And This Weekend …

We always know when it’s snowing on the North Shore — it gets so quiet. Earlier this week, we had lots of “quiet.” Grand Marais saw 12 inches of snow, while Hovland made Minnesota headlines with its 16.5 inches. All to the good for us winter lovers. And this week, it looks like a perfect time to get outside and enjoy, as the temps are predicted to hover just around freezing, and a little above.

Indoors, look for film screenings, an art show, highland dancing and more.

First up, you might have to put on your time-travel suit to enjoy the three offerings on Thursday.

First up, WTIP’s The Roadhouse which will feature an interview with plein air painters Neil Sherman and Michelle Wegler about the Winter Plein Air Retreat at YMCA Camp Menogyn. Painters from throughout the region stay at Menogyn and paint for a week, cold or not cold, and the results are exhibited at the Johnson Heritage Post next Friday, Jan. 31.

Next, North House Folk School’s winter Film Series will feature the screening of “Kaisa’s Enchanted Forest,” a Finnish documentary film about lifelong friends, the age-old legend of Aurora Borealis and the Sami culture. It will be screened from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Blue Building on Thursday.

Here’s the trailer.

North House will provide the popcorn, you can provide your beverages or snacks, if desired. The film in free. Open to all.

Also on Thursday night, Betsy Bowen is one of the artists who will be featured in WDSE’s series, Making It Up North. The series is broadcast at 8 p.m. on Thursday. In this segment, we visit Bowen in her studio and learn about woodcut printmaking. Others featured in this week’s show are Anne Dugan in her century-old barn,  and the founders of Pinnacle Studios recording dreams and making podcasts. Check the teaser out here.

To continue the film theme, the Grand Marais Public Library‘s Friday Night Reels continues this Friday with the screening of “Fighting With My Family,” a  biographical sports comedy-drama about an English professional wrestler and her family. Check out the trailer below.

The film will be screened at 6 p.m. in the library. Free. Come early to get a good seat.

Also, the Grand Marais Art Colony is hosting a Critical Response Critique Session with artists Lizbeth Brown and Elise Kyllo from 6-8:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24.

Critical Response allows artists to ask questions about their work in a non-judgmental setting and nurtures the development of artistic works through a facilitated dialogue between artists, peers, and audiences. Brown and Kyllo will share their work and participants will provide peer critique, responding to Liz and Elise’s outlined goals. All are welcome to join regardless of artistic background. Free.

On Saturday, the 2020 Robert Burns Dinner will be held at the Wunderbar starting at 5:30 p.m. The event features dinner, highland piping and dancing as well as the reading of a few of Burns poems.

Reservations are $50 per person and may be made on evenbrite.com. Call the Wunderbar at 218-877-7655 for more information.

FYI, this event is sold out, but it’s important to note: The Lutsen Fireman’s Ball will be held at Waters of Superior on Saturday night from 5-11:55 p.m.

On the other hand, there might be an opening or two. Here’s a link to find out.

On Sunday, the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon begins, with the start at Billy’s just outside of Duluth. There are three races this year. The 295-mile Marathon, the Beargrease 120 and the Beargrease 40. In all, more than 60 mushers have signed up for the races. Here’s a map of the routes:

Check points for the Marathon include Finland in Lake County and Sawbill, Skyport, Trail Center, Kings Road Turnaround and Mineral Center in Cook County. The Marathon ends in Grand Portage.

For all kinds of information about the race, including links to GPS tracking, mushers bios, etc., visit www.beargrease.com

Here’s an excellent video about the race last year compiled by Carl Sauer.

 Exhibits:

This is the last weekend to see  “Wood Swept,” the wood-working/broom making exhibit by Mary Beth Garmoe at the Johnson Heritage Post.

The Grand Marais Art Colony is exhibiting Along Shifting Surfaces, a series of drawings and photographs by David Andree.

The exhibit continues through Feb. 16.

The Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park is featuring abstract landscapes by Jane Johnson.

The exhibit continues through Jan. 31.

There is still time to sign up for the premiere screening of “Rabbett Before Horses Strickland”  a special one-hour PBS-WI documentary presenting an in-depth portrait of the Northern Wisconsin-based artist, at the Tweed Museum of Art. The reception is from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4. The screening is at 7 p.m.

