A North Shore sunrise by Jan Swart.
A new exhibit is opening at the Johnson Heritage Post on Friday entitled “Reflecting Light Into Darkness,” and it seems to be a perfect harbinger for what is happening on the North Shore.
First, the days are getting longer as we march toward spring, and it’s been sunny and warmer, lightening us all up. Cook County is, we think, leading the state in Covid vaccinations, which makes everyone hopeful. Click here to see details. And, a quick perusal of arts calendars show new exhibits, live music and theater options coming up this month. May this continue.
Our online lives are active as well.
At North House Folk School, Wood Week has gone virtual and become Wood Month with virtual events to explore technique, cultural history, tools and interesting work by a variety of artisans. Click here to see the full program.
On Thursday, March 4, Joshua A. Klein, editor of Mortise and Tenon Magazine will present a webinar explaining how the themes of technology criticism and embodied engagement play out for him at the bench.
Joshua Klein, editor of Mortise and Tenon Magazine, will present a webinar at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 4. To register, click here.
Free. To register, click here.
On Friday, North House will host an online Lunch and Learn at n noon focused on traditional European woodcarving with instructor Mary May. She’ll cover the basics—her tools and techniques, as well as a bit of sharpening.
North House instructor, Mary May, will present a Lunch & Learn at noon on March 5 on traditional European woodcarving. To register, click here.
Free. To register, click here.
The Grand Marais Art Colony‘s Instagram Takeover artist this week is artist Anita Jung, whose prints and paintings involve repurposing with a variety of materials.
Printmaker Anita Jung is the Art Colony’s Instagram Takeover artist on Thursday and Friday.
“Winter” by Anita Jung. She will be featured on the Art Colony’s Instagram page on Thursday and Friday.
Jung is a professor at the University of Iowa, and her prints and paintings are known and exhibited internationally. She will be teaching a printmaking class at the Art Colony in June entitled “The Print at Hand: A Sustainable Approach.” For more info, click here.
And on Friday, singer/songwriter David Huckfelt will be featured on WTIP’s The Roadhouse to talk about his music and sing a few songs. The Roadhouse airs from 5-7 p.m. He will scheduled to be on about 6:15 p.m. Here’s one of his songs:
On Monday, March 8, the Grand Marais Playhouse will hold Zoom auditions by appointment for “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare. The auditions are open to Middle school through adult with priority casting going to high school age community members. A large technical crew is also needed for this production. Contact sue@grandmaraisplayhouse.com . To schedule a Zoom audition, click here.
Exhibits:
“Reflecting Light Into Darkness,” the 12th annual art exhibit sponsored by the Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church and the Cook County ISD 166 High School Art Class opens at the Johnson Heritage Post on Friday, March 5. The exhibit features a mix of mediums and artworks by Cook County community members and runs through March 28.
This painting by Susan Gecas is one of the works featured in the new exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post.
Gallery hours are open from 1-4 p.m. Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. (The gallery will be closed this Thursday, and will re-open with the new exhibit on Friday at 10 a.m. Covid protocols are in place, including masking and hand sanitizing. Only 12 people are allowed in the gallery at one time.
Lutsen sculptor, Greg Mueller, has an exhibit of his work in the windows of the Studio 17, the Grand Marais Art Colony‘s new building on Hwy. 61. Entitled “No Vacancy,” the exhibit features sculpture assemblages and will be on view through March 30.
Greg Mueller has an exhibit of his work in the windows of Studio 17, the new Art Colony building on Hwy. 61.
For more information about Mueller and his work, click here.
In Duluth, Adam Swanson is exhibiting a new body of work at the Duluth Art Institute in the Depot. The Depot is temporarily closed, but the work can easily be viewed online.
Adam Swanson in one of the artists currently exhibiting at the Duluth Art Institute. Pictured, from left is “My Bones May Break, “Carry the Weight” and “Voice.”
To view the exhibit online, click here.
The Nordic Center of Duluth, 23 N.Lake Ave., is hosting a new exhibit entitled Nordic Crowns and Beyond: in Celebration of Women – A joyful exhibit celebrating crowns and the women who make and wear them.
The exhibit, Nordic Crowns and Beyond: In Celebration of Women, opens at the Nordic Center in Duluth this month.
