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Bluegrass, Readers & Writers, Wave Dashers & More

thomas spence moose!

Thomas Spence caught this fantastic image of a moose the other day. Enjoy!

There’s lots going on this weekend that should keep everyone well-entertained, amused, intrigued, inspired and just plain happy to be in Cook County on the first weekend in November.

First up is the North Shore Readers & Writers Festival: A Minnesota Voice, on-going through Sunday at a number of locations in town. The festival features panels, discussions, workshops and readings with Minnesota authors Lorna Landvik, Judith Guest, Cathy Wurzer and Sarah Stonich, to name a few. Sponsored by the Grand Marais Art Colony, the Grand Marais Public Library, and Drury Lane Books, the festival has drawn in more than 100 participants from throughout the region for this four-day festival. Most of the events are full, but some workshops might still be open. To find out more, visit festival central at the Grand Marais Art Colony, 120 3rd Ave. W., to learn more.

Bluegrass musicians jam all weekend during the Bluegrass Masters Weekend at Lutsen Resort.

Bluegrass musicians jam all weekend during the Bluegrass Masters Weekend at Lutsen Resort.

This is also the weekend for the 25th annual Bluegrass Masters Weekend, sponsored by the North Shore Music Association. It features three days of jamming, a day of instrumental workshops on Saturday and an evening concert on Saturday night.

Dobro master Mike Witcher is the featured instructor this year, and he will perform with his band, Jordan Tice (guitar), Samson Grimson (bass) and Dominick Leslie (mandolin) at 8 p.m. in the Lutsen Resort ballroom.

Mike Witcher is the featured musician this year.

Mike Witcher is the featured musician.

Concert tickets ($20 adults, $5, 18 and under) are available at the resort.

The hour-long Saturday workshops include topics like “Understanding the Fretboard Through Triad Chord Shapes,” “Critical Listening,” and “Left-Hand Technique.” to name a few. The workshops are $7 each or $30 for the whole day. Register at the resort. For more info, visit www.northshoremusicassocation.com.

Cook County celebrates the Gales of November with the Lake Superior Storm Festival this weekend, too. There are a number of fun events including “Taking Fashion by Storm,” a lifestyle and outdoor fashion show at Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply. The fashion show will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Participants include Chelsea’s Fun & Flirty Aprons, Joy & Co. vintage clothing & jewelry, Sivertson Gallery jewelry, Cook County Whole Foods Co-Op hors d’oeuvres, Gunflint Mercantile fudge, Gun Flint Tavern and Voyageur Brewing Co. craft beers. After the fashion show cellist Yvonne Caruthers will play. Free. All invited.

Sue Pavlatos will teach a painting class at Kah-Nee-Tah Gallery on Friday and Saturday.

Sue Pavlatos will teach a painting class at Kah-Nee-Tah Gallery on Friday and Saturday.

Cloquet painter Sue Pavlatos will hold “Painting Up a Storm” classes at Kah-Nee-Tah Gallery in Lutsen from 5-7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Registration is required. For more info, call the gallery at 218-387-2585.

On Saturday, there will be a Wave Dash at Lutsen Resort at noon. Participants actually dash into the waves. At 3 p.m. at East Bay Suites, Jim Shinners will talk about the Gales of November in honor of the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald 40 years ago and Wild Stormy Mountain Thyme will play at the Cascade Lodge Pub from 6-9 p.m.

On Tuesday, Nov. 10, there will be a name reading and beacon lighting at Split Rock Lighthouse from noon to 6 p.m. to commemorate the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

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“Beach Flags” by Sarah Saidan is one of the short films that will be screened at Lunafest.

Also this weekend, The Violence Prevention Center will hold Lunafest, an evening of films by, for and about women at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. Saturday. Nine short films will be screened this year. Here’s a preview of the films that will be shown this year. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Also this week, WTIP Community Radio’s Homemade Radio Fall Membership drive kicks off. Lots of local musicians will play on-air (See the music schedule below) and there is special programming as well. Check it out at www.wtip.org.

Upcoming

Mark Abrahamson reads from a script during a rehearsal of "As You Like It" as Director Marco Good watches. Shae Morowitz and Santina McMillan are also in the scene. The play opens Nov. 12.

Mark Abrahamson reads from a script during a rehearsal of “As You Like It” as the play’s director, Marco Good, looks on. Shae Morowitz and Santina McMillan are also in the scene. The play opens Nov. 12.

  • An updated version of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” directed by Marco Good opens at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts Nov. 12 and continues through Nov. 22. The Grand Marais Playhouse performances are at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available at the door.
  • An Artist Talk with Cellist Yvonne Caruthers will be held at the Grand Marais Art Colony at 7 p.m. Nov. 13.
  • Winterer’s Gathering, North House Folk School, workshops, presentations, film festival & more, Nov. 20-22.
  • Holidays in Schroeder, Cross River Heritage Center & Schroeder Town Hall, Nov. 21
  • O Ole Night, a holiday festival, including the annual Christmas Parade in Grand Marais Nov. 27, the Hovland Holiday Arts Festival and the Holiday Market at Last Chance Gallery in Lutsen on Nov. 28.
  • New Standards Holiday Show, Papa Charlie’s, Nov. 27.

