The Fullness of Summer & Fish Pic

It’s the height of summer and with it comes Grand Marais’ annual homecoming celebration– Fisherman’s Picnic.

The 5-day event, sponsored by the Grand Marais Lions, features lots of live music, contests, tournaments, kids’ activities and a fair amount of fishy stuff, including Buck’s Big Fish Contest, fishburgers, minnow races and a pickled herring eating contest. There are lots of Northwoods events as well, including log-rolling, cross-cut saw competitions, blacksmithing demonstrations and loon calling, as well as favorites like the Kids’ Tractor Pull,  the Cutest Puppy Contest and the Fisherman’s Picnic Trail Run on Pincushion Mountain, to name a few.

New this year is a rock-painting contest following the theme “The Coolest Small Town in America.”

The Library Friends holds its annual Used Book Sale at the Cook County Community Center, too.  The members-only sale is Thursday from 5-7 p.m., (memberships can be purchased at the door) and the general public can shop from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

There are street dances on Thursday and Friday nights,  fireworks at dusk on Saturday night and the best parade of the year starts at 1 p.m. Sunday. For the complete schedule of events, click here.

The Grand Marais Playhouse Summer Theater Festival continues this week as well, with performances of the comedy “Moon Over Buffalo” at 7 p.m. Thursday and Saturday at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. The musical “I Love You. You’re Perfect. Now Change.” will be performed at 7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available at the door.

The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council is hosting an informational meeting  Aug. 6 about the Creativity Among Native American Artists Initiative. The initiative aims to increase the visibility of native artists in the Minnesota, Wisconsin and North and South Dakota. The meeting is open to Native American artists from the Arrowhead Region and is free.  ARAC will reimburse mileage for anyone traveling more than 50 miles one way.
The meeting will take place at the Gimaajii American Indian Center, 202 West 2nd St., Duluth on Thursday, Aug. 6 from 5- 7 p.m. For more information, contact ARAC at 218-722-0952 or 800-569-8134, or e-mail operations@aracouncil.org

Upcoming:

• Rendezvous Days & Traditional Gathering Pow-Wow, Aug. 7-9
• 

  Tim Pearson will exhibit at Tettegouche State Park next month. His work is shown at Sivertson Gallery.

  Tim Pearson opens an exhibit at Tettegouche State Park, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m.

• Writer’s Salon with Shannon Drury, Drury Lane Books, Aug. 8, 5 p.m.
• Gunflint  Woods, Winds & Strings, Mid-Trail Fire Hall, Aug. 9 at 4 p.m. For tickets, email scher012@boreal.org

There are great art exhibits in the county this week, too.

The Belvo/Cushmore exhibit opened at the Johnson Heritage Post Gallery last week featuring fascinating and wonderful new work by painters Hazel Belvo and Marcia Cushmore. Belvo, for example, is exhibiting two new series of paintings: All That Jazz and Zinfandel Vines. Cushmore is exhibiting exquisite abstract prints for the first time, as well as other work. The exhibit continues through Aug. 9. The Heritage Post is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday and Monday.

The Cross River Heritage Center in Schroeder is exhibiting artworks in a group show featuring work by Charlotte Durie, Sandi Pillsbury-Gredzens, David Hahn, Leona Czaplicki, Rose Vastila and Kim Knutson
. The Heritage Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday.

This is the final weekend of an exhibit of pottery by Robert Briscoe and Jason Trebs at the Grand Marais Art Colony. The work is displayed in the gift shop, which also features a wide variety of work by Art Colony member artists as well as participants in the Grand Marais Arts Festival earlier this month. Printmaker Mary Bruno will be the featured artist in August.

Also at the Art Colony this weekend, printmaker Jerry Riach will give a printmaking demo at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Betsy Bowen Studio and Galleries is featuring new cuff bracelets in copper and gold over silver  by Stephan Hoglund.
The artist also has a selection of copper rings.  At Ron’s World Rocks, located above Bowen’s studio, one can find unique pins of sterling and stone featuring amethyist, prehnite and green apatite. Melissa Wickwire (Wickwire Clay Works)  has a selection of  individually framed or unframed wall tiles as well as stylish clay buttons. The studio and galleries at 301 1st Ave. W. are open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kah-Nee-Tah Gallery in Lutsen has a new glass collection by glass artist Tony Scorza, who is now setting up his new studio in Duluth.The gallery also has fiber art by Kim Knutson and Linda Bauer as well as Native American gourd art by Susan Zimmerman.

The Blue Moose is featuring local artists Jeri Persons’ colorful brooches, Nancy Haarmeyer’s Knotty Necklaces and Kathy Hellner’s rock necklaces and earrings crafted with basalt and thomsonite.

Anna Hess has brought in new paintings to Last Chance Gallery in Lutsen.

Joan Beard will be giving beading demonstrations during Fisherman’s Picnic at Joy & Co., and Jill Terrill will be in her Maker’s Space with hands-on crafts for kids.

