Finding a lot of quiet. Photograph by Kristofer Bowman.
Greetings from the North Shore, where we, like many in this country, welcome the harvest season. We see it at the State Fair, we see it in our gardens and we see it in the beautiful things that are coming out of our artist studios after a summer’s work.
There’s lots to do for the next few weeks, too, including great upcoming music festivals and theater.
Meanwhile, here’s what’s happening this week:
Quilter Laura Brown will be demonstrating the craft of quiltmaking at North House Folk School this weekend as part of its summer craft demonstration series. Brown is one of the artisans in North House’s Artisan Development Program.
Laura Brown
Laura Brown will do quiltmaking demonstrations Thursday through Sunday.
She will be on campus Thursday through Sunday from 10 am through 4 pm. She will set up in the commons and will be available to answer questions as she works. The demonstrations are open to all and are free. For more information about Brown and her approach to quilting, click here.
The Grand Marais Playhouse will present “Blithe Spirit” at 7 pm Sept, 1 & 2 and 2 pm Sept. 4.
The play, Blithe Spirit, takes to the stage at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts, a production of the Grand Marais Playhouse, When first performed in Manchester England in 1941, the local theater critic called playwright Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit, “…a mixture of farce and impending tragedy, an odd mixture and not untouched by genius of a sort.”
Replete with seances, mediums, ghosts, and Noel Coward’s mastery of wicked good comedy, this Playhouse production delivers now as then. The cast includes Stephen Poynter as Charles; Theresa Luther-Dolan as Ruth; Alyssa Hedstrom as Elvira; Claire Ricky as Madame Arcati; Layne Lindquist as Mrs. Bradman; Roth Lindquist as Dr. Bradman; and Dune Arrowsmith/Bagdons as Edith. Performances are at 7 pm Thursday and Saturday and 2 pm Sunday. Tickets are available at grandmaraisplayhouse.com and door sales begin 1/2 hour before the show at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts.
Also on Thursday night, SNACKLEBOX will showcase performances by local and regional artists, presented outdoors at the scenic Hovland Town Hall at 6:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Tamarack Land Proejet in Hovland.
Snacklebox will be at the Hovland Town Hall at 6:30 pm on Thursday.
The evening opens with a set by multidisciplinary artist Rebekah Crisanta de Ybarra (St. Paul), then storytelling by Shannon CrossBear (Hovland) featuring her puppet Angelic, and ending withn“Tucker’s Robot”, a puppet play by Open Eye Theater. Free. Open to all.
On Saturday, the day starts with the Cook County Market which is held in the parking lot of the Cook County Senior Center, or The Hub, with a great selection of local vendors selling everything from weaving, hand-dyed clothing, pottery, painting, felted animals, jewelry, wood carving, Lake Superior stones and more.
Woodcarver Bruce Futterer is one of the vendors at the Cook Couty Market, which is held in the parking lot of The Hub from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturdays through MEA Weekend.
The Market runs from 10 am to 2 pm. All welcome.
Also on Saturday, the bluegrass band, Monroe Crossing, will be in concert at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts.
The concert is sponsored by the Grand Marais Playhouse and is from 7:30-9:30 pm. Tickets are $15-$75, available at the door or online at grandmaraisplayhouse.com
On Sunday, the Honor the Earth “Water Is Life” music, art, and cultural festival will be held at Bayfront Park in Duluth starting at noon. The event, which is also sponsored by The Current, features Ani DiFranco, The Indigo Girls, Allison Russell, Tia Wood, LOW, Dessa, Joe Rainey Sr, Keith Secola, Annie Humphrey, David Huckfelt & The Unarmed Forces, Corey Medina, Gaelynn Lea and Thomas X. It is presented by Honor The Earth and The Current, and is hosted by Winona LaDuke.
The Honor the Earth “Water Is Life” Festival is at Bayfront Park on Sunday, Sept. 4.
Tickets start at $40. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Exhibits:
“Yearning,” a multimedia exhibit by artist Alexa Carson continues at the Johnson Heritage Post. The artist breathes life into masterful animal portraits, adding further depth and meaning by using antique book pages and posters as her canvas.
American Tree Sparrow in its habitat, a multimedia piece by Alexa Carson, is one of the works on exhibit at the Heritage Post through Sept. 11.