Here is some wonderful news. A new study, “Creative Minnesota: The Impact and Health of the Nonprofit Arts and Culture Sector” shows the strong impact of the nonprofit arts and culture on Cook County’s economy. The report, issued by the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, Cook County Chamber of Commerce, Grand Marais Art Colony, North House Folk School, Sivertson Gallery and Minnesota Citizens for the Arts,  shows that the nonprofit arts and culture sector is a substantial industry in Cook County, generating over $4.6 million in total economic impact annually.

The report also found that 17 nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Cook County support the equivalent of 127 full time jobs in the city, and that 78,000 people attend nonprofit arts and cultural events annually. It also found that although Cook County ranked 16th of the 17 local areas studied in size of population, the county ranked 7th in overall economic impact. Cook County ranked 3rd among the cities studied in this report, behind only Minneapolis and St. Paul, in per capita economic impact from the arts and culture, with a whopping $889 for every one of the county’s 5,176 residents.

Sheila Smith, executive director of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, said “the results for Cook County were a real eye-opener. I knew the arts were important to the area but the arts and culture footprint here is vastly out of proportion to the population. The arts are a core part of the county’s economy.” To read more about the project, click here.

To see this core, visit local galleries in Cook County and enjoy.

"Fun to Stay in the BWCA" by Aaron Kloss.

“Fun to Stay in the BWCA” by Aaron Kloss.

Sivertson Gallery has just received eight new paintings by Duluth artist, Aaron Kloss, above.

The Grand Marais Art Colony is currently holding two exhibits: Plein Air 2015, which is on view at Johnson Heritage Post through Nov. 15, and the Annual Members Show & Sale, on view at the Art Colony through Nov. 22.

"Red Rock" by Tom McGregor, was awarded 2nd place in the Plein Air 2015 competition.

“Red Rock” by Tom McGregor, was awarded 2nd place in the Plein Air 2015 competition.

jeanne bourquin

Jeanne Bourquin paints a bowl during the Paint-A-Bowl event at the Art Colony Nov. 1. In the background are some of the items in the Members Show.

In other art news, potters at the Grand Marais Art Colony have been working all fall to produce bowls for the Empty Bowls, a fundraiser to fight hunger in Cook County.

The Empty Bowls event will be held at St. John’s Catholic Church Nov. 12. There will be two seatings: lunch, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and dinner, from 5-7 p.m. Lots of great handmade soups by local restaurants, a silent auction, lots of handmade bowls and more will be featured. A bowl of soup is $5, an Art Colony handmade bowl and soup is $15.

Sensibilia opens at the Definitely Superior Art Gallery Nov. 30.

Sensibilia opens at the Definitely Superior Art Gallery in Thunder Bay Nov. 30.

Submissions for Sensibilia, the annual regional juried show at Definitely Superior Gallery, are being accepted at the gallery in Thunder Bay through Nov. 7. The gala opening reception will be from 7-10 p.m. Nov. 20.

Here’s the music schedule for this weekend:

Thursday, Nov. 5:

  • Yvonne Caruthers, live on WTIP, noon
  • Eric Frost & Bill Hansen, live on WTIP
  • Lake Effect, live on WTIP, 8 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 6:

  • Fred Anderson & Friends, live on WTIP, noon
  • Frozen Britches, live on WTIP, 4 p.m.
  • Bug Lite, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 7:

  • Roxann Berglund & Briand Morrison, live on WTIP, 3 p.m.
  • Wild Mountain Thyme, Cascade Lodge Pub, 6 p.m.
  • Plucked Up String Band, live on WTIP, 6 p.m.
  • Bug Lite, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 8:

  • Gordon Thorne, live on WTIP, 8 a.m.
  • Wild Berry Jam, live on WTIP, 2 p.m.
  • Timmy Haus, Gun Flint Tavern, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 10:

  • Jim & Michele Miller, Poplar River Pub., 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 11:

  • Open Mic Night, Gun Flint Tavern, 5 p.m.

Here are some of the wonderful photos we found this week:

First off, a great surfing shot.

Jake and his dog Klaus by Christian Dalbec.

“Jake and his dog Klaus” by Christian Dalbec.

Here’s a reminder that deer opener is this weekend.

The BOSS and one of his girls by Kirk Schleife.

“The BOSS and one of his girls “by Kirk Schleife.

The aurora borealis lit up the sky this week. Here’s a great shot.

Photo by David Johnson.

Photo by David Johnson.

Drones might be a little controversial, but they can be really useful to a creative photographer. Here’s a photo by Bryan Hansel.

Maple Hill Church by Bryan Hansel.

Maple Hill Church by Bryan Hansel.

Photographers like getting up close and personal in fall shots. Here’s one by Jessica Barr.

"Abstract near Nonesuch Falls, Mich. by Jessica Barr.

“Abstract near Nonesuch Falls, Mich. by Jessica Barr.

And here’s a lovely one by Mark Tessier.

"On the Way to Work" by Mark Tessier.

“On the Way to Work” by Mark Tessier.

Fall always has its gentle moments. Here are some examples.

"October Morning Along the Temperance" by Tom Spence.

“October Morning Along the Temperance” by Tom Spence.

 

"O North House" by Kate Watson.

“O North House” by Kate Watson.

And last, but not least, this heart-warming shot by Nace Hagemann.

"Old Friends" by Nace Hagemann.

“Old Friends” by Nace Hagemann.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

 

 

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