The Last of Summer? Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day Weekend is coming up, but not to worry … it won’t feel too much like Fall on the North Shore. Instead, we’ll have balmy, beautiful weather. perfect for all kinds of activities, indoors and out.

There’s lots of great music this week, too. Check out the music schedule below.

First up are the Thursday events at North House Folk School. This week, weaver Anna Ruhland will be demonstrating how to weave a tapestry from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

And, on Saturday, she’ll teach a mini-class on the basics of tapestry weaving using the beauty of Lake Superior and the Northwoods as inspiration. Participants will take home a North Shore woven coaster or small wall hanging. The class is from 10 a.m. to noone, There’s small materials fee. To register, call North House at 387-9762. The minimum age for the workshop is 13.

Also on Thursday, North House holds two sessions of Try It: Wood-Fired Baking. To find out more and to register, call 387-9762.

And the Local Food Market continues in the parking lot at the Cook County Community Center from 4:30-6 p.m. on Thursday.

This year the Local Food Market has been featuring demonstrations every week. This week, Melinda Spinler will talk about horseradish, how to grow it, prepare it and enjoy it.

On Friday, there’s a lot of action in downtown Duluth as it holds its monthly Downtown Arts Walk starting at 5 p.m. This is the first year anniversary of the popular event. The walk includes stops in artist’s studios, galleries and other venues, including live music. Of particular interest is the opening reception for a new exhibit at the Joseph Nease Gallery, 23 W. 1st St.

The gallery is featuring a solo exhibition by Albuquerque artist Heidi Pollard. The exhibit is entitled “Heaven and Other Realms” and features her drawings, paintings and sculpture. The opening reception is from 5-8 p.m. Also, this is the last week of Matthew Kluber’s exhibit, “Friday I’m in Love” at the gallery.

Saturday opens with the Cook County Market, featuring a variety of art and craft by local artisans. The market is held in the Senior Center parking lot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

.There are a couple of options for Saturday night: a concert with the bluegrass band, Monroe Crossing or a square dance with live music and caller from North Carolina.

Monroe Crossing has visited Grand Marais before, and is popular for its electrifying blend of classic bluegrass, bluegrass gospel, and heartfelt originals. Their airtight harmonies, razor sharp arrangements, and on-stage rapport make them audience favorites. They will perform at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. on Saturday Tickets are $25 adults, $15 youth and $3 children. They can be purchased at the door. Here’s a video of the group.

Also on Saturday night, there will be a Community Square Dance with Over and Under, a band from Finland, and Jenny Monroe, a caller from Asheville, N.C.

The square dance is free but donations of snacks, drinks and gas money for the band/caller are much appreciated. For more information  call 612-961-4691.

On Sunday, Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center will hold an Old-Fashion Pie Social and Bake Sale with music by the North Shore Community Swing Band.

Everyone is invited. It continues all day. All proceeds from the bake sale will help with the daily operational costs of the museum and nature center. Chik-Wauk is open through MEA weekend, Oct. 20.

On Wednesday, Olympian Cindy Nelson will give a presentation at Lutsen Moutains Summit Chalet from 4:30-6:30 p.m. The event is a fundraiser for Cook County Higher Education. The itinerary includes a ride on the Gondola, appetizers and a cash bar, a presentation by Karen Blackburn, executive director of Higher Ed, and then a presentation by Nelson.

A career impeded by injuries, Nelson was not deterred and learned to overcome fear and face the challenges of international competition. Her spectacular career is highlighted by four Olympic and four World Championship team berths, where she won three World Championship medals and one Olympic medal. Cindy held top seed ranking in all three of the Alpine disciplines during her 14-year career and was considered Americas’s finest combined skier of the modern era. Nelson also, became the first American to win a World Cup DH, the first skier to win a World Cup Super GS and the first woman to hold the position of Chief of Course for a major Alpine competition.