And here’s an interesting project. The Cook County Historical Society is holding a silent auction for four photograph prints on aluminum created by local photographers Travis Novitsky and David Johnson. Bids may be placed at the Johnson Heritage Post until 10 a.m. Aug. 3. You do not have to be present to win. All proceeds will go toward the restoration of the Chippewa City Church. Here are the photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To make a bid, call the Heritage Post at 218-387-2314.

In Thunder Bay, the Definitely Superior Art Gallery is closed through Sept. 19, when it will re-open for a gala opening reception of an exhibit by ceramicist Sarah Link. Stay tuned for details.

The Black Pirates Pub, 215 Red River Road in Thunder Bay, presents Midsummer Night’s Dream, a three-day showcase of underground electronic music with light show and projections by Illuminate. The showcase starts on Friday night.

And on Sunday, the Baggage Arts Center will hold a Meet the Artist event with painter Glenn  Morrison from 1-3 p.m. (EDT)

There’s an incredible amount of music this weekend, both in Harbor Park and at local venues. Eric Frost, who is playing at the Voyageur Brewing Co. this weekend, will talk about his music and play a few songs on WTIP’s The Roadhouse Friday night. The Roadhouse airs from 5-7 p.m.

Here’s the music schedule for Fish Pic weekend:

Thursday, July 30:

• Briand Morrison with Roxann Berglund, Harbor Park, 11 a.m
• Joe Paulik, Harbor Park, 1 p.m.
• Cook County’s Most Wanted, Harbor Park, 3 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Music by the Campfire, Lutsen Resort, 6 p.m.
• Step Rockets, Gun Flint Tavern, 6:30 p.m.
• Street Dance with The Roadhouse, 7 p.m., Harbor Park

Friday, July 31:

• Joe Paulik, Harbor Park, 11 a.m.
• Michael Monroe, Harbor Park, 1 p.m.
• The SplinterTones, Sydney’s Rooftop, 1 p.m.
• Angel Hair Rasta, Harbor Park, 3 p.m.
• Briand Morrison, Voyageur Rooftop, 2 p.m.
• The Ladies Music Club, Hungry Jack Lodge, 6 p.m.
• Shoot from the Hipsters, Sydney’s Rooftop, 6:30 p.m.
• Street Dance with the Step Rockets, 7 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Music by the Campfire, Eagle Ridge Resort, 7 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Cascade Lodge Pub, 7:30 p.m.
• Cook County’s Most Wanted, American Legion, 8 p.m.
• Jim & Michele Miller, Voyageur Brewing Co., 8 p.m.
• Black River Revue, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.
• Pushing Chain, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 1:

• Dirigible Down, Harbor Park, 11 a.m.
• Michael Monroe, Harbor Park, 1 p.m.
• Portage, Harbor Park, 3 p.m.
• Cook County’s Most Wanted, Birch Terrace Lakeview Patio, 3 p.m.
• Eric Frost & Friends, Voyageur Brewing Co., 3 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Music on the Deck at Papa Charlie’s, 6 p.m.
• The SplinterTones, Street Dance, Harbor Park, 7 p.m.
• The Ladies Music Club, Gunflint Lodge, 7 p.m.
• Briand Morrison, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Pushing Chain, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Pete Kavanaugh, Cascade Lodge Pub, 7 p.m.
• Black River Revue, Gun Flint Tavern, 9 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Voyageur Brewing Co., 9 p.m.
• Timmy Haus, Papa Charlie’s, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 2

• Yvonne Caruthers,  Bach with Breakfast, Sydney’s, 7:30 a.m.
• Pete Kavanaugh, Harbor Park, noon
• Shriner’s Band, Harbor Park, 2 p.m.
• Chris Gillis & Gordon Thorne, Gunflint Tavern, 2 p.m.
• Timmy Haus Band, Caribou Highlands Lodge, 5 p.m.
• Yvonne Caruthers, Gunflint Lodge Dinner Music, 6:30 p.m.
• Bughouse, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 3

• Moors & McCumber, Monday Night Songwriter Series, Papa Charlie’s, 8:30 p.m.
• Bill & Kate Isles, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 5:

• Gordon Thorne & Bob Bingham, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.

Our local and regional photographers came up with some beautiful work this week. Here are some examples:

Layne Kennedy led a photo workshop at North House Folk School recently, and took some photos himself. Here are a few wonderful examples.

 

 

 

There were northern lights this week, too.

 

 

Paul Sundberg made some incredible photos this week. Here are two of a series he took of a recent sunrise.

At first, it looked like this:

 

And then …

 

And here’s a photo of a Grand Marais icon– the Hjordis, which sails out of North House Folk School daily.

 

A summer wind storm.

 

Sunrise in the Apostle Islands.

 

And last, but not least, this beauty by Christian Dalbec.

 

 

 

 

 

Have a great weekend, everyone!