The tradition of wearing an ornate bridal crown is ancient in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland and it continues to evolve today. In celebration of International Women’s Month, the Nordic Center’s March exhibit will feature historic and contemporary variations on crowns to honor all women.
It will include not just wedding crowns, but also showcase the diverse and global tradition of crowns. There will be crowns made of metal, of paper, of straw, of fabric and of every material imaginable. Some will be ornate, some will be simple, but they will all be beautiful.
The crowns will be exhibited at the Nordic Center as well as online. There will be Zoom events, gallery talks and more throughout the month. The exhibit kicks off on Sunday, March 7 with SunFunday, a Zoom event from 1-3 p.m. featuring Crazy Crowns.. Other zoom events include a gallery talk on March 13 on crowns and their variations and a zoom talk with Laurann Gilbertson, Chief Curator from Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, to mention a few.
To find out more and register for the zoom events, click here.
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery in Thunder Bay is temporarily closed due to Covid precautions, but work for the exhibits can be seen on the web page and on its Facebook page.
The newest exhibit, “Piiwewetam: Making is Medicine” opened this week and features beadwork by the Gustafson family, a commemorative art exhibit honoring their son and brother, Piitwewetam (Rolling Thunder), the late Jesse Gustafson.
In statement, the gallery says: “Piitwewetam: Making is Medicine” is an offering from the Gustafson family to each of us. As an Anishnaabe family, the act of giving is an integral part of their life. Gifts are offered out of kindness, out of love. Each piece in this exhibition will be gifted to friends and family. These gifts come from kindness, from a deep love that honors Piitwewetam.
Below is a piece from the exhibit.
Let’s Heal Together by Justine Gustafson. The piece includes satin, seed beads, metal clasp, smoked deerhide, brass sequins.
Upcoming:
The Grand Marais Playhouse will present “A Wrinkle In Time” by Morgan Gould, Based on the novel by Madeline L’Engle, on March 12, 13 and 14. The play will be presented live at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts for a limited audience, following Covid-19 safety protocols as well as livestreamed.
The Grand Marais Playhouse will present “A Wrinkle in Time,” March 12-14.
For tickets and more information, click here.
Kudos:
The TIP Jar—a fund for local musicians negatively affected by the global pandemic – has distributed almost $50,000 in two rounds of grants to 100 musicians, WTIP Radio announced Monday. The effort was made possible by generous donations from music fans in our community.
The Tip Jar Fund has distributed almost $50,000 to 100 area musicians so far.
A partnership between the Cook County Chamber of Commerce and WTIP North Shore Community Radio, the TIP Jar was created to help bridge the financial gap for area musicians who have suffered lost income and limited opportunities to perform live at local venues because of the COVID 19 pandemic.
The TIP Jar fund is housed at the Cook County Chamber of Commerce and will be an ongoing program at WTIP throughout the winter and spring on the last Friday of the month through May. The program airs from 4-7 p.m. To make a donation, click here.
Artists At Work:
Ceramic artist Melissa Wickwire made Hug Mugs to be delivered in March to Meals on Wheels clients. Read why, below.
“Like many people, during the pandemic my life and work changed dramatically. One of the changes has been that my usual work of creating custom handmade ceramic tile projects has slowed.
“Fortunately, there have been many efforts to support artists through these tough times in the form of a variety of grants from a variety of organizations. One of the great opportunities was a project that I proposed as a response for a call from Springboard for the Arts. Artists Respond: Combating Social Isolation was a mini grant for artists to support projects that impact their communities within a 60 day timeline.
“I thought about this and what came to mind was how much we are all missing real life hugs. As I was drinking from the mug I use daily, often several times daily, I recognized it’s comforting presence in my day holding my hot beverage with two hands and nearly hugging it. Of course, this is no substitute for real human interaction, but nonetheless it is a comfort.
“I was also recalling childhood memories of accompanying my grandmother on her volunteer run to deliver Meals on Wheels. I would often create small craft items to deliver with the meals. I felt inspired to request funding for a project I called Mug Hugs to create handmade ceramic mugs to be delivered with our local Meals on Wheels. My hope is that some of our most isolated community members received a bit of comfort and human connection in the form of these 25 mugs that will be delivered through the Hub in mid-March.
