 5 and Plein Air Oil Painting with Neil Sherman, Aug. 22. To find out more and register, click here.

Meanwhile, check out an on-going art project in front to the Art Colony’s new space at 17 W. Hwy 61, next to the the Hungry Hippie. The collaborative project between North House Folk School, the Hungry Hippie and the Art Colony has created a series of flower boxes on the sidewalk. Timothy Young has drawn designs on the boxes, with will be painted-by-number by youth in the Y’s summer program. Stay tuned.

 All this aside, we are still living in a virtual world. The Summer Solstice Pageant by the Good Harbor Hill Players, which has been held at North House Folk School, was cancelled this year, but Naomi Tracy-Hegg and Olya Wright decided to produce a Crankie Box replacement for the beloved event. Check it out:

And Lutsen-based metals master and sculptor Greg Mueller will be featured in an Instagram takeover on the Grand Marais Art Colony’s Instagram account June 25-26.

 To view, click here.

Also, for virtual entertainment. check out North House Folk School’s Crafting in Place pages, where many of the virtual events during last week’s Wooden Boat Show can be seen, as well as a great video of Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe tribal member Biskakone Greg Johnson giving a quick teaching about harvesting cedar bark for mat-making. (Note: There are LOTS of mosquitoes in cedar swamps in the summer.)

Also, Staci Drouillard gave a great presentation about her book, “Walking the Old Road” entitled “Indian Maidens and Plastic Tomahawks: How to Make a Living” during the Wooden Boat Show, with lots of the historic photographs she used in her book. You can watch it below.

A Movie on the Lake

Cook County YMCA is pleased to present the Broadway musical “Hamilton” at 9:15 p.m. on Friday, July 3 for part of its “Movie by the Lake” series at Devil’s Track Lodge. This is for the entire community, All are welcome. Bring blankets, chairs, or watch from your vehicles. Pizza can be ordered from Devil’s Track, or bring your own snacks! No registration required.

Artists at Work:

 Glass artist Nancy Seaton has been busy in her studio this winter.  Here is one of her latest glass pieces:

Steve Hahn, the Jeweler of the North Shore, has been busy this winter, too, working with copper and sterling silver in this piece. His shop is located at 5339 W. Hwy. 61 in Lutsen.

Duluth painter and musician Arna Rennan is painting again. Here’s one of her latest.

And Betsy Bowen is continuing her Comfort series. Here is one of her latest.

Paula Sundet Wolf is making baskets, twig furniture and paintings in her studio, and the public is invited to stop by. Look for the sign at 503 Caribou Trail in Lutsen. 

 Artist Covid-19 Relief Funds

Emergency relief grants continue to be offered to artists in Minnesota. Springboard for the Arts, for example, has allocated have allocated $1,050,000 to support 2,131 artists, creative workers, and culture bearers in Minnesota. The organization is currently putting the program on hold, but there are lots of other resources out there. To find out more, click here.

Another Virtual Presentation: 

History of Burned buildings in Grand Marais: Picnic & Pine, the Crooked Spoon and White Pine North, produced by the Cook County Historical Museum.

Music:

Here’s a collection of a few of the videos we found this week:

 

This one is way out of my comfort zone, but this group is popular with teenagers around the world. Highly produced, for sure. It’s by K-Pop, and is called “Stray Kids.”

And one of our own, Tina Hegg Raway, singing “There is a Balm in Gilead,” her personal memorial for Black Lives.

Bob Dylan has a new album out, “Rough and Rowdy Ways.” Here’s a cut from it: “I made up my mind to give myself to you.”

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Photographs:

Lots of lively photographs this week. Here’s a selection.

Let’s start with flowers, which are blooming like crazy in gardens and in the woods.

And a few shots of trees:

And rocks:

And a moose for the week:

We found some beautiful landscapes/skyscapes/waterscapes, too.

Have a good weekend, everyone. And stay safe!

Note: Artists, please send images of your latest work to joan.farnam@gmail.com

And, if you enjoyed NorthShore ArtScene this week, this might be a good time to donate. Just click on the button below. And Thank You!

It’s Summer Solstice week in Cook County, and summer has definitely arrived with shirt-sleeve weather and a gradual re-emergence from the isolation of the pandemic. Safety first, of course, but it’s great to be outdoors again with friends, even if we’re wearing masks.

As in past weeks, there are lots of changes in the community: Here are some links to help you navigate them:

For the latest news from the county, click here.

For a comprehensive and excellent list of openings, hours, Covid-19 protocols, etc., see VisitCookCounty.com.

Our virtual life continues as well.

Today, at noon, the Grand Marais Art Colony will feature the Facebook premiere of the video, “Getting Centered” with potter and ceramics studio facilitator Natalie Sobanja and one of her students, Elsa Sorenson.

You can watch the video here.

And to forget to check out the Art Colony’s window exhibition at its new building at 17 W. Hwy 61, next to the Hungry Hippie. Artists responded with works to the theme, “Our Changing Habitat.”

The exhibit continues through the end of June.

Also, North House Folk School‘s Wooden Boat Show, the Online Edition, continues this week.

The online event includes a great variety of webinars, Lunch and Learns, and craft demonstrations, as well as online courses. There are other goodies to watch, too, including video boat tours, Hjordis Slow TV, as well as videos of past Summer Solstice  Pageants. Everything is free, but online registration is required to get links to the virtual events. Click here to learn more.

One of the features of the Wooden Boat Show is the Online Auction, a fundraiser for North House Folks School’s endowment fund. Work by Folk School instructors is highlighted in this live auction.

To see what is being offered this year, click here. Bidding is live through June 21.

Also on Thursday at 7 p.m., join Jaye White for her presentation:  “Notorious North Shore Gangsters, Gamblers, and Ghost Stories,” a Zoom webinar sponsored by Cook County Higher Education.

White was raised on the North Shore of Lake Superior and spent part of her 20’s being a Camp Director. She knows all the in and outs of the shore and what she doesn’t know she is eager to research and to discover. She is a passionate storyteller around the campfire, on social media, through her podcasts, or on her website, www.exploringthenorthshore.com

The webinar is free, but donations welcome.  Registration required. To register, click here.

For music, bluesman Pete Kavanaugh will present a virtual live concert on WTIP’s The Roadhouse. The program airs from 5-7 p.m. on Friday night. Author Sue Leaf will also be on the program, talking about her book, “Minnesota’s Geologist.” And there is live music on the deck of Voyageur’s Brewing during the day.

In other local news, The Fisherman’s Daughter at Dockside Fish Market opened for the first time this week for curbside service, from Dock to Table, with Lake Superior fish and chips and other delectables that can be enjoyed curbside. Hungry Hippie Tacos has also set up tables outside the restaurant for outside dining. See VisitCookCounty for all the restaurant openings and hours and protocols here.