Pre-purchased tickets are $50, $60 at the door. Tickets can be purchased online here or by calling Higher Ed at 387-3411.

Exhibits:

The Lake Superior Circle Tour, a series of plein air paintings by Douglas Ross, continues at the Johnson Heritage Post through Sept. 8.

The paintings include landscapes, Lake Superior-scapes as well as paintings of the Northwoods. The Heritage Post is closed on Tuesdays. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and Monday, and from 1-4 p.m. Sunday. Free.

Betsy Bowen is opening a new exhibit at her studio gallery on Sunday, Sept. 1, entitled “Rare Treasures from the Archives.” The exhibit will include some of her favorite prints, drawings and paintings, as well as new work.

The gallery, 301 1st Ave. W.,  is open from 11-5 p.m. daily. A reception to be announced.

This is the last weekend to see the artwork of illustrator/painter Kyle Voigtlander in the Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park.

The artist has created a fascinating selection of bird paintings with a special twist.  Stay tuned for the next exhibit in this great venue.

The Duluth Art Institute is installing new exhibits, with a gala opening reception set for mid-September. Stayed tuned.

At the Tweed Museum of Art, the exhibition “Asymmetry: Three Dimensional Works from the Tweed Collection” continues. The exhibit includes a multi-media sculpture by Isidro Blasco.

In Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery continues its exhibit of Northwest Coast Masks from their permanent collection.

Upcoming:

The Radio Waves Music Festival is next weekend,. Sept. 6-8. The festival is held at Sweetheart’s Bluff in the Grand Marais Recreation Area, rain or shine, with two stages and a wooden dance floor housed under a large tent. There are also food booths and a kids’ tent.

There are a number of new bands this year, and the Carpenter Ants are returning. They’ll play at set on Saturday and a Gospel Show on Sunday morning.

Tickets can be purchased on-line this year, or at the door. For the complete line-up and tickets, click here.

The next week, North House Folk School’s Unplugged XVIII and Birchbark Bash will be held Sept, 13 & 14. The weekend is packed full of events, music and more.

For all the details, click here.

And, we just had to include this, primarily because of this illustration by Dave Lynas, who was the studio manager in the ceramics studio at the Duluth Art Institute for years. The ceramics studio is holding a fundraiser Sept. 10 at the new brewery, Ursa Minor, 2415 W. Superior St. in Duluth. Participants will be able to purchase handmade mugs, steins, jugs or cups crafted by local potters. Lynas, who worked for years as a commercial illustrator before becoming a potter, created a few illustrations for the event. based on 14th Century pub-goers. Here’s one. Enjoy!

. Tickets can be purchased at Ursa Minor, 2415 W. Superior St. or click here for tickets

The Grand Marais Playhouse will hold auditions for “Disney’s The Little Mermaid” on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 3:30 p.m. for grades 3-8 and at 6:30 p.m. for grades 9-adult. Young auditioners will be asked to sing a short song, such as “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” or “Happy Birthday.” or ensemble roles come prepared to sing a short segment of any song that demonstrates your vocal range. Please ensure lyrics are appropriate for general audiences and are age appropriate.

For questions or comments, contact Sue Hennessy at sue@grandmaraisplayhouse.com

Gallery News

A new gallery has opened in Tofte featuring local and regional artists. Lake View Gallery is located at 7181 W. Hwy 61 in Tofte, between the Tofte General Store and Bluefin Bay Resort. Launched by Katharine Skibbe, the gallery features work by Skibbe as well as Kathy Reeves, Kim Knutson, Maggie Anderson as well as regional artists.

The shop is currently open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday or by appointment through October.

