Gales of November

Greetings from Grand Marais, where gale-force winds are roaring across Lake Superior this morning, a fitting reminder of that night 46 years ago when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Whitefish Bay with all hands on board. Every year, Split Rock Lighthouse turns on the beacon in memory of that night.

Gusts in the middle of Lake Superior were clocked at 63 mph early Thursday morning, but the waves, at that point, hadn’t developed like they did on that fateful night in 1975, when the waves in Whitefish Bay were reported to be 23-28 feet. As of 6 a.m. Thursday, they were 12 feet, according to Windy.com. A nasty time to be on the Big Lake, by any measure.

Here is a video of what it looks like on the beach at Lutsen Resort now.

Click here to view the Harbor Cam in Grand Marais.

For another viewing experience, North House Folk School will be streaming a short video about Emily Ford, who, with her borrowed dog Diggins, hiked the 1,200-mile National Scenic Ice Age Trail in the winter of 2020/2021.

Ford was the was the first woman to complete a thru-hike in the winter. In doing so, she has become an advocate for increased diversity and representation in outdoor pursuits. A live webinar about her trip will be streamed at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11. Free. To register, click here.

Also online this week, through Sunday, is the Online Auction sponsored by WISE (Women’s Initiative for Service and Education). The organization provides a number of scholarships to students and teachers as well as providing grants to nonprofits in Cook County.

The auction features everything from handmade clothing, artwork, gift certificates and dinners, including a Four Course Chef’s Tasting Menu by Chef Judi Barsness.

To see all the items, click here. Bidding ends Sunday, Nov. 14.

There are some great live events in the county this weekend, too.

On Friday, the Johnson Heritage Post will open a new exhibit featuring work by painter Karen Owsley Nease. Entitled “Far and Near,” Nease celebrates the spirit of Lake Superior through two separate artistic approaches.

The opening reception at the Heritage Post is from 5-7 p.m. Nease will give a brief artist’s talk about the paintings in the show and her artistic processes.at the opening. All invited. The exhibit continues through Dec. 5.

Also on Friday, WISE (Women’s Initiative for Service and Education).will hold a book launch for “Squeezed: Covid the Constrictor,” a collection of stories and art from Cook County students about their experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The book was funded with grants from the Karen Smaby Estate and the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation. The event will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Friday at North Point Youth Center (former Grandma Ray’s) in downtown Grand Marais.

WISE will also hold a bookbinding workshop with  Sharon Geisfeldt VanRuiswick on Saturday. VanRuiswickwill teach how to do handbinding at an open (and free) workshop at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. If you’d like to participate in this workshop (all day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or as a drop-in), contact Ann Marie Mershon to sign up. 218-387-2245 or via email at annmarie@boreal.org

And Sunday, the Violence Prevention Center will present the 10th annual Lunafest. This year, it will be a virtual event presenting seven short films by women filmmakers, covering a variety of topics and ranging in genre from fictional drama to animation.

The event will be held via Zoom. It starts at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Musician Ginger Bones will be performing, guest speaker Grace Grinager of Cook County Public Health and Human Services will speak and then the seven short films featured in LunaFest’s 2021 lineup will be screened. To purchase tickets, click here 

Upcoming:

This year for Empty Bowls, the Grand Marais Art Colony will be hosting a Signature Artist Bowl Sale at Studio 21, at its new location at 21 W. Highway 61.

The sale will be from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. Stop in to purchase a one-of-a-kind bowl made by area potters on Thursday, Nov. 18. The proceeds will go toward alleviating hunger issues in Cook County.

Winterer’s Gathering, a highlight of the beginning of the winter season, will be held on the campus of North House Folk School Nov. 19-21.

The event will feature all the favorites, including the Great Gear & Ski Swap, a chili feed,  skill shares and demonstrations and the Arctic Film Festival. Author Jon Turk is the featured speaker. To see the complete schedule, click here. Stay tuned for details.

Sarah Stonich and Pete Geye are teaming up at Drury Lane Books on the beach to talk books and writing at 6 p.m. on Nov. 20.

Stonich’s new book is “Reeling,” the second in her Fishing trilogy. She is also the bestselling author of “Vacationland,” “The Laurentian Divide” (Winner of the Minnesota Book Award for Fiction), and “These Granite Islands.”

Geye’s most recent book is “Northernmost.” He is the author of the award-winning novels “Safe from the Sea,” “The Lighthouse Road,” and “Wintering” (Winner of the Minnesota Book Award).

The event is free and is outdoors. All invited

Holiday Sales:

There are a number of great holiday sales this season. Here are posters for each of them.

 

 

 

 

Artists at Work: 

 

 

Online Music:

Classics:

 Live Music:

Thursday, Nov. 11:

• Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 12:

• TBA, Gunflint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 13:

• TBA, Gunflint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.

Photographs:

Here is a selection of photographs we found this week:

Wildlife:

 

Plants and Flowers:

 

 

More Auroa Borealis Photos from Nov. 4:

From the Space Station:

From the Earth:

 

 

 

Landscapes, Skyscapes & Cloudscapes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Note: If you enjoyed NorthShore ArtScene this week, please consider making a donation today. Thank you!