For book lovers, Drury Lane Books has opened its doors for in-store shopping. (Bring your mask!) This week, the bookstore is highlighting “The Wolf’s Trail: An Ojibwe Story Told by Wolves,” a new novel by Thomas Peacock.

Other shops in downtown Grand Marais, including Siverston Gallery, The Big Lake and Joy & Company have also opened, with Covid-19 protocols in place.

The Wunderbar Eatery and Glampground, which has been setting out free meals prepared by its chef, Chris Callender for the community throughout the pandemic, announced this week that it will not re-open.

But it will hold a farewell celebration this weekend, June 20-21, on-site, with a cook-out, live music, games and more.

Betsy Bowen’s Gallery and Studios has set up an open-air gallery outside the gallery at 301 1st Ave. W. The gallery, featuring a variety of Bowen’s work, is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Come to the door and ring the mini-dinner bell.

Art News:

The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council announced this week that Duluth painter Alison Aune has won the George Morrison Artist Award.

The George Morrison Artist Award is named after internationally acclaimed visual artist, George Morrison, a member of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Morrison was an important member of the second generation of American abstract expressionist artists. The annual award is given to an artist who has made significant contributions to art in Minnesota.

Aune is a painter and professor of art education at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Her mixed media paintings are inspired by Scandinavian and indigenous Sami patterns and motifs. Her art has touched thousands of people in galleries, classrooms, and conversations, not just in Minnesota, but across the world. She has exhibited her paintings throughout the United States and internationally in solo and group exhibitions.

ARAC also announced that Wendy Savage, a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and a powerful arts advocate, has been named the winner of Maddie Simons Arts Advocate Award.

Savage has been a key initiator and promoter of Native American Art since the 1970s and, as an arts advocate, has been taking down structural barriers to opportunity for Native American artists in the Minnesota and Dakotas and offering Native artists places to show and sell their work.

ARAC also announced a new award: the Transformative Art Award. Terresa Moses and Jordon Moses, the founders of Blackbird Revolt,  are the inspiration for and winners of the award. Blackbird Revolt is a social justice-based creative studio specializing in graphic design, branding, campaigns, illustration, typographic layout, videography, and events. They won the new award for making a positive, transformative change in the arts culture of the region.

They are recognized for work they have done for the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial, Inc, in Duluth, for the NAACP, the Umbra project, as well as the many projects of Blackbird Revolt. This new award was created because of the significance of what they have done and the importance of work like it in the arts.

And finally, this piece, part of the PBS series on the arts, “Canvas.” Entitled “Connecting Through Art When A Pandemic Keeps Us Apart.” It features work by a variety of artists, including Duluth painter Carolyn Olson.

Watch the video here.

Local Artists at Work:

Vicki Biggs-Anderson created a large slow-stitched piece depicting the farm where she lives.

She says: “Slow stitching means setting aside time to find myself somewhere in the thread and spread myself out on a piece of fabric.”

Duluth artist, Adam Swanson, has just completed a large, new mural for the Grand Rapids Area Library.

Hovland bead painter Jo Wood has been working, too.

Here is plein air painter Neil Sherman at work.

And finally, another piece from Betsy Bowen’s Comfort Series.

And a little music for you:

Lizzo, covering Sam Cooke’s, “A Change is Gonna Come.”

Photographs:

It was a good week for photographs. Here’s a selection:

First, wildlife:

This is the season of flowers …

And the forest is green …

This is the season for beautiful skyscapes and seascapes, too.

 On a final note:

This will be a tough year for fans of the Good Harbor Hill Player’s Summer Solstice Pageant, traditionally held on the campus of North House Folk School during the Wooden Boat Show. Everyone enjoys the quirky, funny show with great music and community puppet players and then cheers at the end when the Sun King comes out on his incredible stilts and dances in celebration of light and hope.

The pageant is cancelled this year, but you can get into the mood and watch past performances here. And Betsy Bowen, one of the founders of the Players offers this:

“We are all fiercely missing each other and the energy that this brings. Let’s all envision the Sun King shedding the dark heavy cloak of illness, fear and injustice and burst out, brightly and high in the sky, to exhuberant drums and dancing all around!” Bowen said these words were inspired by Kimberly Soenen, who now lives in Chicago.

Happy Solstice, everyone!

Note: Please consider making a donation to NorthShore ArtScene today. Just click on the logo below. And thank you!

Like an early summer rainbow, Grand Marais and the North Shore is slowly, carefully, opening its doors to everyone. We all hope it’s not as fleeting as those colors in the sky, but, instead, holds promise for the future.

Meanwhile, shops, restaurants, lodges and grocery stores have adopted a wide range of protocols to keep everyone safe. And kudos to VisitCookCounty, which has worked hard to compile all the information in one place. See it here. It’s still advisable to call ahead though, since hours  and protocols are still changing.

Another site for the latest in Cook County is the Coronavirus Response Hub. Look here for  posts and news.  Also, check out WTIP.org for local  news and more.

Our online lives continue.

North House Folk School‘s series, Crafting in Place, is fueled up again this week, offering two live videos: “Picking Pebbles for Jewelry” with Beth Carter Gautch  that will be posted on Thursday, June 11, after 10 a.m. and” Sourdough 101″ with Caleb Mattison that will be posted on Friday, June 12, after 10 a.m.

Both videos can be viewed on North House’s Facebook and YouTube pages. All the previous Crafting in Place episodes are available on these sites as well.

Also on Thursday and Friday, Hovland artist Corrie Steckelberg will be featured as the Grand Marais Art Colony‘s Instagram Takeover Artist.

Steckelberg will talk about her wolf project, which she did during her residency at the Art Colony, which concluded with a public dismantling of her work. The Grand Marais Art Colony‘s Instagram account, @gmartcolony, can be found here.

Also on Thursday, Gordon Thorne & Friends will perform at the North Shore Winery from 7-9 p.m.

Reservations for the event can be made here.

On Friday, tune in to WTIP’s The Roadhouse to hear Jerry Vandiver and Caitlin Evanson play their music from Nashville, Tenn. in a virtual broadcast. To give you a taste of what’s to come, here’s Vandiver singing “Too Many Boats.”

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

Some of the shops and galleries in downtown Grand Marais have opened, with protocols in place, including Sivertson Gallery, which is featuring a new print by Rick Allen, “The Trapper’s Daughter and the Safe Passage.”

And for a walkabout, check out the window exhibit in the Grand Marais Art Colony‘s new building at 17 W.Hwy 61, next to the Hungry Hippie. Artists were invited to submit small works in response to Our Changing Habitat, and they are on display in the windows.