The screening is free, but a sign-up is required through eventbrite. Click here. If you’d like to learn more about Rabbett and how he developed his work, click here for a great interview on “Native Report.” Click to 10 minutes in.  It was recorded earlier this year.

This is the week that members of the Duluth Art Institute are bringing in new work for the Members Show, which opens at the DAI Feb. 6.

And in Thunder Bay, The Fibre Arts Exhibition is on view at the Baggage Building Art Centre.

It continues through February.

Upcoming:

Winter Reading Groups at the Art Colony: Come together with other artists, art appreciators, and book lovers this winter by joining one of four reading groups. Groups will meet on Jan. 30, Feb. 6 and 20 to discuss their book. Two groups will meet in the morning and two in the evening. Click the hyper-links below to learn more.

Morning Reading Groups | 10 am – 12 pm

• Dancing with the Gods by Kent Nerburn with Lin Salisbury
• The New Earthwork edited by Twylene Moyer & Glenn Harper with Ruth Pszwaro

Evening Reading Groups | 6 – 8 pm

•  Landscape and Memory by Simon Shama with John Books
• Dæmon Voices: On Stories & Storytelling by Philip Pullman with Rose Arrowsmith DeCoux

The Grand Marais Playhouse has put out a call for costume creators for upcoming Playhouse productions. A Costume Crew Informational meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 30 at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. Interested? Show up or email Sue Hennessy at sue@grandmaraisplayhouse.com

The Winter Plein Air Art Exhibit opens at the Johnson Heritage Post with a reception from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31. Refreshments will be served.

Charlie Parr will be at Papa Charlie’s for the Monday Songwriter Series on Feb. 3 at 8 p.m.

The Spicy … Or Not Potluck will be held at the Cook County Community Center at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7. The event is sponsored by the Northwoods Food Project. Besides enjoying the potluck, participants will discuss new varieties that have thrived in their gardens. All invited.

The Grand Marais’ Hygge Festival runs Feb. 7-16 and will feature everything from fireplace tours and candlelight cross-country ski and snowshoe outings to a traditional Scandinavian folk song concert and music by a string quartet from the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra at Voyageur Brewing. Stay tuned for details.

Fiber Week at North House Folk School is Feb. 11-17 this year, with a wide variety of classes, workshops and presentations. Check it out here.

For the Love of It! A conference about creating a sustainable life as an artist will be held at the Grand Marais Art Colony March 6-8. For more info, click here.

Artist News:

Congratulations! to Corrie Steckelberg of Hovland who was recently awarded a $10,000 Artist Initiative Grant by the Minnesota State Arts Board to continue her sculptural work. According to the release, “Steckelberg’s sculptures explore the reality of habitat loss while also speaking about the beauty of change and regrowth. Landscape, weather, and visitors around Grand Marais will impact and push the pieces forward.”

The Artist Initiative grant program is designed to support and assist professional Minnesota artists at various stages in their careers by encouraging artistic development, nurturing artistic creativity, and recognizing the contributions of individual artists to the creative environment of the state of Minnesota.

 Music:

Here’s the music schedule for this week.

Thursday, Jan. 23:

• Briand Morrison, Poplar River Pub, 6 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & Friends, North Shore Wintery, 7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 24:

• Portage, Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
• TBA, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 25:

• Cook County’s Most Wanted, Skyport Lodge, 5 p.m.
• Jim & Michelle Miller, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• TBA, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.
• Mysterious Ways, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 26:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.
• Open Stage with Joe Paulik and Pat Flack, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 27:

• Matthew Griswold, Voyageur Brewing, 5 p.m.
• Luke Callen, Monday Night Songwriter Series, Papa Charlie’s, 8 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Poplar River Pub, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 28:

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

Photographs:

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

First, wildlife:

 

 

 

 

 

And some Lake Superior scenes.

 

 

 

 

And here’s a quirky one… it was probably taken in Russia, but we couldn’t find credits for it.

 

Then peaceful winter scenes:

 

And then this spectacular shot:

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!

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