Northern Fibers Retreat, Denzel Washington & Music

The second week of February means the Northern Fibers Retreat at North House Folk School, a Collectors’ Art Sale at the North Shore Winery and the Johnson Heritage Post and a great selection of live music throughout the county.

First Up is the Collectors Art Sale, a Fundraiser for Public Art, sponsored by Art ‘Round Town. Artists and members of the community have donated a great selection of original art or pieces they have enjoyed and are ready to pass on to the organization for this sale. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, fiber art, fused glass, pottery and more are featured in these exhibits. Proceeds from the Collectors Art Sale will be used for public art projects.

The Art Sale opens at the North Shore Winery in Lutsen at 6 p.m. Thursday night, with music by Twin Cities songwriter Billy Johnson. That exhibit continues through the end of the month.

On Friday night, the Johnson Heritage Post will host a second opening with a reception from 5-7 p.m. with music by Gordon Thorne and Randy Sabien. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be provided for a donation at the door. The exhibit at the Heritage Post continues through Sunday at 4 p.m.

Both exhibits are eclectic and offer a wide variety of artwork to support public art in the county. Prices range from $5 to $450, fitting everyone’s budget. If you see something you like, you can purchase it, beautify your home and help out a great cause. All invited.

Also on Thursday night, North House Folk School will screen “Shepherdess of the Glaciers,” a fascinating film about a shepherdess in Laddakh, India and her family of 300 sheep and goats who are like her own children. Trace her footsteps across the snowy, isolated landscape in this beautifully shot and uniquely personal documentary of a woman and her flock on the other side of the world. The film was the Grand Prize Winner at the 2016 Banff Film Festival.

Here’s the trailer.

All invited. The film is free. Bring your own popcorn and snacks.

The Northern Fibers Retreat starts at North House Folk School with classes on Thursday and runs through Sunday. The event is a collaboration between North House, the Grand Marais Art Colony and the Northwoods Fiber Guild.

A wide variety of classes will be offered, including, needle felting, beaded doilies, weft-faced weaving, making a blanket coat, natural dies, bookbinding, knitting, spinning fibers and more. To see the complete class schedule, click here.

There are several public events over the weekend, too.

On Friday, Feb. 16, Maureen Hark will demonstrate how to care for textiles, including how to hang them in a Lunch & Learn at the First Congregational Church. The event is from noon to 1 p.m. Participants who haven’t signed up for the catered lunch are encouraged to bring their own. Free. No registration required.

On Friday night, the Northwoods Fiber Guild will host a Show & Share at the Grand Marais Art Colony at 7 p.m. The event, which is one of the highlights of the retreat, encourages instructors and participants to come together and share their favorite projects. Free.

On Saturday, the Northwoods Fiber Guild will hold “Fibers for Kids” from 9:3-11:30 a.m at North House. Cost is $15 per child/adult pair, $5 for additional family members. This is always a popular event, as everyone gets to try all kinds of fiber techniques and bring their work home.

Also on Saturday, Carol Coburn will present “Attire From Across the Atlantic: Recreating 19th Century Norwegian Emigrant’s Clothing” in a Lunch & Learn at the First Congregational Church. Participants who haven’t pre-ordered the catered lunch are encouraged to bring their own. Free. No registration required.

And finally, on Saturday night, Robbie LaFleur, the coordinator of the Guild of Minnesota Scandinavian Weavers Study Group and the featured speaker for the event, will present “From Virgins to Spaceships: A Visual Voyage through Norwegian Tapestry” at North House Folk School at 7:30 p.m. The presentation is free. All invited.

Also this weekend, the Grand Marais Public Library continues its weekly film series with the screening of “Fences,” starring Denzel Washington.  The film was nominated for several Oscars including Best Picture, and a won for Best Supporting Actress, Viola Davis. It is the story of a working-class African-American father who raises his family in the 1950s, while coming to terms with the events of his life. Here’s the trailer:

The film starts at 6 p.m. on Friday and is free.

On Monday, Thunder Bay will hold SnowDay on the Waterfront at Marina Park featuring snow sculptures, lots of winter games for children and youth, public snow carving, kicksledding and a skating party. The SnowDay will be held from noon to 5 p.m. (EST). All invited.

On Tuesday, Feb. 20, artist Danny Saathoff  will give an Artist Talk at the Grand Marais Art Colony at 5:30 p.m in conjunction with his exhibit. “Swinging the Compass” that opens that day and runs through March 3.

 

The exhibit focuses on the effects of climate change on Lake Superior. Saathoff is a jewelry artist, metalsmith, kinetic sculptor, teacher, and sailor (not necessarily in that order). He teaches metalsmithing at Carleton College and at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts. He recently completed a commissioned sculpture for the Humphrey terminal at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport.