The small works are done in a wide variety of media. It’s a fun window show.

And in front of the building, the Art Colony has been working in collaboration with North House Folk School and the Hungry Hippie to create a fun space on the sidewalk. It includes two flower boxes, which will be painted by kids from the YMCA’s summer camps. The a paint-by-number design will be developed by Tim Young. Also, the Hungry Hippie has put a number of tables and benches in the area for outdoor seating.

On your walkabout, don’t forget to check out The Big Lake, which has a wide variety of art as well as gifts.

Upcoming 

North House Folk School‘s Wooden Boat Show is online this and is offering an incredible array of classes, videos, webinars and demonstrations next week, June 15-21. They’re all online and they’re free. To see the complete schedule and how to register for each event, click here.

Among the offerings:

Daily webinars, with topics including boats, exploration, Anishinaabe history on the North Shore, and a live concert. One webinar will feature Hovland’s Tor Torkildson, He will talk about sailing a traditional wooden viking boat around Africa’s Cape of Storms in a traditional Viking boat.

To register and see the presentation (you can also ask questions), click here.

Also, David Thoreson, who is the featured speaker this year at the Wooden Boat Show Online Edition will give an online presentation “On the Horizon: Sailing and Exploring the Polar Regions of a Changing Planet.”

To preregister, click here.

And there will be daily craft demonstrations at noon. These are live Facebook events, free and questions can be asked. They will be held at noon, Monday through Friday, June 15-21. To see, click here.

Artists at Work:

Paula Sundet Wolf has been busy in her studio, creating with stone, tile and willow.

 Betsy Bowen is continuing her popular Comfort series. She also has set up an outdoor shopping area outside her gallery at 301 1st Ave. W., which is open on Saturdays. It can be included in your walkabout.

Poet Kay Grindland has been writing during this time, too.

Here is her poem, “Making Our Way.”

My eyes hard-focus on the screen,
on everything. I feel blinded in a blizzard, upended in an avalanche, grasping
for air, for gravity—anything to hold.

The windows of the world are wide open. Papers scatter and fly away with the facts. Our longing runs wild. We cling
to the casings, to what we had.

All night I swim in uncertainty
and wake to birdsong lifting the sun.
As I breathe deep, my feet sink into earth. I plant one seed, smiling a blessing.

The soil needs more water now. Sun shines in hidden places. The body can navigate this
so much better than the mind.

All we know falls in pieces around us—
a blessing of confetti as we slowly make our way. We find ourselves inside a larger prayer,
noble and strong in our unknowing.

Some artists have been finding gems in their archives.

Here’s a painting by Neil Sherman that took on new meaning this year.

Duluth artist, Martin DeWitt, created this popular painting years ago, and now has prints at Lizzard’s Gallery in Duluth.

And here’s a totally fun read. The New Yorker has just published a new story by Ernest Hemingway.

Here’s the link to read the story.

And finally, a little music: Nina Simone sings “I wish I knew what it would feel like to be free.”

 Photographs:

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

First, wildlife:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Here are some images of our vegetative friends:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Strawberry Full Moon:

 

 

Landscapes, skyscapes and seascapes:

 

 

 

 

And finally, this beauty:

Stay safe, everyone!

Note: Donating to NorthShore ArtScene is easy. Just click on the icon below. Much appreciated, too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings from the North Shore, where we, like many in the country and around the world, have been shocked, outraged and saddened by the death of George Floyd. It has challenged us and the world in uncomfortable ways. As Dawn Drouillard, a former Grand Marais resident who now operates a catering business in Minneapolis said in a recent WTIP interview: “Nothing will change until there is justice and reform.”

Here is what VisitCookCounty posted on their Facebook page this week:

“Forget him not. It was just one week ago when George Floyd took his last breath. The problem isn’t something new, but it has reawakened something that is easy for many people to overlook. But that must stop. We must strive for change.
Have tough conversations.
Be a good listener.
Acknowledge privilege.
And lead with a kind and open heart. As a nation, we can and must do better. It’s time for injustice to stop.
Talk to your neighbor, friends, and family members because silence doesn’t propel us forward.”

A sense of community can help. Whole neighborhoods in Minneapolis have mobilized to help each other, and we are hearing new voices across the nation speaking out about how privilege, racism and discrimination impacts their daily lives. A door is opening. We can only hope that we step through it, or as Betsy Bowen says: “Comfort. Cooperation. All the colors together.”

Here in Cook County, the second phase of the Stay Safe Minnesota campaign has kicked in, with changes for retail stores, grocery stores and lodging facilities. For details, click here. 

Also, a new Facebook page, Cook County Community Eats, just got started with menus, photographs and more, updating customers on what is available. To see it, click here.

The Grand Marais Art Colony has opened an exhibit, “Changing Habitats” in the windows of its new building at 17 Hwy. 61. The exhibit includes works by Art Colony members and instructors in a variety of media.

The exhibit continues through June 20.

North House Folk School paused its Crafting in Place series for this week, but registration continues for the 2020 Wooden Boat Show Online Edition, which will run from June 15-19.

The online edition includes everything from virtual boat tours and presentations, including the keynote speaker, David Thoreson‘s presentation on Sailing and Exploring the Polar Regions of a Changing Planet. Thoreson is an explorer, photographer, sailor and climate educator. His presentation/webinar is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, June 19.  A number of online classes will also be held. Materials for online classes will be mailed to participants. Deadline to register is June 5.

The Wooden Boat Show Online Edition kicks off at noon on Monday, June 15 on Facebook Live, and will continue all week with the full slate of speakers, demonstrators and more available. If you miss any of the live events, all content will be available on demand on Saturday, June 20. To see the complete schedule, click here.

Artists at Work:

Melissa Grover is one of the glass artists who planned to participate in a glass exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post that was scheduled to open last month. The exhibit was cancelled and but has been rescheduled for next year. Here is an example of a piece that she planned to display.

Melissa can be reached at lissa5310@gmail.com

Marcie McIntire has been crafting mini-doilies this month.

 Jennifer Shoals has just published her second book, “Traveling Light.”

Jennifer can be reached through her web site at www.jennifershoals.com

In other art news, Canadian Geographic has published a series of photographs of paintings by the Group of Seven to celebrate the group’s 100th anniversary.

To read the article and see the paintings, click here.

Here’s something for fiber art lovers: In celebration of a partnership between London’s Heathrow Airport and Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, fiber artist Vanessa Barragão (previously) was commissioned to create a massive botanical tapestry. Using a range of techniques including latch hooking, felt needling, carving, crochet, Barragão mapped out and built up a textural surface that emulates a map of the world.