“I would like to thank Bev Greene at the Hub for being open to this idea and providing the coordination to make this happen. To learn more about my studio work visit my website at www.wickwireclayworks.com . Hopefully sometime in the near future I can invite people to my studio again in the beautiful old church above the Betsy Bowen Studio and Gallery in Grand Marais.”
Here are some examples of other artists’ work:
Jan Attridge recently finished this portrait of a loved cat for its owner, who misses her very much.
Northern Night Sky by Aaron Kloss, from his One-Painting-a-Day series.
The Farm Woodshed in Winter by Betsy Bowen. Bowen will have an exhibit of the Intaglio prints that she’s been working on this winter in her studio March 15-20. Stay tuned.
A Potpourri:
One of Edward Gorey’s illustrations for classic books.
Artist Edward Gorey illustrated covers for literary classics and is famous for his spooky treatments of books by Kafka, Dickens, Conrad and more. Read about it and see more illustrations here.
There are lots of benefits in studying music.
A piano at sunrise. Photograph illustrating the article on the benefits of playing music.
Here’s the article about the benefits of playing music, with resources and more.
And here’s a video about the benefits of music education.
Italian-Senegalese photographer Maïmouna Guerresi has created a fascinating body of work.
Green Transition: Beyond the Border by Maïmouna Guerresi.
To see more of her photographs, click here.
Here’s a treat. Photographer Layne Kennedy was recently interviewed on 121clicks. com. The interview itself is fascinating, but so is the collection of Layne’s photographs that are included in the piece.
Layne Kennedy poses with Usuarkak Henson,m the grandson of polar explorer Matthew Henson while he was on assignment for a story in Greenland.
To read the story and see lots of Layne’s photographs, click here.
Do you remember last week’s contrasting video on different takes of the song, “It’s All About the Bass?” Well this week, here’s another contrast. This time its Dances in movies. Enjoy!
Virtual Music:
Live Music:
Thursday, March 4:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery. For reservations, click here or call at (218) 481-9280.
Friday, March 5:
- David Huckfelt, The Roadhouse, WTIP Community Radio, at approx 6:15 p.m.
Saturday, March 6:
- Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert, covid protocals, Call 612-789-2255 for details, also streaming live at facebook.com/michaelmonroemusic, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 10:
- The New Standards, Papa Charlie’s, Wednesday Songwriter Series, , Covid protocols in place, reserved seating. Click here for more info and reservations. Music starts at 8 p.m.
Photographs:
We found some interesting photographs this week. Let’s start with a
Human-scape:
Dancing twigs by Kris Kenny.
Plant-scape
Spring by Ian Andrus. These cuties popped up in the greenhouse at Creaking Tree Farm last week, but then the heater quit. They were moved indoors, but are needing more sun. “We might have to just replant,” Ian Andrus said. “Either way, spring is coming!”
Wildlife:
Bernie the Bobcat by Janie Latz.
A wolf on the ice in Thunder Bay by Chris Artist. He said when he first saw the wolf trotting along, he whistled at it and it turned and ran toward him. Whoops! He said he got really nervous for a minute there, until the wolf stopped, looked him and sat down.
Male pileated woodpecker by John Alexander. Males have a red mustache, he said.
A rare bilateral gynandromorph Northern Cardinal by Jamie Hill. Hill said the bird is really half male and half female, an unusual mutation that can occur in birds.
Waterscapes, Landscapes, Skyscapes and Icescapes:
Under Split Rock Lighthouse at dawn by Christian Dalbec.
Breaking ice on Superior by Bryan Hansel.
Winter sunrise by Hella Buchheim.
Sunrise through Hollow Rock by Person Buechler.
Ice on Lake Superior by Hella Buchheim
Soaking in the sun on a beautiful day on Lake Superior by Kevin Severson.
Cascade by Mark Tessier.
Ice shards by Paul Sundberg.
Epic sunrise at Artist Point by Paul Chen.
Little Cdar Spirit Tree (Manidoo-gizhikens) by Nathan Klok.
A time gone by. Photograph by Bill Donovan.
And finally, this wonder:
N-ice by Dustin Lavigne.
Have a great weekend, everyone. And stay safe!
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