Rosebush Creek aka Fall River by Bruce Block.
Hmmmm…this is hard to admit, but fall is in the air. For the past two mornings, dew has covered everything, as temps hovered in the low 50s, if that. The days have continued to be glorious, though, and it seems like summer will never end. The town of Grand Marais is buzzing with visitors, grateful to bask in the unending expanse of blues, as Lake Superior continues to show off. And, as we have been mentioning every week this month, basil is still plentiful. So are newly hatched monarch butterflies:
Maryl Skinner caught this moment as “Joe,” a male butterfly which had just hatched, flew off to explore the world.
Meanwhile, Covid-19 is still a presence here, and masking and social distancing are important. Here’s the latest information about the pandemic in this small community.
We are still virtual but live as well.
This week, weaver Christine Novotny is the instructor-in-residence at North House Folk School, where she will be demonstrating her craft from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday on campus.
Christine Novotnyis the instructor-in-residence at North House Folk School this week.
She will also present a Lunch & Learn session on North House’s Facebook page at noon on Thursday, Aug. 20. It’s free, and live, so it’s possible to ask her questions, as well as watch her presentation. Check it out here.
BTW:Tickets are now on sale for the virtual Unplugged Concert at North House. Reservations for a cruise on the good ship The Hjordis are also available. And some classes are being held. For more info, visit www.northhouse.org
Singer/songwriter Joe Paulik plays music on the beach at Lutsen Resort starting at 7 p.m. and Eric Frost is the guest musician at North Shore Winery’s Date Night, which also starts at 7 p.m.. Reservations are required at the Winery. See below for details.
Friday is quiet, as far as organized events go, but on Saturday, look for local artists and artisans in downtown Grand Marais. They set up in two locations.
The Cook County Market is held in the parking lot of The Hub from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, featuring work by local artists, authors and crafters. Local musician Bump Blomberg plays from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Covid protocols are in place, including a mask requirement and social distancing.
The Cook County Market runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays through Oct. 17.
The Maker’s Market is held in the alley beside the Beaver House and also features artists and artisans. It is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 or so.
Galleries:
Prints and posters by Marcia Cushmore and George Morrison are on view at the Johnson Heritage Post this month, as well as a selection of paintings by Thunder Bay painter Evelyn Konrad.
“The Bay,” giclee print by Marcia Cushmore, is one of the work on exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post this month.
The Heritage Post is open from 1-4 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Covid protocols are in place. Click here to learn more.
Sivertson Gallery has a wonderful variety of art by local, regional and Inuit artists, including prints by Duluth printmaker Rick Allen.
The Trappers Daughter and the Long View Moonrise by Rick Allen.
Joy & Co. features a broad selection of works by local artists and artisans, including pottery by Tara Block.
Tara Block is showing her pottery at Joy & Co.
The Duluth Art Institute, located in The Depot in Duluth, is open to visitors with Covid-19 protocols in place. There are several exhibits, including “Odysseus & Penelope: the Long Journey” by Kari Halker-Saathoff in the George Morrison Gallery.
Kari Halker-Saathoff’s work is on exhibit at the Duluth Art Institute.
The DAI is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free.
And further down the road, the Minneapolis Institute of Art is now open to the public with Covid-19 protocols in place. Visitors are admitted free of charge.
“Tracing Misplacement and Shelter,” a woven chronicle by Reena Kailani Sallat, is one of the pieces on exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, which is now open to the public.
For more information about the new rules and exhibits on display, click here.
And across the Big Lake, in Herbster, Wis., local artists recently held a virtual art tour, featuring woodworking, prints, multi-media works and more.
The Herbster (Wis.) Studio Art Tour features artists who live in the community on the shores of Lake Superior.
To find out more and see examples of their work, click here.
Opportunities:
Springboard for the Arts has a great website detailing the wide variety of grants available to artists. Check it out here
Arts Midwest just announced it has new funds available through the United States Regional Arts Resilience Fund. For more info, click here.
And the Minnesota State Arts Board has developed a new program for artists and art institutions located outside of the seven-county metro area of Minneapolis as one of three priority groups to benefit from the Creative Support grants.
Detailed program information can be found in the Creative Support for Individuals program guidelines: http://www.arts.state.mn.us/pubs/pubs/fy2021-csi-overview-instructions.pdf
There is a short video presentation available here as well: https://vimeo.com/444666292
Local Artists at Work:
Fused glass artist Nancy Seaton has been working in her studio this summer, in preparation for the Fall Studio Tour in September. This piece is called “Lake Superior.”
