Fun in the Sun — Celebrating the heart of summer

by Joan Farnam on August 16, 2018

Sunrise Tuesday at Split Rock by Jim Sochko.

It’s the heart of summer in Grand Marais right now. It’s a perfect temperature, the skies are bluer than blue, Lake Superior is (almost) swimmable, and there’s plenty to do outdoors and in. Here are some ideas.

First up is an opportunity to learn something about bushcraft at North House Folk School with Lindy Lind, the instructor-in-residence this week.

Lindy Lind, the instructor in residence at North House Folk School this weekend, illustrates how to start a fire with flint.

Lindy Lind, the instructor in residence at North House Folk School this weekend, illustrates how to start a fire without a match.

Lind can walk a path in the woods and find all kinds of useful stuff. And, he can make clever things with what he finds as well. He will be doing demonstrations from Thursday to Sunday on the North House campus and will be teaching a short mini-class on Saturday morning. For more info and to register for the class, call 387-9762.

Anybody who writes anything (from novels to emails) are invited to a meeting of the Grand Marais Writer’s Guild at the Grand Marais Public Library tonight, Thursday, Aug. 16, from 6-7 p.m.. Led by Grand Marais published writer Rose Arrowsmith-DeCoux, the meeting features discussions about writing, writing prompts and more. Free.

Friday is a good day for art in Grand Marais.

First up is a Paint-A-Tile workshop that will be held in the ceramics studio at the Grand Marais Art Colony from 1-2:30 p.m. Participants are invited to explore the colorful world of Majolica glazes and try their hand at it.

A Paint-A-Tile workshop will be held at the Grand Marais Art Colony from 1-2:30 p.m. on Friday.

Each student will be able to pick out and then paint two tiles with their own unique designs. The tiles will be glaze-fired and available for pickup on Sunday, Aug.19. The workshop is open to ages 12 and older. For more info and to register, call the Art Colony at 387-2737. The next Paint-A-Tile workshop is Aug. 31.

Then, on Friday, night, the Johnson Heritage Post will hold an opening reception for “Fragments of the North,” an exhibition of oil paintings by Reid Thorpe.

Tamarack View, oil, by Reid Thorpe.

Reid Thorpe has a studio/gallery in Chaska, and exhibited with the Minneapolis College of Art & Design Alumni group at the Johnson Heritage Post last year. The opening reception is from 5-7 p.m. on Friday. Refreshments will be served. The exhibit continues through Sept. 9. The Heritage Post is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and Monday, and from 1-4 p.m. Sunday. It is closed on Tuesdays.

For live music, check the schedule below. Also, tune into WTIP’s The Roadhouse on Friday night from 5-7 for a whole program of music. Singer songwriter Peter Mayer will be on the show to talk about his music and play a few songs as will singer/songwriter Jerry Vandiver and fiddle player Lacie Carpenter. Vandiver is playing a number of different venues in the county this weekend. Mayer will be in concert at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts on Saturday night. (For details, see below.)

Saturday begins with the Cook County Market, which features a variety of artists and artisans displaying their work in the Senior Center parking lot.

Writer Jennifer Schulz has a booth at the Cook County Market featuring her book, “Grandmother’s Dreams.”

The Market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is held every Saturday through mid-October.

Lynn Speaker is teaching a fascinating workshop at the Grand Marais Art Colony this weekend, too. Entitled “Looking at Landscape,” the class will examine a number of concepts of landscape art.

Lynn Speaker will teach a workshop at the Grand Marais Art Colony entitled “Looking at Landscape.”

How are landscapes perceived and experienced? What role do artists play at the intersection of nature and culture? Speaker will guide students through an investigation of landscape art by looking at a variety of scientific, historical, and cultural perspectives, and students will participate in art-making exercises to illustrate their own experiences with landscape. For more info and to sign up for the class, call 387-2737 or click here.

On Saturday night, the North Shore Music Association brings Peter Mayer to the Arrowhead Center for the Arts for a concert at 7:30 p.m.

Singer/songwriter Peter Mayer will be in concert at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Mayer writes songs for a small planet–songs about interconnectedness and the human journey, about the beauty and the mystery of the world. Here’s an example:

Tickets are available at the door or online at www.tix.com.

Exhibits:

There are some interesting exhibits in galleries up and down the North Shore. Here’s a selection.

Photographer William Gillis is exhibiting his work in the Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park this month.

William Gillis is exhibiting his work at Tettegouche State Park the month.