The exhibit features many examples of Minnesota’s wildlife. The exhibit continues through Sept 11. The Heritage Post is open from 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Saturday and from 1-4 pm Sundays It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Grand Portage National Monument’s Heritage Center presents the George Morrison exhibit “Connections.”
One of the paintings by George Morrison that is on view at the Grand Portage Monument Cultural Heritage Center exhibit, “Connections.”
For this exhibit, the National Park Service (NPS) gathered works by the artist in their collection, along with works and artifacts from private collections, to curate the exhibition. The show will run through September.
The Grand Marais Art Colony exhibit 7-5, which celebrates the Art Colony’s 75th anniversary, continues at Studio 21, featuring a number of invited artists.
Untitled 1 & Untitled 2, acrylic and gouache on paper by Tony Ingrisano is one of the pieces currently on exhibit at Studio 21.
The exhibit continues through September.
The Art of the Elements gallery at Frykman Art Studio in rural Grand Marais, is exhibiting art from 12 regional artists. The gallery is open from 10 am-5 pm Thursday through Saturday or by appointment. Sharon Frykman, co-owner of the gallery, works in fused glass.
“Emerging,” is a recent fused glass piece by Sharon Frykman, co-owner of the Art of the Elements gallery in rural Grand Marais.
Painter Reid Thorpe opens an exhibit in the Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park with a reception from 7-8:30 pm on Friday, Sept. 2.
Read Thorpe will exhibit work at Tettegouche State Park this month. The opening reception is from 7-8:30 on Friday, Sept. 2.
Thorpe is well-known for his vibrant landscapes and waterscapes. To find out more about the artist, click here.
Elevator Art at the Tweed
MANA Bear Bolton’s mural is currently on view in an elevator at theTweed Museum of Art. To read more about the artist and her work, click here.
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery‘s exhibit, Woodland Pop!, highlights young Ojibwe artists’ take on the Woodland Style art tradition. Click here for information.
Regalia Mukwa, vintage ceramic tile on taxidermy from 2022, by Michel Dumont.
Upcoming:
The 15th Annual Radio Waves Music Festival, sponsored by WTIP Community Radio, will return to Sweetheart’s Bluff in the Grand Marais Rec Park, Sept. 9-11!
WTIP’s Radio Waves Music Festival is Sept. 9-11 at Sweetheart’s Bluff in the Grand Marais Rec Park. To find out more, click here.
The Music festival will start at 3 pm on Friday, Sept. 9, with the band Portage followed by a set by Barbara Jean and Mike Lewis. Musical acts continue all day Saturday and throughout the morning on Sunday. New acts as well as Radio Waves favorites are on the roster. Some of the bands you will hear include Sam Miltich & Clearwater Hot Club, Ginger Bones, Rich Mattson and the Northstars, Kenna Rose, and more.
For more info about the event and a chance to volunteer, click here. You can also purchase a weekend pass here.
Plein Air Grand Marais, a week-long event celebrating Plein Air landscape painters in Cook County will take place beginning Friday, Sept. 9. The event is sponsored by Outdoor Painters of Minnesota and celebrates its 20th year this year.
The Grand Marais Plein Air Competition begins Sept. 9.
The event will culminate with an exhibit of more than 200 Plein Air paintings at the Johnson Heritage Post. Sixty-plus painters, from as far away as Texas, will paint in the elements and display works in the exhibition, which opens with a reception from 5-7 pm Friday, Sept.16. Awards will be given at 6 pm. The juror for the 2022 event is Krystal Brown, 2021 winner of Best Body of Work in last year’s competition.
Seasons End, oil, by Krystal Brown, She will be the juror for the Plein Air Competition this year.
Visit www.
The Great Northern Squash Festival, Sept. 16 & 17 will be held in Chaffey Wis., featuring a wide range of local and regional bands.
Great Northern Squash Festival is Sept. 16-17 and features a wide variety of local and regional bands.
The third annual Great Northern Squash Festival is two days and nights of live music with camping at 2632 E. Kunz Road in Chaffey, about 30 miles south of Duluth and Superior. The lineup includes more than 30 acts, featuring folk, rock, blues and country music.
SquashFest strives to be a zero-waste festival. Food vendors, ice and water will be available as well as community cooking stations, a dish-washing station and recycling; For tickets and more info, click here.