Fiber artists continue to add creatures to The Felted Forest, located in the wooded lot in front of Sawtooth Elementary School.
These happy felted beings are perched on a tree in the Felted Forest. They are crafted by Marlys Johnson.
Felter Elise Kyllo added a mask to this little one, perched on the rafters in the timber frame structure at one of the entrances to the Felted Forest.
John Books’ outdoor sculpture exhibit was a great success last weekend. He exhibited a number of bronze sculptures.
Author Peter Geye visited Drury Lane Books last week. His latest, “Northernmost” is now available at the bookstore.
The Grand Marais Playhouse held a youth theatre camp where the participants performed “The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss.”
To donate to the Grand Marais Playhouse, click here.
Tom McCann is working on his postcard series. Here’s a latest watercolor.
‘Jay Day,” from Postcards from the True Country by Tom McCann.
The YMCA Camp kids made signs of hope and love and then had a parade at the Care Center this week.
A few of the signs the YMCA camp kids painted for the parade.
And here’s a pretty incredible painting by Ari, one of the YMCA kids camp participants. He is 7-years-old.
Painting by Ari.
And here’s another inspiring painting by Ari.
Painting by Ari.
And, thankfully, Betsy Bowen continues her Comfort series, which she started during our “Stay in Place” period in Minnesota.
The Milky Way. The Universe is bigger than us by Betsy Bowen.
Upcoming:
The Art Along the Lake: Fall Studio Tour will be Sept. 25-Oct. 4 this year, with lots of artists and galleries participating in Cook County. However, due to the pandemic, many will be showing their work online.
The Art Along the Lake: Fall Studio Tour is Sept. 25-Oct. 4, with many of the artists exhibiting online. Check here for details.
The pandemic continues to be a fluid situation in Minnesota and around the country, so it will be important to check the Fall Studio Tour online to see who is exhibiting live in their studios and who is exhibiting online. There will be links to each artist here.
Virtual Music:
Live Music:
Thursday, Aug. 20:
- Joe Paulik, Music on the Beach, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
- Eric Frost, Date Night at the Winery, North Shore Winery, 7 p.m., Make reservations at https://www.exploretock.com/northshorewinery
or call at (218) 481-9280.
Saturday, Aug. 22:
- Bump Blomberg, Cook County Market in The Hub’s parking lot, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 23
- Teague Alexy, Weekend Wine Down, North Shore Winery, 3 p.m., Make reservations at https://www.exploretock.com/northshorewinery
or call at (218) 481-9280. - Jacob Mahn and the Salty Dogs, Music by the Lake at Skyport Lodge, 4 p.m.
Photographs:
There was a good selection this week. First, monarchs:
Maryl Skinner hatched out monarch butterflies this year. She calls this one “Kamala.”
Hey, Maryl Skinner. Is this one of yours? by Jim Boyd. (Jim lives just down the road from Maryl.”
And a great eagle shot.
Eagle pair by Sarah Hamilton. Which one is the female? (Hint: They’re bigger than the males.)
Pollen-drunk honey bee by Musa Abdel-rahman.
The ultimate fake photo.The boat was photoshopped into the photo of whales breaching.
And here are some beautiful landscapes, waterscapes, skyscapes and lighthouse-scapes.
Split Rock Galaxy by Christian Dalbec.
Breaking free by Travis Novitsky.
And a new day dawns by Lin Salisbury.
Here’s a beautiful series by Mark Tessier on the Kadonce River, sometimes spelled Kadunce.
Photograph by Mark Tessier.
Photograph by Mark Tessier.
Photograph by Mark Tessier.
Lightning!
Storm in Cloquet by Keith Austin.
Awesome storm rolls past Grand Marais by David Johnson.
Lightning at sunset by Jamie Rabold.
Here’s a calmer sunset:
Sunset in Grand Marais by Bruce Block.
And another view of the harbor.
Ripples on the water by Bruce Block.
And this, a greeting for the day.
Good morning from here by Nancy Seaton
Have a good weekend, everyone! And stay safe!
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{ 1 comment… add one }
Thank you, Joan, for sharing these shots of our beautiful country. It inspires me & gives me hope.