Also at the exhibition opening, Mary Dougherty will speak about a Lake Superior project of her own entitled “Words for Water.” The project is a simple way to encourage people who live in the Lake Superior basin (or who love Lake Superior) to think and act collectively when it comes to any legislation, industry or regulations that affect water quality. Mary poses the question, “if you could speak for water, what would you say?” and the participant writes their word or phrase on a chalkboard. She takes their photo, adds it the collection of words she’s gathered and stitches it into a collective love story to Lake Superior. To see examples of her project, click here.

Dougherty has also just published a cookbook, “Life in a Northern Town: Cooking, Eating, and Other Adventures along Lake Superior.” She plans to open a cooking school this spring.

And on Wednesday, Feb. 21, Amy Demmer, executive director of the Grand Marais Art Colony, will give a presentation at the Art Colony entitled  “Our Arts Economy” at noon as part of the Art Colony’s Community Conversation series. Bring a brown bag lunch. Community conversations are a way for the local community and Art Colony members to connect and dialogue about various aspects of the arts in a guided discussion format. All welcome.

Also on Wednesday, Mary Mulari will give a presentation about Vintage Aprons at the Grand Marais Public Library at 6 p.m. Mulari, who designs aprons herself, will talk about how vintage aprons bring out lots of fond memories and stories of women from the past, including relatives and grandmothers. Aprons tell women’s history through a homespun, common cover-up garment, she says.

The program is a review and explanation of both vintage and new-age aprons with historical details of styles, types, and embellishments. Participants are invited to bring their own aprons to share stories and details about them. Free. Open to all.

 Exhibits:

The photographic exhibit, Winter Wonderland, continues in the Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park.

The exhibit features 20 photographs crafted a few weeks ago on Lake Superior.

In Duluth, the Joseph Nease Gallery, 23 W. 1st St., has opened its second exhibit, “Sweep,” featuring the latest work of a group of experienced  at a high point in their craft, “Sweep” is a regional and national survey of more than 20 contemporary painters. Running the gamut from magical realism to hard-edged abstraction, the paintings displayed in “Sweep” address the subjects of beauty, ethnicity, justice, history, spiritualism, landscape, story-telling, and formalism.

At the Tweed Museum of Art, the exhibit “Treasures from Home: An Anthology of Gifts from Collectors,” continues, featuring a wide selection of works.

And Adam Swanson’s exhibit at the Zeitgeist Cafe in Duluth continues as well.

 Upcoming:

 The North Shore Music Association will host Celtic Music & Ceili Dance with BARRA at North House Folk School March 31. Stay tuned for details.

Here’s the live music schedule for this weekend.

Thursday, Feb. 15:

• Boyd Blomberg, Moguls Grille, 4 p.m.
• Timmy Haus, Poplar River Pub, 6 p.m.
• Billy Johnson, North Shore Winery, 6 p.m.
• North Shore Community Swing Band, Grandma Ray’s, 7 p.m.
• Thorne, Gillis, Stamps & Roth, Gun Flint Tavern, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 16:

• Timmy Haus, Voyageur Brewing Co., 4 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Moguls Grille, 4 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & Randy Sabien, Johnson Heritage Post, 5 p.m.
• Common Ground, Cascade Lodge Pub, 6 p.m.
• Bug Dope, Bluefin Grile, 8 p.m.
• Bllly Johnson, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
• If Eye May, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Timmy Haus, Papa Charlie’s, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 17:

• Gordon Thorne & Chris Gillis, North Shore Winery, 3 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Papa Charlie’s, 3:15 p.m.
• Maria Nicolay, Hungry Jack Lodge, 4 p.m.
• Jim McGowan, Cascade Lodge Pub, 6 p.m.
• Briand Morrison, Papa Charlie’s, 6:45 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Bug House, Grandma Rya’s, 8 p.m.
• Brothers in Arms, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• SplinterTones, Papa Charlie’s, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 18:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.
• Billy Johnson, Wunderbar, 11 a.m.
• Eric Frost, Papa Charlie’s, 3:15 p.m.
• John Russ, Papa Charlie’s, 6:45 p.m.
• Bug Dope, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.
• Jim & Michele Miller, Skyport Lodge, 7 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 19:

• Gordon Thorne, Bluefin Grille, 8 p.m.
• Caroline Smith, Monday Songwriter Series, Papa Charlie’s, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 20:

• Joe Paulik, Poplar River Pub, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 21:

• Chris Koza, Wednesday Songwriter Series, Papa Charlie’s, 8 p.m.

We found another set of great photos this week. Here’s a selection.

Let’s start with wildlife.

 

 

 

 

And here are some winter landscapes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally, this one. Check out the caption.