To read about the project and see details of the work, click here.

And, for those of you who had planned trips to see the world, here’s a great movie to satisfy some of those travel urges. It’s called “In the Footsteps of Marco Polo” and chronicles the journey of two ordinary guys – Belliveau, at the time a wedding photographer, and O’Donnell, an artist and former Marine – as they set out to follow Polo’s historic route.

Here’s the link to watch it.

Photographs:

It was pretty quiet on the photo front this week, but we still found some interesting work.

We can start with wildlife:

 

 

 

Pet photos seem be creeping into this blog. Here are two interestingones I found this week.

 

And a true sign of early summer in the plant kingdom.

 

The sun is starting to get active again.

We found some beautiful landscapes/seascapes/cloud scapes, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peace to you this week.

Note: We are still accepting photographs of artists’ work to publish on the blog.

And, if you’d like, you may help support NorthShore ArtScene by donating today. It’s easy. Just click on the icon below. And Thank You!

 

 

 

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It feels like we’re settling into a kind of new normal up here on the North Shore. Some of the shops and grocery stores are actually opening their doors, instead of just offering curbside delivery, the weather has been totally spring-like and awesome, capped by badly needed rain the other night, the trees are leafing out, marsh marigolds are blooming …in short, we are ever hopeful.

But a new normal doesn’t mean “like it used to be.” Everything continues to be flexible and changes almost daily. To find out the latest information about what is open in Cook County, check these links: Visitcookcounty.com , exploringnorthshore.com , WTIP Community Radio and Cook County Coronavirus Response Hub. Stay Safe Minnesota continues to be in effect, including recommendations to wear face coverings in public.

Meanwhile, our virtual lives continue.

Tonight, as in past Thursday nights, Gordon Thorne will play his fingerpicking blues via the North Shore Winery’s Facebook page.

The music starts at 6 p.m. You can listen to it here.

North House Folk School continues its online free programing, Crafting in Place. This time, it’s the online version of the Northern Landscapes Festival, which is traditionally held this time of year. Now, instead of gathering in groups and exploring the outdoors, attending lectures, classes and presentations on campus, North House is offering BioBlitz, an online opportunity to share  nature observations from your backyard or hikes, as well as webinars and zoom events.

A BioBlitz is a community project to gather observations and identifications of wildlife: birds, plants, insects, lichens … you name it. Participants can post photos of what they’ve found and share identification information and more. To join the Bioblitz, click here.

North House is also offering a series of webinars and Zoom events around the outdoor these.

Here’s the kick-off seminar:

On Thursday, from 7:30-8 p.m., naturalist Joe Walewski will share some highlights from the observations submitted so far, share some tips for using iNaturalist, and give a short presentation on moths. To see, register for free here.

On Friday, May 29, from noon to 1 p.m. Jim Miller will discuss the dramatic rocky landscape of Minnesota in a presentation entitled “Fire and Ice: The Geologic Story of Lake Superior.”  Register for free, here. On Saturday, a Zoom meeting will discuss what observations have been made for far. It will be held at 7:30 p.m. Register here. And the final BioBlitz Wrap-up will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Register here. To see the full Northern Landscapes Festival information, click here.

There are plenty of opportunities to get outdoors and explore as well. The Superior Hiking Trail offers lots of opportunities to explore the Northwoods. Check out the maps, access points and more here.

And here’s a video of a grouse drumming, produced by Grand Portage photographer Travis Novitsky.

The Devil Track Wildflower Sanctuary is a great place to see wildflowers in bloom.

The Wildflower Sanctuary is up the Gunflint Trail about 6 miles. Turn right at County Road 60. There are signs on the road to direct you to Sanctuary parking.

Many of the outfitters are open now as is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. For more info, click here.

The Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center has just put out a new video. It’s always worth a visit.

And Lake Superior is always available and waiting, with plenty of rocks on the shore for rock-skipping.

Art News:

The Grand Marais Arts Festival 2020 has been cancelled this year, but the Grand Marais Art Colony has recently posted the names of participants and links to how to connect with them and see their work.

Check out this list of artists that were planning to be in the festival. There are links to their work for your enjoyment. Click here.

The pandemic has, as we know, really impacted artists and creative workers throughout the country. Americans for the Arts has just completed an extensive survey documenting its impact on artists. To get some idea of the impact it has had and artists’ responses, click here.

The Duluth Art Institute is sponsoring a Zoom lecture for artists entitled “Selling Well: What Artists Can Learn from People’s Intuitive Reactions to Famous Art” with Dan Hill.

 The presentation is free for members of the Duluth Art Institute, $50 for non-members. To register, click here.

The Grand Marais Art Colony will feature artists David Andree and Kara Andree in an Instagram takeover on Thursday and Friday, May 28 & 29. David is a sculptor, Kara is a painter.

To see the presentations, click here.

Local author Staci Drouillard’s book, “Walking the Old Road: A People’s History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe” has been awarded the Hamlin Garland Prize in Popular History.

The book can be found at Drury Lane Books.

In other art news, Siverston Gallery is opening to the public on May 30.

The Grand Maris Public Library is expanding it’s pick-up service. The pick-up window will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday and Friday as well as Wednesday.

The Grand Marais Playhouse will hold a summer camp for youth this year. They will be producing “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare.  The camp will include remote zoom meetings and outdoor gatherings. For more information, contact sue@grandmaraisplayhouse.com. To register for the summer camp, click here. Registration is due by June 5.

Artists at Work:

Here are a few examples of the work local artists have been doing this month:

Sharon Frykman has new work.

Betsy Bowen is continuing her Comfort series. Here are two examples from this week:

Here are some other goodies we found this week:

Photographer Omar Z Robles crafted amazing photographs of dancers in the streets of New York City.

Check out the photographs here.

In Cincinnati, artists crafted “Scarecorona” sculptures to scare away the virus, taking the idea from scarecrows.

Check out this very colorful video of painter Max-Carlos Martinez’ work.

Mud art? It works.

The Getty Museum has put out a challenge to recreate a famous painting at home. There have been lots of responses.

To see 30 of the best pieces so far, click here.

Here’s a piece by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

Watch the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra give a free concert on Saturday night starting at 8 p.m.

 Watch the concert here.

And finally, the artist as proofreader.

Maryl Skinner took a picture of this sign recently posted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation as part of its on-going Hwy. 61 renovation project.

So, she sent the photo to MNDot, just to let them know about it.

A few days later, it was edited.

Kudos to all!

Photographs:

 Here are some of the photos we found this week.

First, wildlife:

Paul Sundberg has a special relationship with one of the local grouse. In fact, Sundberg has even given the bird a name–Rusty. Rusty doesn’t mind at all if Sundberg joins him on a log for his display, making for some great images. Here are two.