Opportunities:

North Shore Health is announcing its 4th Call for Artists to display in the lobby, registration area and hallways in a four-month exhibit. In the last year, they have exhibited work by Lisa Kosmo, Joel Lewis, Keith Morris, Jim Ringquist, Lynn Anderson and Ade Toftey.  The art can be original paintings, photography, fiber art, mosaics and mixed media. Submissions should be received by Sept. 20. Decisions regarding the selected artists will be made by Sept. 25. The installation of the art will be completed by Sept. 30. For more info, check the website at www.northshorehealthgm.org.  Questions? Contat Kimber L. Wraalstad at  kimber.wraalstad@northshorehealthgm.org

The Minneapolis Institute of Art is again opening its doors to every artist in Minnesota with its Once-in-a-Decade Open Call Show. The institute will hang  and/or display every artwork submitted, as long as the work doesn’t exceed one cubic foot in size.

The previous iteration of the MIA series, “Foot in the Door 4,” took place in 2010 and attracted over 100,000 visitors. The original exhibition series began in 1980, with 740 artists from the state submitting works. The number of participants has steadily risen over the years, and in 2010, over 4,800 artists had pieces in the show.

More information on the submission process for “Foot in the Door 5” will be announced on the museum’s website in January, and submissions will be accepted in spring 2020. Stay tuned.

Artist News:

Nace Hagemann is currently exhibiting his photographs at the Mountain Inn in Lutsen. One of the most popular photographs, called “Grandpa’s Bull,” has a touching story with it, which was narrated on the Mountain Inn blog recently.

The Story of Grandpa’s Bull

“One of his best images ever currently resides in our pantry area.  It’s called Grandpa’s Bull, and it often wows guests as they pass by. It has an incredible story…. When the hunt for the Minnesota Moose began again a few years ago, Nace was struggling to find the Moose in places he had come to know them well, and became concerned that he may not see them again. One day he received news from back home that his Grandfather had passed away. Sad that he couldn’t make the drive home, he took to the woods, his most favorite place to be. As he shared this story with us he spoke of making a bit of a heavenly request of his Grandfather in that moment, mentioning how worried he was that he may never see a Moose again. In that very moment he was wishing that his Grandfather could help him see a Moose again one last time,  a giant bull Moose came walking out of the woods towards him, and happened to stay with him for quite some time. He was able to be so close to him for so long that the image he captured is SO clear you can see the reflection of he and his truck in it’s eye.”

Here’s the link to the blog: https://www.mountaininnmn.com/new-blog/2019/8/15/local-art-at-mountain-inn

Hagemann’s work is featured in a number of locations at the Inn. Check it out.

 Music:

Here’s the music schedule for the week:

Thursday, Aug. 29:

• Terry V’s Patio Party, Wunderbar, 5 p.m.
• Frozen Britches, Cascade Lodge Restaurant, 6 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & Friends, North Shore Winery, 7 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 30:

• The Cruisers, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• The Federales, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Music by the Campfire, Eagle Ridge Resort, 7 p.m.
• 4-Shore, Grandma Ray’s, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Aug.31:

• North County Fair, Cascade Lodge Restaurant, 6 p.m.
• The Federales, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.
• Common Ground, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert, rural Grand Marais, 7 p.m., reservations at www.michaelmonroemusic.com
• Monroe Crossing in Concert, Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 7 p.m.
• Gene Lafond & Amy Grillo, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Common Ground, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• The Cruisers, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
• Square Dance– Over and Under with Caller Jenny Monroe, 4-H Cabin, Community Center, 8 p.m.
• Dance Party with DJ Beavstar, Papa Charlie’s, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 1:

• Briand Morrison. Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.
• John Gruber & Friends, Music by the Lake, Skyport Lodge, 4 p.m.
•  Open Stage with Joe Paulik and Pat Flack, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.
•  The Federales, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 2:

• Matt and Laurel, Voyageur Brewing, 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 4:

• Patio Series with Timmy Haus, Wunderbar, 4 p.m.
• Jam Session, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.

Photographs:

So let’s start with wildlife shots:

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a few from the plant world.

 

 

 

 

 

And here are a few landscapes:

 

 

 

 

 

And this: a special for this weekend: Enjoy!

Have a great weekend, everyone!