Potpourri VII

Greetings from the North Shore, where spring has really come, and with it, early flowers, warmer temps and a slow awakening in our communities. Granted, Gov. Walz’ Stay-at-Home order still applies,  but some businesses on the North Shore have re-opened, with new rules in place, with more to come.

VisitCookCounty puts it this way:

For more information about which lodging facilities have opened, the new procedures in place, events,  event cancellations and more,  click here.

And lots of virtual events are scheduled, as well.

Polar explorer Lonnie Dupre will present ta live Zoom Webinar through North House Folk School about his adventures in Greenland 7 p.m. Thursday. The presentation is entitled “Greenland: Now and Then.”

Dupre will tell stories and share photographs about his 6,500 mile circumnavigation of Greenland  by dog team and kayak 20 years ago, and the expedition he is preparing for 2021-22. Dupre, who has literally sheltered-in-place for weeks in a snow cave on the side of a mountain in the winter (no Netflix to binge on there!), will also reflect on this peculiar global moment and share his perspective on staying mentally resilient during these challenging times.

The Webinar is free. To register, click here.

One of the highlights for pottery lovers every Mother’s Day Weekend is the annual St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour featuring an incredible number of potters and pots exhibiting their work at potteries around the valley. This year, the pottery tour has gone online..

The online tour features thousands of handmade pots crafted by 64 potters from around the country. The Online Tour offers web sales in artists’ individual web shops as well as virtual shopping appointments with potters on the tour dates, May 8-10. The Web shops go live Friday, May 8 at 10 a.m. CDT. To see all the pots and visit with the artists virtually, click here..

Jim McGowan will be be virtual on WTIP’s The Roadhouse this Friday, talking about his music and playing a few songs from his music studio in St. Paul. The Roadhouse airs from 5-7 p.m.

Cook County Higher Education has organized a wide variety of free webinars this month.

To check the schedule and register, click here.  Free registration is required.

And the Grand Marais Public Library will be starting a book pickup window on Wednesday, May 13. Book can be ordered online and then picked up at a window at the library.

Patrons can peruse the online catalog and make their selections. To find out more, click here.

Art:

Photographer Bryan Hansel has developed a Photo Shoot Planning Form to help photographers get ready for a planned shoot. 

To read and download the form, click here.

Glass artists worked hard this winter to prepare for an exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post. The exhibit was scheduled to open in May, but had to be cancelled. It has been rescheduled for next year. Meanwhile, the artists do have work to show. Here’s a piece by Veronica Weadock. You reach her at vweadock@yahoo.com

Hovland bowl turner, Lou Pignolet, will have a bowl giveaway this month.

To win this bowl, send Pignolet an email with your guess of a number between 1 and 500 no later than midnight, May 15, CDT. The closest guess to the number Pignolet’s wife,  Inger, has selected and written down will get this bowl with free shipping within the USA, and $25 to any where else in the world. To enter the contest, click here.  To see more images of this bowl, click here.

Betsy Bowen continues her Comfort series. Here are two images.

For Cook County Artists:

The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council is doing one more round of relief grants for Cook County artists. Generous private donors are offering $1,200 to artists to help keep the art flowing during the Coronavirus crisis. The deadline for Round 2 is Monday, May 11 at 4:30 p.m. The application process is easy. To apply, click here.

Virtual:

Here are a few virtual events we found this week:

This is a black and white video of a Georgian Dance in slow motion:

Here’s an interesting piece on the evolution of the piano.

And here’s the Mongolian throat singing group, Wu, performing Wolf Totem.

For Fun & Food:

Diane Booth will hold a Zoom class on Beginning Gardening from noon to 2 p.m. on Monday, May 11.

To register for this free class, email Diane Booth, Cook County Extension Agent at Diane.Booth@co.cook.mn.us and she will email you the Zoom information.

Photographs:

We found some fun photographs this week. Take a look:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And with spring, come these favorites:

We found lots of sunsets and sunrises this week:

 

 

 

And then this:

And finally, this:

Have a good weekend, everyone! And Happy Mother’s Day!

Note: Artists! Send me photos of what you’ve been working on over the past few months! Email me at Joan.farnam@gmail.com