 

Here’s another special relationship:

Jay Johnson took this photograph of his wife holding a wild bobcat that was hit by a car when they were on their way to a canoeing trip. He said his wife, Shelly, stopped traffic and held the bobcat it regained its wits and ran off. “She’s brave,” he wrote. For sure.

The warblers are passing through.

 

 

Turtles are moving around, too.

And fox kits are growing up.

A perfect pair.

A not so wild:

And the marsh marigolds are blooming.

We found some great landscapes this week, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally, this:

The image comes with a poem.

“Once upon a time, when women were birds,
there was the simple understanding that
to sing at dawn and to sing at dusk
was to heal the world through joy.

The birds still remember
what we have forgotten,
that the world is meant to be
celebrated.”

~Terry Tempest Williams

Have a good weekend. And be safe!

Note: Artists: Send me images of what you’ve been doing in the studio lately. Send them to Joan.farnam@gmail.com

And, if you’ve enjoyed NorthShore ArtScene this week, consider making a donation to keep it strong. Just click on the icon below. And Thank You!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a new normal this week, as the North Shore prepares for visitors over Memorial Day Weekend. But note, it’s not The new normal, as things seem to change daily in this pandemic. For updated lists on restaurants. lodging, and grocery stores, see VisitCookCounty.com . WTIP Community Radio, or Exploring the North Shore.

Here on the North Shore, we are celebrating part of that. The lakes are open, the fish are biting and neighborhood loons are settling in. Black bears seem to be really active this spring — there have been lots of sightings. Early wildflowers are blooming, and the wonderful smells of spring scent the air. So paddlers are making plans to explore the Boundary Waters.

On the shore, Lake Superior is preening. She’s been calm for the last few days, glittering like a blue jewel, lapping gently on our rocky beaches, offering peace to anyone who spends a few moments with her. And you can get take-out from a number of restaurants as you enjoy the blue water, and, more retailers are opening carefully, joining essential businesses to purvey goods to us. We’re all invited to stay safe, which we plan to do.

North House Folk School continues its Crafting in Place series, this week featuring a Zoom webinar on basketry around the world. Basketmaker Jo Campbell Amsler, who is an instructor at North House, will host “Baskets Along the Way,” a look at baskets and basketmakers in Scotland, Spain, Italy, Denmark and more.

. The webinar will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday night. To register for free, click here.

Also on Thursday night, Gordon Thorne will be presenting a virtual concert for the North Shore Winery starting at 6 p.m. To enjoy, check out the Winery’s Facebook page here.

On Friday, WTIP Community Radio will hold a live conversation with representatives from Visit Cook County about what is open, what to expect this weekend. The conversation will be aired starting at 11:30 a.m.

Also on Friday, Desperate Electric, an electric funk band from Bozeman, Mont., will be virtual on The Roadhouse to talk about their music and play a few songs. The Roadhouse airs from 5-7 p.m., with musical guests appearing about 6:15 p.m. Here’s an example of the band’s music:

And since we’re living in a virtual world, geography doesn’t play a very big part in entertainment right now. So, you can watch a full-stage Broadway performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music,” on The Shows Must Go On YouTube page. The video is available for 48 hours only, starting at 1 p.m. EDT. Check it out here.

 or here:

And for classical music lovers, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra will be live streaming a concert at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 23.

They will be playing “Violin Concerto” by Ludwig van Beethoven, “Chamber Symphony in F for String and Wind”s by  Dmitri Shostakovich, “The Lark Ascending” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. To see and enjoy click here.

Local Art & Artists

Artists in the community and the region continue to create. Here are some examples of what we’ve found this week.

Jan Attridge has just finished a portrait of Stanley (Pratt).

The Grand Marais Art Colony will be open an exhibit in the windows of its new building, and artists have until May 31 to submit their work, addressing the theme, Changing Habitats. The work should be 4×6 inches in any media and can be mailed to the Grand Marais Art Colony,  PO Box 626 Grand Marais, MN 55604. The deadline is May 31.

Here is one of the pieces watercolorist David Hahn has submitted for the Changing Habitats exhibit.

 Cook County glass artists were making work for an exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post all winter. That exhibit was set to open May 1, but it had to be cancelled. Here’s an example from the collection by Tony Rau, one of the participating artists.

Rau can be reached at tonyrau531@gmail.com 

David Steckelberg has been working in his studio this winter, too. This large wall sculpture is fastened with hand-forged hooks.

Painter Lynn Steiner has been working on a series of paintings, “Back in Time,” depicting  scenes at the Grand Portage National Monument during Rendezvous.

To see more of Steiner’s work, click here.

Betsy Bowen is continuing her Comfort series. Here’s one from this week:

 Sgp Zimmerman of Grand Portage has created a series of etchings for children about life in the days of social distancing. They were created to bring awareness to serve as a reminder to Indigenous families (and everyone) of both CDC safety protocols as well as the importance of holding onto Ojibwe medicines and healing practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cultural coloring sheets will be printed by the American Indian Community Housing Organization and distributed to tribes, tribal organizations and families across Minnesota.  The coloring sheets can be viewed and downloaded here.

Art News:

Plein Air Grand Marais will be held this year, but with many changes. The event will be held in September, and artists may participate and compete, even if they can’t or don’t feel comfortable traveling to Grand Marais. The deadline to enter has been extended to June 1. To apply, click here.

According to Outdoor Painters of Minnesota, which organizes the event,  most of the activities can be moved online in some form if necessary. For more information about the process and to keep in contact, click here.

The Thunder Bay Potters Guild announced this week that its June Pottery Fair will be cancelled.

Virtual Selections:

Here’s Amanda Palmer reading Mary Oliver’s poem, “When I Am Among the Trees.”

The National Museum of American History has uploaded a great selection of photographs entitled “Window Views”

To view the whole collection, click here.

Want to watch a movie? Here is a charming film about a family on a camping trip on the Slate Islands in Ontario.

And finally, this tongue-in-cheek ballet danced by the Hong Kong Ballet in honor of its 40th season.

 Photographs:

We found some good photographs this week. Here’s a selection:

First, wildlife:

 

 

The plant kingdom.

 

Landscapes, skyscapes and lakes capes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 And this:

Poet, adventurer and Hovland writer Tor Torkildson has been writing a series of poems, “Staying at Home,” as he and his community live through the pandemic. One of his poems has recently been published by the DNR’s Trailblazer Magazine. Here it is, accompanied by a photograph by Travis Novitsky.

 

The Spring Fox

It is spring
And I finally saw her
Crossing the snow patched yard…
Then I heard her digging

With determination
her claws flinging the soil
burnt red fur glistening
as she makes her summer den.

