Devil Track River by Mark Tessier.
We have arrived at the turning of the seasons up here on the North Shore. Soon the hills will be singing with color, but right now, it’s just, well, sort of cold, as in, get out your wool sweaters and turn on the heat. When we do that, we also remember that every year, the frost comes for a few nights and then the glorious days of Fall begin.
This week, we start with a Live Lunch & Learn at North House Folk School’s Facebook page on Thursday with basketmaker and North House instructor, Emily Derke. She will show us how to make birch bark tool wraps/sheaths. It’s a great and versatile project that anyone can do, and it is free. Click here to see.
Emily Derke will demonstrate how to make birchbark sheaths in this week’s Lunch & Learn at noon on Thursday, Sept. 10. Check out the North House Folk School Facebook page to view.
Derke will also be on the North House Folk School’s campus demonstrating basketry from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Saturday. The public is invited to stop by and watch her work.
Also starting on Thursday, the Grand Marais Art Colony will feature Around the Town president, Ann Mershon, on its Instagram page. Mershon will tour Grand Marais as she gives us a taste of the public art here. To view, click here.
Ann Mershon will give a tour of public art in Grand Marais on the Art Colony’s Instagram page on Thursday and Friday. Here she is talking about the sculptures in Bear Tree Park. To see her tour, click here.
On Friday, Grand Marais Plein Air officially starts, and expect to see artists painting the landscape all over the county for the next week. The competition, which is a combo of live and virtual events, is organized by the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota which is partnered with the Johnson Heritage Post.
Superior Cascade Falls by Kami Mendlik, one of the artists participating in Grand Marais Plein Air this year.
Some painters have opted to stay in place for the event, but they’ve been painting nevertheless, and their work has been posted to a new Website. Click here to see what has been submitted so far. It is updated daily. Some work will be exhibited at the Heritage Post from Sept. 19-Oct. 11.
One of the most popular features of the Plein Air competition is the Quick Paint, where artists converge on Artist’s Point and have an hour or so to complete a painting. The Quick Paint, which will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17, is open to the public, with Covid protocols in place, including masks and social distancing. There will be a live Opening Reception on the Johnson Heritage Post’s Facebook page on Sept. 18, Stay tuned for details.
Saturday is busy, too.
There are two markets in downtown Grand Marais that feature art by local artisans and artists: The Cook County Craft Market and the Maker’s Market.
The Maker’s Market is held in the alley beside the Beaver House and is open Thursday through Saturday.
The Cook County Market is held in The Hub’s parking lot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
Felter Becky Heller is a new vendor at the Cook County Market. She makes realistic felted animals and other beings. See her work from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.
And plan on keeping your radio tuned to WTIP Community Radio all day on Saturday to listen to all the music during the virtual Radio Waves Music Festival. The one-day, on-air, live music event features lots great music.
The Radio Waves Music Festival can be heard on 90.7 FM and streamed at Wtip.org from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday.
This marks the 13th year of this annual festival, and thirteen Minnesota musical acts will play full musical sets to be broadcast live on WTIP Radio throughout the day.
The “13 in 13” lineup will include performances by local and regional artists and includes Sky Blue with Horns, Eric Frost, One Less Guest, Jim McGowan, Aho Family, Colleen Myhre, Kilborn Quartet, Red Lips, Portage, Lady Spruce, Chris Gillis with the Grand Marais Music Collaborative, Bump Blomberg, Rich Mattson and the Northstars and other surprises throughout the day.
Radio Waves is always a fun event. Check out this video produced a few years ago.
The full schedule for this year’s festival can be found here.
In other art news, the Grand Marais Playhouse is seeking actors for the production of “The Remarkable Susan” by Tim Kelly. There are roles for 10 women and 6 men ( or all women), some roles may be double cast for smaller company. No experience necessary. The play is a short one-act and will be live-streamed Oct. 26-27..The Grand Marais Playhouse operates with the safety of all participants in mind. Masks, physical distancing, sanitizer, regular cleaning are all part of the Playhouse safety plan.
The audition day will be Monday, Sept. 14, with several alternatives: a live Zoom or Fcebook audition or in-person. Please contact Playhouse to schedule a time on Monday Sept. 14.. No drop in auditions allowed. For more info, contact Sue Hennessy at (218) 370-0224.
On Wednesday, Sept. 16, consider attending the Duluth Art Institute‘s Virtual Gala, a fundraiser for the Institute and an art experience. It is virtual, so you can attend for free, or participate as a donor.
The Duluth Art Institute‘s Virtual Gala is Wednesday, Sept. 16.
One of the features is a presentation about headwraps and how they define women in the Black community by artist Chesley Antoinette. Check out this video to learn more.
