Mid-December wave action in Grand Marais. Photo by Nicolas Narod.
Greetings. It’s pretty quiet on the North Shore this weekend, as friends and families prepare for the upcoming holidays. The weather is half-way interesting, too. Thunder and lightning, strong winds and maybe snow. Then we’re plunging into normal winter temperatures again over the weekend . Bets are on for a white Christmas, which will be great.
Shopping in Cook County is always interesting this time of year, with local artists and artisans featured in galleries and shops as well all kinds of other things to see.
North House Folk School, for example, has a store that’s well-stocked with great handmade items, books and more, and they have an online presence now, too. Here’s a video introducing you to the store, featuring store manager Cindy Hansen.
North House has lots of classes and workshop scheduled for this winter, as well, including the popular Fiber Week in February. Registration is now open. Check everything out here.
Joy and Company is a fun place to shop, too, featuring everything from antiques, art supplies and clothing as well as local arts and crafts, to name just a few.
Essential oil diffuser necklaces Barb Maki and cards by Bob Pollard are just a few of things featured at Joy and Company.
Two other shops on the same street are really fun visit, too — The Big Lake and Upstate MN.
Upstate MN features a great variety of goods this year.
And to to forget, Sivertson Gallery just down the street, with its inspiring art collection as well as handmade jewelry.
Liz Sivertson is one of the artists featured at Sivertson Gallery.
For last-minute Holiday shopping for pieces by local artists and artisans, Voyageur Brewing Co,. is hosting a sale from 4-8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 18. Participating artists include Hannah Palma Laky, Katy Attleson Ebenezer, Nan Onkka, Emily Wick, Emily Running, Jamie Rex, Rachel Seim and Elizabeth O’Brien.
Local artists will hold a last-minute Christmas sale at Voyageur BrewingCo. from 4-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18. All invited
Exhibits:
There are some great exhibits in town, too.
First up is the Holiday Art Underground Show at Betsy Bowen’s Gallery, featuring work by more than 30 local and regional artists, as well as beautiful work by Betsy herself. New this year, Bowen’s sketch book, Comfort: In a Time of Pandemic, with 100 of the sketches she made during the pandemic.
“Comfort” features 100 gentle pages of drawings for you to hold in your hand. The book is available at the gallery and online at http://woodcut.com
And finally, one of the most exciting exhibits this season, The Glass Show at the Johnson Heritage Post Gallery. The exhibit features work by nine local glass artists: Mary Bebie, Sharon Frykman, Melissa Grover, Jeri Person, Bob Pranis, Tony Rau, Lee Ross, Nancy Seaton and Veronica Weadock.
Here are a few examples of what you will see:
“Together,” fused glass, by Lee Ross, is at the Johnson Heritage Post Gallery.
Fused glass piece by Mary Bebie.
Fused glass by Melissa Grover.
The Heritage Post is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 1-4 p.m. on Sundays.
And, not to forget, the Winter Solstice is Dec. 21 and the Good Harbor Hill Players are returning this year with its shadow puppet play, which is performed outside at North House Folk School.
This is always a highlight of the winter with a quirky plot, live music, shadow puppets and an audience that’s all bundled up and claps with thick mittens on their hands, Kids love it, too.
The Good Harbor Hill Players will present “BE Thankful for What You’ve Got,” a shadow puppet play that starts at 6 p.m., outdoors at North House Folk School, Tuesday, Dec. 21.
The shadow puppet play, entitled “Be Thankful For What You’ve Got,” begins at 6 p.m. outdoors at North House by the Blue Building. Afterwards, there will be a bonfire, so everyone is invited to bring their Gloomies to toss them into fire and send their worries up in smoke. There will be a potluck, outdoors, too, and participants are invited to bring food to share and utensils.
Opportunities:
Also on Dec. 21, the 110 Day Project, the Solstice to the Equinox, begins.
The 100 Day Project, Solstice to Equinox begins Dec. 21.
The 100DayProject is about cultivating a creative habit. It started as a daily practice and in 2021 and 2022 has shifted to a weekly practice from Solstice to Equinox. This is not about judgment – it’s about doing one thing, every week or every day for 100 days. You can start the morning with one simple task; draw your coffee mug, glue some paper, create new designs, practice a new song, write a poem. The idea is to get into your creative brain, to not think — just do. What matters most is that for about 10 minutes during your day (or longer) you are focused on your commitment. Things will evolve, ideas will emerge and this exercise will allow you to develop, jumpstart, or renew a creative habit. The good news is it help you to generate artistic ideas that will inevitably spill out into your other art work. It’s a really a fun project that reaps lots of benefits.