Firstly, I stood silent
admiring her beauty
as did my curious dog.

Then she looked my way.
And our eyes met
transfixed
in a pure and honest moment.

What was she thinking?
Not a single thing mattered
Not even the snow and mud
or the coronavirus
sweeping the land.

And we have the trees and ravens
Lake Superior
offering comfort and sunlit hope
in weary moments.

Out here in the wilds
the moments matter
they heal and comfort
when the soul mourns deeply.

~Tor Torkildson

Thank you for reading NorthShore ArtScene this week. Artists: please send photographs of your work. We’d love to show it off. Email to joan.farnam@gmail.com

And, if you’d like, you can donate to NorthShore ArtScene by clicking on the logo below. .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings from the North Shore, where spring happiness is temperatures above freezing, and this week, it looks like we’re going to make the cut.

There’s other good news, too. WTIP Community Radio announced this week that the Boundary Waters Podcast, produced by Joe Frederichs, WTIP news director, and co-host Matthew Baxley, won a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for best podcast in the small market radio category.

The award is for overall series content based on the submission of Episode 18: A Father’s Dream, the story of Erik Dickes from Omaha, Neb., who recorded an audio diary on a trip to the BWCAW in May 2019, to commemorate his late father, and tell the story of a canoe trip they had planned to take together in 2018.

 “We started this podcast three years ago to create a platform for sharing stories from this amazing region.” Frederichs said. “To have the series recognized with an Edward R. Murrow Award is among the highest honors I can imagine. This is a tremendous achievement for WTIP listeners and supporters of our Boundary Waters podcast and the paddling community.”

Regional winners automatically move on to the national round of the competition with national winners announced in June. Meanwhile, listen to the podcasts here.

And virtual events continue. This week, Gordon Thorne and and host Chuck Corliss will hold a Virtual Date Night at the North Shore Winery at 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday.

To hear the music, click here. Thorne and Corliss will also be on WTIP’s The Roadhouse on Friday evening around 6:15 p.m. to talk about their music and play a few songs. The Roadhouse airs from 5-7 p.m.

Also on Thursday night, travel to Norway on a virtual tour of folk arts with Harley and Norma Refsal in a special webinar co-hosted by North House Folk School and the Versterheim Norwegian American Museum in Iowa. The Refsals will share some favorite pieces from their personal collection as well as highlight pieces from the Versterheim collection.

Escape to the land of the midnight sun with the Refsals. Register for the webinar here. Free.

Both Jim McGowan and Adam Moe are doing virtual concerts on Facebook Live. You can see Moe on Thursdays at 2 p.m. through May 28, (Click here)  and McGowan on Fridays at 8 p.m. (Click here.)

A little further afield, and back in time, Prince and the Revolution’s live 1985 concert will stream on YouTube for coronoavirus relief Thursday through Saturday, May 14-16 at 7 p.m.

The concert, which was filmed in New York in 1985 during Prince’s iconic Purple Rain Tour, will stream for three days only on Prince’s official YouTube channel starting Thursday. The concert footage includes some of Prince’s greatest hits, including “Purple Rain,” “1999,” “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy.” Click on the link above to see.

And next Wednesday, join author Kate DiCamillo for a statewide virtual discussion on writing and her books. She is the author of “Because of Winn-Dixie,” a delightful story of the dog who changed people’s lives. The book was chosen for One Book/One Minnesota this year, inviting readers of every age around the state to read it. .

The free Zoom event will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20. The virtual event is free, but registration is required. To register, click here.

Upcoming:

Watch world-renouned film festivals, like the Cannes Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival online this year. In response to the pandemic, 20 major film festivals from around the world are coming together for 10 days of curated films streamed on YouTube for free.

The “We Are One: A Global Film Festival,” will showcase feature films, shorts, documentaries, music, comedy, and panel discussions from May 29 to June 7. All viewers will be able to make donations to the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Stay tuned for details.

And North House Folk Schools Wooden Boat Show is going online this year. The event will be held virtually from June 15-21.

There will be a full week of online mini courses, craft presentations, speaker series, and more, culminating on Saturday with our featured presentation by arctic explorer, photographer, and climate educator, David Thoreson. All events will be offered both live (with Q&A!) and recorded, so you can enjoy them however and whenever you like.

The event kicks off at noon on Monday, June 15 on Facebook Live, and will continue all week with the full slate of speakers, demonstrators and more available. If you miss any of the live events, all content will be available on demand on Saturday, June 20. To see details, click here . And stay tuned for updates.

Cancellations:

The Magic Smelt Parade has been cancelled for this year. It’s always held on the Duluth Lakewalk featuring the Brass Messengers, the Smelt Queen and lots of people dressed in silver. Here’s a video of the parade on Duluth’s Lakewalk last year.

And the 91st annual Fisherman’s Picnic in Grand Marais has been cancelled.

Fisherman’s Picnic is always held the first weekend in August, but organizers said that organizing the event takes months, and it was unclear if it would be safe to hold the Picnic at all. Look forward to next year!

  Local Artists at Work:

Local artists have been busy this month. Here are some of the things they have been doing.

Maryl Skinner participated in the Earth Day art project for the Cook County Soil and Water District. The challenge was to go outside and create a collage with objects you found, take a photo of your work and submit to Soil and Water. Here is Skinner’s piece. She called it “Northwoods Forest Fashion for Social Distancing.”

 Art students in Mila Horak’s classes at Cook County High School have been working on photography. Here are a few examples.

 

Lutsen potter Maggie Anderson has been making bread baking dishes in her studio as a fundraiser for the Grand Marais Art Colony and the Cook County Food Shelf.

Anderson is featured on the Art Colony’s Instagram account, showing the process of making the ceramic bread pans. You can see them here. The handmade bread pans come with sourdough starter and a recipe. You can still order one. To place an order, email info@grandmaraisartcolony.org.

The glass artists at the Grand Marais Art Colony planned on exhibiting their work at the Johnson Heritage Post this month, but the exhibit was cancelled because of Covid-19. We’ve been featuring examples of their work, which will be on exhibit next year at the Heritage Post. Here’s a fused glass piece by Jeri Persons.

Amy Freeman has been painting this winter.

Betsy Bowen is continuing her Comfort series.

 

Not art, but for art at Sivertson Gallery.

Knitting:

Printmaking:

 A little further afield … on Long Island… a drive-by art show.

“The other stuff” was on display on the lawns, porches, driveways and garage doors at properties from Hampton Bays to Montauk, some from prominent artists and others by those lesser known. On a windy, blue-skied weekend, most people drove but others came on foot or by bicycle for the show, “Drive-By-Art (Public Art in This Moment of Social Distancing).”