The event also features an online auction, a cooking opportunity and more. Click here for more information and register.
Upcoming:
The Grand Marais Art Colony just added a new virtual class called “Armchair Plein Air with Tara Sweeney” to its website. The weekly class starts on Sept. 17 and meets on Thursday mornings.
Watercolor by Plein Air Painter Tara Sweeney. Sweeney will teach a virtual class through the Grand Marais Art Colony starting on Sept. 17.
For more information and to register, click here.
Also next week, look forward to North House Folk School’s Unplugged 2020: Bringing it Home — An Online Fundraising Event and Concert. The virtual event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 19.
The evening will feature Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of “Braiding Sweetgrass,” Eliza Gilkyson, singer songwriter, and Grand Marais’s own Plucked Up String Band.
The Plucked Up String Band will be kick-off Unplugged this year in a.virtual performance. The painting of the band is by Liz Sivertson.
Singer/songwriter Eliza Gilkyson will perform at Unplugged this year.
People can select a streaming-only ticket or upgrade to a package that includes an online cooking class with Chef Beth Dooley and a variety of North Shore treats. The weekend also features the online Points North Auction. Check it out here.
The Grand Marais Public Library will host a local, virtual book discussion of A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota. David Lawrence Grant, a contributor to the book, will be facilitating and host the Zoom discussion at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24. Participation is limited to 25. To register, visit grandmaraislibrary.org or call 218-387-1140 to reserve your virtual seat.
The Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour is Sept. 25-Oct. 4 this year, with a combination of online, virtual exhibits and in-person/in-situ ones.
The Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour starts
For more information about the tour, click here. And stay tuned for details next week.
Note: Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour artists: Send images of your work to joan.farnam@gmail.com and we’ll try to post them. Thank you!
Extra News
And here’s some great news: The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness was officially certified as the 13th International Dark Sky Sanctuary in the world. It is the first federally designated Wilderness site certified and largest site at 1,098,000 acres. The International Dark Sky Association promotes reducing light pollution and protecting night skies for the present and into the future.
The Boundary Waters has been certified as an nternational Dark Sky Sanctuary. Photo by Ethan Allen.
Artists at Work
Sam Zimmerman has painted more trash barrels for Grand Marais. Look for them around town!
After a Storm, oil, by Neil Sherman.
Superior Icescape, fused glass by Sharon Frykman.
Abundance by Marcia Cushmore.
Virtual Music:
Here is a potpourri of music videos we found this week:
At the Edges of Wilderness: A Genesis+Art Exhibition from Chuck Hoffman on Vimeo.
Live Music:
Thursday, Sept. 10:
- Gordon Thorne & Friends, Date Night at the Winery, 6-8 p.m., reservations at https://www.exploretock.com/northshorewinery
or call at (218) 481-9280.
Saturday, Sept. 12:
- Radio Waves Music Festival, live on WTIP. Listen at 90.7 FM or stream at WTIP.org from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Boyd “Bump” Blomberg, live, Cook County Market, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., weather permitting
Sunday, Sept. 13:
- Weekend Wine Down with Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 3-6 p.m.,
Photographs:
We are lucky to report that we found some great photographs this week. Let’s start with wildlife:
Snacking on the roadside by Thomas J Spence.
Gren heron on a lotus pad by Shixing Wen.
Northern Flicker by Debbie Deminaniuk.
Waiting for the fishermen to come home by Mark Morgen.
Here are a few “plant-scapes:”
No social distancing by Dennis Chick.
First Frost. Comfort? By Betsy. Bowen.
And some landscapes, skyscapes and waterscapes:
Boundary Waters morning by Siffy Torkildson.
Harvest Moon, Grand Maris by Paul Sundberg.
This year’s Harvest Moon by Mark Ryan.
Upper Falls, Grand Portage by Cathy Quinn.
Along the Devil Track River by Mark Tessier.
Sunrise over Lake Superior by Ron Benson.
30 degrees in the woods this morning by Thomas J Spence.
At the Kadunce by Sandra Updike.
And, a new category this week: Peoplescapes
Peoplescapes:
This guy’s first mushroom hunt resulted in our first-ever bounty of hedgehogs, plus plenty of chanterelles by Tina Hegg Raway.
And this sweetheart:
In Love: This little boy has fallen in love with a sculpture by Dan Ross with is located in Hovland. The sculpture is at ground level and when the little boy discovered it, he immediately went over and gave it a hug. He talks to it, too and waves at it from the car when he sees it.
Have a good week, everyone. And stay safe!
P.S. Fall Studio Tour artists: Send images to me at joan.farnam@gmail.com. Would love to use them for the next few weeks!
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