A summer day at Bearhead Lake State Park by Jennifer Schulz.
This weekend — yep — this weekend, the last one in August, we tread lightly, for the end of summer is nigh. Not that it’s going to start snowing tomorrow, but, we’re a little wary about when the warm weather will change. Meanwhile, time to enjoy…
This is also the weekend of the Minnesota State Fair, and although it won’t be a huge get-together, there are things to do on the fairgrounds as well as a few virtual events. One of the most anticipated events, the Food Parade, which has been organized as a drive-through to sample favorite foods, is sold out. However, art can still be enjoyed. The Fine Arts Exhibition is open and can be viewed by reservation, video and a free virtual catalog.
The Minnesota Fine Arts Exhibition will be open for ticketed viewing, as well as virtual options.
To view more info, see the State Fair’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube pages.
Here on the North Shore, it continues to be wonder-weather, with lots of sun and warm breezes from the Big Lake. Covid-19 is still around, though, and protocols are in place in our businesses. Social distancing is recommended, as are masks. Click here to read the latest Cook County news.
North House Folk School continues its Crafting in Place Series, featuring an instructor/artisan demonstrating on-campus Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as well as a Lunch & Learn session on Thursdays at noon.
This week, MaryBeth Garmoe is the featured artist and she will be demonstrating broom-making.
MaryBeth Garmoe will be the instructor-in-residence at North House Folk this week. She will be featured on a Lunch & Learn at noon on Thursday on the Folk School’s Facebook page.
To see MaryBeth Garmoe at the Lunch & Learn on Thursday, click here. The video will be posted to North House’s Facebook page and can be viewed at any time.
We can’t go to Thunder Bay right now, but this news needs to be shared. The Definitely Superior Art Gallery in Thunder Bay had to move from it’s rented building in the fall, but has found a new home and will hold a grand opening this weekend in the new space at 115 Cumberland St. N. in downtown Thunder Bay. The event will showcase the gallery’s incredible new space as well as work by 40 regional and national visual artists.
Definitely Superior Art Gallery in Thunder Bay has a new home and will showcase it and regional and national Canadian visual artists at its Grand Opening this weekend.
We always enjoyed visiting this gallery when we were permitted across the border, and when the border opens again, it will definitely be worth a visit. Here’s a short sneak-peak video of the new space.
Defsup Sneak Peek from Definitely Superior Art Gallery on Vimeo.
And in more Thunder Bay news, the Magnus Theatre will hold outdoor performances of “A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline” in the park next to the theater from Sept. 3-13. Covid-19 protocols will be in place. Click here to learn more.
Back to our side of the border — Saturday features two local arts and craft markets in downtown Grand Marais: The Cook County Market and the Maker’s Market.
Masked and ready to go. Bob and Holly Lamont sell their h handmade jewelry at the Cook County Market, which is held in The Hub parking from from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The Cook County Market is held in the parking lot of The Hub from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. The Maker’s Market is held in the alley next to the Beaver House and is open Thursday through Sunday. Both feature work by local artists and artisans.
Exhibits:
This the last weekend to see the latest exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post: framed archival prints and posters by George Morrison and Marcia Cushmore. Evelyn Konrad, a watercolor artist from Thunder Bay, Ontario is the artist of the month.
One of George Morrison prints currently on view at the Johnson Heritage Post.
The Heritage Post is open from Fridays from 1-4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Covid protocols are in place.
Yellowbird Fine Art is open and features a wide variety of artists and artwork, including new work by Jeanne Hedstrom.
Blue Landscape Abstract by Jeanne Hedstrom is at Yellow Bird Fine Art.
This is the last weekend to see the “Upscale” exhibit in the window at the Grand Marais Art Colony‘s new building at 17 W. Hwy 61.
Maryl Skinner came up with this idea for her piece in the Art Colony’s Upscale exhibit: a skirt made from the obsolete summer catalogs. She called it the Grand Marais Art Colony‘s Fashion Summer Catalog. She submitted a photograph of herself in the paper dress for the exhibit.
And here’s something to look forward to at the Tweed Museum of Art. It continues to be closed, but virtual access is possible. It is planning to mount a great retrospective of the paintings of Carl Gawboy. Entitled “A Life Well-Painted: The Art of Carl Gawboy.” The exhibit covers work by the artist who is a Bois Forte Anishinaabe tribal member and Finnish.
Carl Gawboy. Photo by Ivy Vaino.
Here are two examples of Gawboy’s work.
“Hemi (Gawboy’s mother) Skipping on a Stump 1912.” Watercolor by Carl Gawboy.
Slipping Away into the West,” acrylic, by Carl Gawboy.