Opportunities:

 Artists still have time to submit work for the Grand Marais Art Colony‘s exhibit, Our Changing Habitats. The Art Colony is asking people to submit 4×6-inch pieces via snail mail to: PO Box 626, Grand Marais, MN 55604, by May 31. Artists are invited to reflect on their changing habitats. The pieces will be displayed in the Art Colony’s new building windows in June. You can see more about that here.  Students at the schools have been invited to participate as well.

Music videos: 

There’s lots out there. Here’s a selection for this week:

Dessa sings “Skeleton Key” with the Minnesota Orchestra in this virtual recording.

 Arctic Funk: recommended by Kate Fitzgerald, artistic director of the North Shore Music Association. The Lake Wobegon Brass Band plays Norwegian composer Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen … cow bells and lots of brass.

We thought a few selections from Playing for Change, featuring musicians from around the world, might be appropriate now.

A take on the Grateful Dead’s “Ripple.”

“The Weight” featuring Robbie Robertson and Ringo Starr.

 And finally, this crazy, wonderful Happy Birthday video from French composer/jazz musician Alexandre Cellier to Pascal Auberson.

 Photographs:

We had lots to choose from this week. Here’s a selection.

First, wildlife:

 

 

 

 

Off-topic:

We found some beautiful landscapes, too. First, this great walnut tree:

 

A few full moon photographs:

 

 

And a few landscapes:

 

  And finally, photographer Dustin Lavigne calls this image, the Almost-Full Moon, but we want to title it “Peek-a-Boo Moon.”

Peace to all.

P.S. If you have art work that you’ve been doing this month, email an image to me at joan.farnam@gmail.com.

And, if you’d like to help support NorthShore ArtScene, you can donate below. Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings from the North Shore, where spring has really come, and with it, early flowers, warmer temps and a slow awakening in our communities. Granted, Gov. Walz’ Stay-at-Home order still applies,  but some businesses on the North Shore have re-opened, with new rules in place, with more to come.

VisitCookCounty puts it this way:

For more information about which lodging facilities have opened, the new procedures in place, events,  event cancellations and more,  click here.

And lots of virtual events are scheduled, as well.

Polar explorer Lonnie Dupre will present ta live Zoom Webinar through North House Folk School about his adventures in Greenland 7 p.m. Thursday. The presentation is entitled “Greenland: Now and Then.”

Dupre will tell stories and share photographs about his 6,500 mile circumnavigation of Greenland  by dog team and kayak 20 years ago, and the expedition he is preparing for 2021-22. Dupre, who has literally sheltered-in-place for weeks in a snow cave on the side of a mountain in the winter (no Netflix to binge on there!), will also reflect on this peculiar global moment and share his perspective on staying mentally resilient during these challenging times.

The Webinar is free. To register, click here.

One of the highlights for pottery lovers every Mother’s Day Weekend is the annual St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour featuring an incredible number of potters and pots exhibiting their work at potteries around the valley. This year, the pottery tour has gone online..

The online tour features thousands of handmade pots crafted by 64 potters from around the country. The Online Tour offers web sales in artists’ individual web shops as well as virtual shopping appointments with potters on the tour dates, May 8-10. The Web shops go live Friday, May 8 at 10 a.m. CDT. To see all the pots and visit with the artists virtually, click here..

Jim McGowan will be be virtual on WTIP’s The Roadhouse this Friday, talking about his music and playing a few songs from his music studio in St. Paul. The Roadhouse airs from 5-7 p.m.

Cook County Higher Education has organized a wide variety of free webinars this month.

To check the schedule and register, click here.  Free registration is required.

And the Grand Marais Public Library will be starting a book pickup window on Wednesday, May 13. Book can be ordered online and then picked up at a window at the library.

Patrons can peruse the online catalog and make their selections. To find out more, click here.

Art:

Photographer Bryan Hansel has developed a Photo Shoot Planning Form to help photographers get ready for a planned shoot. 

To read and download the form, click here.

Glass artists worked hard this winter to prepare for an exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post. The exhibit was scheduled to open in May, but had to be cancelled. It has been rescheduled for next year. Meanwhile, the artists do have work to show. Here’s a piece by Veronica Weadock. You reach her at vweadock@yahoo.com

Hovland bowl turner, Lou Pignolet, will have a bowl giveaway this month.

To win this bowl, send Pignolet an email with your guess of a number between 1 and 500 no later than midnight, May 15, CDT. The closest guess to the number Pignolet’s wife,  Inger, has selected and written down will get this bowl with free shipping within the USA, and $25 to any where else in the world. To enter the contest, click here.  To see more images of this bowl, click here.

Betsy Bowen continues her Comfort series. Here are two images.

For Cook County Artists:

The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council is doing one more round of relief grants for Cook County artists. Generous private donors are offering $1,200 to artists to help keep the art flowing during the Coronavirus crisis. The deadline for Round 2 is Monday, May 11 at 4:30 p.m. The application process is easy. To apply, click here.

Virtual:

Here are a few virtual events we found this week:

This is a black and white video of a Georgian Dance in slow motion:

Here’s an interesting piece on the evolution of the piano.

And here’s the Mongolian throat singing group, Wu, performing Wolf Totem.

For Fun & Food:

Diane Booth will hold a Zoom class on Beginning Gardening from noon to 2 p.m. on Monday, May 11.

To register for this free class, email Diane Booth, Cook County Extension Agent at Diane.Booth@co.cook.mn.us and she will email you the Zoom information.

Photographs:

We found some fun photographs this week. Take a look:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And with spring, come these favorites:

We found lots of sunsets and sunrises this week:

 

 

 

And then this:

And finally, this:

Have a good weekend, everyone! And Happy Mother’s Day!

Note: Artists! Send me photos of what you’ve been working on over the past few months! Email me at Joan.farnam@gmail.com

 

Shortly after you read this, you will probably know what the partial opening of the state of Minnesota actually means. The announcement hadn’t been made at the time this blog was published, and so we can only say, it’s anyone’s guess.

Meanwhile, our new normal continues.

First —  spring is upon us.

Some are not quite willing to let winter go, however.

Others wish warmer weather would come sooner.

In any case, people are still being careful about social distancing, and some are finding ways to be in the community at the same time.

And although Cook County has not yet recorded a case of Covid-19, it is getting ready. As of April 29, the Cook County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) announced it has received 1,017 hand-sewn cloth face coverings for the COVID-19 preparatory effort. That’s a lot of masks for a county with a population of 5,000 to produce in a few weeks. Kudos to the sewers amongst us! To learn more about what has been donated as well as what’s still needed, click here.