The 100DayProject is organized by artists Ann Russ and Catherine Benda from Marquette, Mich. who, in 2015, invited the Grand Marais Art Colony to be a sister-organization for this project.
Want to sign up? See the link here to get started: http://the100dayproject.com/ There will be virtual meet-ups once a month as well. Register and find out more here.
Holiday Donations:
Consider donating to Empty Bowls this year, which again, is an online event. The money raised will help the hungry in Cook County.
Empty Bowls Cook County is still accepting donations help feed the hungry. Click here to donate.
Last year food was provided in many forms to schools, day care, the Snack Pack program and more. When you donate, you are helping many in the county address food insecurity. Please consider donating by sending a check to Empty Bowls, PO Box 294, GM 55604 or by going to the website: https://emptybowlscookcounty.org/donate/. This virtual event ends Saturday, Dec. 18.
Artists at Work:
Winter Remains, plein air painting by Neil Sherman. He is participating in the Coors Western Art Show in Denver again this year.
Layne Kennedy turning a bowl in his workshop. Photograph by Martha Kennedy.
“Bluejays in Migration” by Karl Bardon. Bardon is a bird counter at Hawk Ridge, but has branched into painting birds. John Myers recently wrote a story about him in the Duluth News Tribune.
Winter photographers need to be well-equipped if they venture out on the ice in winter. Bryan Hansel‘s latest newsletter gives advice on what works best. See here.
Horsetail, a detail from a painting by Christi Belcourt.
Online Galleries:
Rust: The Art Gallery, the world’s first gallery dedicated entirely to — you guessed it — the aesthetic joy of rust. See the work and read about it here.
Online Music:
Live Music:
Thursday, Dec. 16:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 17:
- Jim McGowan, WTIP The Roadhouse, 6:15 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 18:
- Jim McGowan, Lutsen Resort Lobby, 6:30 p.m.
Photographs:
We found lots of great photographs this week: First:
Wildlife:
Do you know the difference between the bobcat and the lynx. Here are two photographs by Paul Sundberg which might help:
Bobcat by Paul Sundberg.
Lynx by Paul Sundberg. (Notice black-tipped tail, ear tufts and huge feet.)
After the snowstorm by Thomas Demma.
Sloth mama with babies, photographer unknown.
Phantom of the North by Matt Herberg.
Otter at lunch by Chris Artist.
Meeting the King by Hayes Scriven.
Snowshore hare by Bill Marshel.
Boreal Chickadee by Thomas Spence. BTW: The annual Christmas bird count is this weekend.
Surprise! Mink by Bill Marchel.
A visitor today by Christopher LaFarge.
Mondays. Photo courtesy of the Denali National Park.
Potpouri:
Busting Drifts by Travis Novitsky.
Never gets old, Bong Bridge, Duluth, by Preston Buechler.
Bentleyville, Duluth, MN. Photographer unknown.
Short days, long shadows by Maryl Skinner.
Siffy’s snow angel by Tor Torkildson.
That door by Mary Beams.
Rock in Lake Bikal. Rocks that have fallen on the ice are heated by the sun and melt the ice below. Freezing at night creates this support. Photo by Colin Monteath.
Landscapes, Skyscapes, Cloudscapes and Treescapes:
Missing an old friend by Jeffrey Doty. Doty took this photograph of The Stack at Tettegouche State Park in February 2019 shortly before it collapsed in a winter storm.
Road to Palisade by Keith Christiansen.
Eyes Open by Joe Polechek.
between two seasons by Nancy Seaton.
Lake Superior was swirling in her beautiful dress today by Cursand Knud.
Out for a walk near the Guthrie Theater by Layne Kennedy.
Ready for more cold weather by Christian Dalbec.
In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas by Roxanne Distad.
A return trip to see this tree by Tom Alvarez.
The High Falls after two blizzards.
This morning at Mitaanjikoming by Sandra Indian.
A quiet morning with sea fog by Jeffrey Doty.
Gorgeous sunset by Debbie Benedict.
Superior National Forest by Jeffrey Doty.
North Shore winter by Brody Everett.
Lake Superior sunrise by Bryan Hansel.
And finally, this one. Just couldn’t resist:
Have a good weekend, everyone. And stay safe!
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