Much further down the road: The Minneapolis Institute of Art is currently open and features a variety of exhibits. Free ticketed admission.
“Forest,” by Katayama -Bokuyō, 1928, is one of the paintings on exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Reservations for the free tickets are required. To find out more, click here.
Upcoming:
The two big fall music events in Cook County will be virtual this year: WTIP’s Radio Waves Music Festival and North House Folk School’s Unplugged.
Radio Waves will feature a day-long program of on-line and broadcast music on Saturday, Sept. 12. It’s a great line-up of musicians. To see, click here.
North House Folk School’s Unplugged will be Sept. 19 featuring Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of “Braiding Sweetgrass,” as the featured speaker, a live concert with two-time Grammy-nominated musician Eliza Gilkyson, as well as the annual Fund-a-Need Auction. Tickets for the streaming event are available here.
Artist Opportunities:
Check out the Arrowhead Regional Art Council’s Web site for information about grant opportunity here.
The North Shore Winery has put out a Call to Artists to demonstrate outdoors on weekends from Sept. 5 through Oct. 17. Electricity and water are available. For more information and how to apply, contact Kim Corliss at kim@northshorewinery.us/
Artists at Work:
Here are some examples of artists’ work we found this week:
This video, “Fevered Spring,” was created when John Gruber posted a photo of a log of ash he split because he was so inspired by its beauty, despite the onset of Covid-19. Maryl Skinner was also inspired by the photo and shared some of her thoughts about living in the pandemic. These thoughts became lyrics for the song, “Fevered Spring,” which Gruber had written a few years ago. In this recording, Russ Viton plays lead guitar, Gruber plays guitars and sings and John Koscielak plays keyboard.
Other artwork that caught our attention this week:
Marty Harris, Minnehaha Watershed, detail.
This rock lamp by Gail Anderson is at Joy & Co.
“W” words for my page in a group project about the Apostle Islands by Betsy Bowen.
And here is a wonderful piece penned by local author Staci Lola Drouillard and posted on her Facebook page this week about living in rural Minnesota during the pandemic and wildlife she sees. She is the author of the award-winning book: “Walking the Old Road: A People’s History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe.” And yes, she is working on a new book.
Staci Local Drouillard.
Here’s what Staci sees:
“We’ve got a young bear who passes through, sometimes closer than we’d like. We’ve got a skunk who digs divots in the lawn, looking for grubs to eat. We’ve got hummingbirds buzzing around in pairs and Bard owls asking “who-cooks-for-you?” at night. Waxwings are here eating chokecherries and I woke up to find bees sleeping inside delicate, pink hollyhock flowers.
Yesterday I watched a kestrel bomb in from the trees after a hummingbird. The little birds scattered and the kestrel missed its target. The hummingbirds made themselves scarce for a long time, and there were no bird sounds at all for about 30 minutes. Then, with their wings beating 70 times per second, they resumed their own hunt for nectar.
The Broadwing hawks are migrating and before the young birds flew south, a pair of them would perch on our backyard fence and feed on the abundance of frogs we have in the yard.
Earlier this summer we watched a mother Downy woodpecker teach its baby how to peck for bugs on a dead stalk of Queen Anne’s Lace. I wonder if we would have experienced any of this if things were “normal” and we were at the office and not work.”
Live Music:
Thursday, Aug. 27:
- Gordon Thorne & Friends, Date Night at the Winery, 7 p.m., Make reservations at https://www.exploretock.com/northshorewinery
or call (218) 481-9280
Sunday, Aug. 30:
- Cook County’s Most Wanted, Skyport Lodge, 4 p.m.
Photographs:
Here are some of the photographs we found this week:
Black Petunias by Jim Boyd.
A rose in the rain by Mary Amerman.
An amanita mushroom by Lee Ross.
And a few wildlife shots:
Silje with her sunfish by Paul Sundberg.
Up close with the Peregrine by Martin Jr. Ramirez.
A buffalo trophy. Photograph taken in Custer State Park by International Sportsman. The woman who used to wear these pants was not severely injured.
Sometimes it’s good to look behind you by Annie Possis.
Any day spent in the company of frogs is a good day by Mary Amerman.
Turned a mask into a duckling hammock by Kristofer Bowman.
And here are some landscapes:
Old Growth Forest by Paul Sundberg.
Foggy Morning Reflections by Roxanne Distad.
Sunrise: Every day is a new beginning by Jan Swart.
There’s something about those starlit nights along the North Shore … Photograph by Justin Vrbo.
And last, but not least, we thought we should share this song by Eliza Gilkyson, “Peace in Our Hearts.” She is the featured artist on North House Folk School’s on-line Unplugged concert this year.
Peace to you. And be safe.
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