An new exhibit has just opened at the Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center at the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO). Entitled “Endangered,” the exhibit features exquisite papercuts of endangered species in the world by Ellen Sandbeck and paintings by illustrating the history of wild rising and how it is threatened.

Papercut by Ellen Sandbeck.

Waterways by Moira Villard is one of the pieces in the “Endangered” exhibit.

The “Endangered” exhibit continues at AICHO through the end of August. AICHO is located at 202 W. 2nd St. in Duluth.

The Duluth Art Institute is featuring three exhibits this month, including paintings by Chholing Taha.

“Every Spirit Tells a Story” by Chholing Taha.

CreeFirst Nations artist based in Anoka, who uses Native imagery to express both contemporary issues and indigenous stories. The exhibit continues through Sept. 2.

At the Tweed Museum of Art, the Quiet Simplicity exhibit continues.

“Washing Clothes in the River,” oil, by Dick Van Elton is at the Tweed Museum of Art.

The Definitely Superior Art Gallery in Thunder Bay is closed for summer vacation through early September, but the gallery invites the public to check out the beautiful new art murals on Cooke Street created by the Die Active Art Collective.

One of the new art murals on Cooke Street in downtown Thunder Bay.

Christi Belcourt’s exhibit, “Uprising: The Power of Mother Earth, A Retrospective with Isaac Murdoch” continues at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery this month.

"What we share with out children" by Christi Belcourt, is at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.

“What we teach our children, revisited” by Christi Belcourt, is at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.

Upcoming:

The North Shore Music Association will hold a fundraiser at the Wunderbar with Lucky Dutch on Thursday, Aug. 23, at 7 p.m. Lucky Dutch is an American rock band from Illinois, formed in 2008 by guitarist Nathan Graham and singer Claire Corriveau. Graham has performed as a guitarist on the Chicago blues scene since age 15, working and touring with musicians such as Buddy Guy, BB King, and Koko Taylor. Listen to one of their songs by clicking on the link below.

Kudos:

Congratulations to Hovland artist Corrie Steckelberg, who has been selected to be one of the Artists-in-Residence at the Grand Marais Art Colony in March. She joins Dana De Ano and Christine Fomi to work at the Art Colony that month.

One of Corrie Steckelberg’s sculptures. She will be one of the Artists-in-Residence at the Grand Marais Art Colony next year.

Opportunities:

WTIP Community Radio has put out a call for volunteers to help out at the Radio Waves Music Festival at Sweetheart’s Bluff in the Rec Park Sept. 7-9.

WTIP’s Radio Waves Music Festival is looking for volunteers.

Volunteers will get a free ticket for the day they volunteer. Postitions available in the Kid’s Tent, the membership booth and tickets and the information and prizes booth. For more info, call WTIP at 387-1070 or click here.

Window Shopping

Liz Sivertson has new work at Sivertson Gallery. This painting is called “Avon Calling.”

And finally, on a personal note: I went to the Twin Cities this week to see this Emmy Award-winning band from Mali. Here’s a YouTube of one of the songs they sang. (Scroll down to read the translation.)

Here’s the music schedule for the week:

Thursday, Aug. 16:

Pete K, Cascade Lodge Pub, 6 p.m.
Joe Paulik, Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
Eric Frost, Music by the Campfire, Lutsen Resort, 6:30 p.m.
Maria Nickolay, North Shore Winery, 7 p.m.
Jerry Vandiver, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
Gordon Thorne & the Wildcats, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 17:

Jerry Vandiver and Lacie Carpenter, Voyageur Brwing, 4 p.m.
North Shore Community Swing Band, Grandma Ray’s, 7 p.m.
Pete Kavanaugh, Music by the Campfire, Eagle Ridge Resort, 7 p.m.
Space Monkey Mafia, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
Jim’s Country Laundry, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
Cook County’s Most Wanted, Grandma Ray’s, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 18:

Gene Lafond and Amy, Grillo, Cascade Lodge Pub, 6 p.m.
Eric Frost, Papa Charlie’s deck, 6 p.m.
Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert, rural Grand Marais, 7 p.m., reservations at www.michaelmonroemusic.com
Gordon Thorne, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
Peter Mayer, Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m.
Doug Ott and the Getaways, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
Jerry Vandiver and Lacie Carpenter, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
Space Monkey Mafia, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
Timmy Haus,Papa Charlie’s,,, 9:30 p.m.