The Art World, like everyone else, is coming up with some ingenious solutions to get people together without crowding them into a big room.

North House Folk School, for example, has created the Crafting in Place series, which offers live instruction and/or videos crafted by its instructors.

On Thursday, April 30, a video: “From Tree to Table: Building an End Table with Randy Schnobrich“ will be featured on on Facebook and YouTube starting at 10 a.m.

And on Thursday evening, join Jarrod Dahl as he presents “Japan: In Search of Modern Wood Culture” at 7 p.m.

Read the complete description here and register for the webinar.  Free. Videos of many of the other Crafting in Place presentations are still available for viewing on the North House Facebook page.

The Grand Marais Art Colony has launched a “TakeOver” series, featuring an artist working in their studios on its Instagram page. This week, potter Jason Trebs will be glazing his pots, loading and firing his kiln in this three-day “TakeOver.”

To watch Trebs at work, click here Thursday through Saturday.

Also on Thursday, a regional virtual Minnesota Arts Town Hall via Zoom will be held from 4-5:30 p.m. to discuss the next phase of recovery and stability for the Minnesota arts community. A session focused on arts organizations was held on Wednesday, The one on Thursday invites all individual artists to participate, either through comments and/or observing the event.

Artists, including musicians, dancers, actors and visual artists have seen their world upended during the pandemic due to closures and cancellations.  The arts forum, developed by Arts Midwest, the Forum of Regional Arts Councils of Minnesota, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Minnesota Presenters Network, Minnesota State Arts Board, Minnesota Theater Alliance, City of Minneapolis Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, and Springboard for the Arts, invite all artists to join them in this discussion. What do they need? What can arts organizations do to help?

Speakers wil be allotted 2 minutes. Participants can also ask questions or comment in the Chat section. To participate and/or just listen in, register here. Free.

And on Friday, the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council will hold a free virtual workshop for artists on how to put their art online.  Dan Stocke, CEO and founder of Buzz Frenzy marketing automation software and producer of award winning podcast Take It With You, will be the presenter. The workshop will be from 2-3 p.m. on Friday via Zoom. To register and get the sign-in info, send an email to info@aracouncil.org  Free.

And to listen to an interview with Kate DiCamillo, author of “Because of Winn-Dixie,” a statewide MN Book Read book, tune into WTIP’s The Roadhouse on Friday night. Musician Rich Mattson will also be on the show to talk about his music and play a few songs from him and studios in Sparta. The Roadhouse airs from 5-7 p.m.

Our local and real artists continue to produce work. Here are some examples.

Kiln-worked glass artist Sharon Frykman is one of the artists who was slated to be in an glass exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post in May. That show has been rescheduled to 2021. However, she, and the other artists in the show, have created work for it. Here’s one of Frykma’s pieces:

You can see more of her work at frykmanart.com .

Jo Wood has been working on new bead paintings.

Betsy Bowen has continued her Comfort series. Here are a few:

 

Minnesota Book Award finalist Staci Drouillard’s cousin, Sgp Zimmerman, said she was so inspiredby reading Drouillard’s book, “Walking the Old Road,” and learning more about her great grandmother, Josie Drouillard Zimmeran, that she created this in honor of her. “Her rose bushes / oginiiwaatigoon can still be found in Grand Marais if you know where to look,” Sgp writes. ” The piece has a total of 136 stars, as she would be 136 years old this year. Within the bear (makwa) there are 11 zhingwaakwag (pine trees) to represent all of her children. The piece is titled, “Oginiiwaatig Makwa under the Iskigamizige-giizis” (Rosebush Bear under the maple sap evaporating moon) to honor her.”

Kari Vick’s latest book, Flutter Bye, which she illustrated, has just been published. The author is Krista Pedersen Betcher. Vick was interviewed on MPR news by Angela Davis about the book. Stay tuned for details.

Virtual art exhibits and events continue to blossom. Here’s a brief selection.

The St. Louis River Alliance has created a virtual art exhibit with a great selection of paintings and photographs of the St. Louis River. To see the exhibit on YouTube, click here.

The Tweed Museum of Art has been posting virtual exhibits of senior art students, who normally have shows in the museum at this time of year. One student, Kyler Swanson, has created a series of fascinating, short animations entitled “Battle.”  Swanson writes: “While viewing each piece, I want the audience to remember that battle doesn’t just refer to physical action.” You can watch the series here.

The Russians have been busy, too. A wildly popular Russian Facebook group has invited people to recreate famous paintings while in isolation and they’ve been having fun doing it.

To see more, click here.

Words:

This is just such a great post. It features 38 wonderful words with no English equivalent, although, you will recognize the actions, even though we don’t have a specific word for them in English. It’s a great study of how humans are the same every where. For example, you know that old trick where you tap someone lightly on the opposite shoulder from behind to fool them? The Indonesians have a word for it: Mencolek.

 To see them, click here.

Stevie Ann Plummer has had a piece about her journey through Patagonia published in “Sidetracked.: Entitled, “Tranqui,” it is written by Emily Hopclan from Plummer’s recollections with spectacular photos by Plummer.

To see the publication with its spectacular photos, click here.

Mother’s Day:

The very popular St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour is going online this year. Traditionally held at pottery studios dotted throughout the St. Croix Valley over Mother’s Day weekend, the tour will still exhibit and sell a great selection of work by local, regional, national and international potters–but online.

The virtual shops will go live at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 8, but patrons can begin making virtual shopping appointments with potters. Click here to see who is participating, examples of their work, their Web shops and how to make appointments with them . You can also get updates and more info on their Instagram site, here.

Blogger’s Choice:

Here’s a true potpourri.

Can’t find yeast at the store? Make chapatis, the tasty, chewy unleavened bread from India.

Click here to learn how:

And here’s the funniest video of the week. This is from a Canadian television station, CTV.ca, and features a young music teacher who sings about her feelings during the pandemic. That’s funny? Wait for it.

 Here is the link. 

 

 Music: 

 Here’s an eclectic selection of music for this week:

Josh Peterson “Uncertain Certainties.”

Miley Cyrus “Wish You Were Here.”

“Drive Slow,” Chastity Brown.

 Quinn Christopherson: NPR Music Tiny Desk Contest Winner 2019.

The Carpenter Ants: He Saved My Soul

 Photographers:

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

First, early spring flowers:

 

 

Here are some of the wildlife shots we found:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are is a peoplescape:

Landscapes, seascapes and skycapes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a good weekend, everyone. And stay safe!

P.S. Please email me photos of the work you’ve been doing in your studio. Email Joan.farnam@gmail.com

And, if you’d like to donate to NorthShore ArtScene, you can do so through the link below. Thank you.