North House Folk School’s Unplugged is set for Sept. 22-24, Free concert Sept. 24
Unplugged, North House Folk School’s big weekend of music, craft, and community, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
Continuing the tradition of great musical guests, North House Folk School is thrilled to welcome to the Unplugged stage this year Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Anaïs Mitchell (Hadestown, Bonny Light Horseman), Phil Cook (Megafaun, Gayngs), Sean Carey (S. Carey, Bon Iver), JT Bates (Bonny Light Horseman, Bon Iver), Mike Lewis (Bon Iver, Happy Apple), Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings, and Joe Rainey Sr. (Iron Boy Singers). Together they’ll be pulling songs from their diverse catalogs for two unique nights of music, Thursday, Sept. 22 and Friday, Sept. 23. Both concerts are sold out.
But, there is a free family concert for all ages on Saturday, Sept. 24. Doors in the Big Tent open at 9 am, the concert begins at 10 am.
A new addition to this year’s Unplugged, the concert features the Okee Dokee Brothers, a beloved family band known for such Northwoods hits like “Can You Canoe?” and “Through the Woods.” There will be some chairs available in the back of the tent, but families are encouraged to bring a picnic blanket or chairs and choose their own spot up front. This concert is supported by a grant from the Cook County Community Fund. For an added sweet treat, ice cream from Superior Creamery will be available for purchase.
Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour Sept. 23-Oct.2
The Art Along the Lake: Fall Studio Tour is Sept. 23-Oct. 2 this year featuring 27 stops at artists’ studios and galleries in Cook County.
The Art Along the Lake: Fall Studio Tour is from Sept.23-Oct. 2 this year.
To find out more, click here, and to see maps and the brochure … and stay tuned.
Kudos
The Northern Lake County Arts Board has been active in Lake County for years, supporting school and community arts programs through grants and private donations. An estimated $200,000 has been spent in the county over the last 10 years to support arts-related programs.
The Northern Lake County Arts Board will hold an appreciation event in recognition of Mary Aijala and her contribution to the arts and arts education in Lake County. The event will be held on Monday, Sept. 12, from 1-3 pm at Northshore Area Partners, 36 Shopping Center, in Silver Bay. Light refreshments will be served.
Mary was president of the Lake County Arts Board for 19 years, serving the maximum as the president of a nonprofit in Minnesota. During that time, she supported and helped develop numerous projects and events, including the artist residencies at William Kelly school.
The public is invited to come and share your appreciation for Mary’s decades of work supporting arts and arts education and maybe share a special memory or two. For more information, contact Morris Manning at 651-308-6510.
Opportunities:
NorthShore ArtScene is seeking an apprentice to learn how to put the blog together and eventually become its manager. This is a part-time, paid position. Candidates should have writing skills, including some journalism experience, and have an avid interest in art, music, and supporting the North Shore arts community. Experience with social media is required. For more information, email joan.farnam@gmail.com
The Borealis Choral and Orchestra will perform its traditional holiday concert at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in December. Cook County’s cherished tradition was upended by the pandemic. The first rehearsal will be on Sunday, Oct. 16. Concert dates are Sunday and Monday, Dec. 11-12. The project is sponsored by the North Shore Music Association. If you are interested in joining BCO as a chorale or orchestra member and have not participated before, please email music@boreal.org.
Northern Wilds photo contest: The 2022 Northern Wilds “For the Love of the North” Photo Contest is up and running. Enter by Friday, Sept. 30. Categories include Landscape, Wildlife, People/Pets, and Macro. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three photos per category. This year’s photo contest winners will be selected by our judges: James Smedley, David Johnson and Paul Sundberg. Click here to submit entries and find contest rules.
Minnesota State Arts Board Recruiting Grant Application Reviewers: The Arts Board seeks individuals from a variety of backgrounds to review grant applications remotely, serving a four-week term sometime between September 2022 and February 2023. Public funds belong to all Minnesotans, so a broad spectrum of perspectives and experiences is vital to the grant-making process. Review board members will receive a modest financial stipend for their time providing feedback on applications and helping determine which will be recommended to receive funding. To learn more about this opportunity visit: http://www.arts.state.mn.us/reviewer.htm
Two Paintings One Decade Apart
Ship With Butterfly Sails, 1937, by Salvador Dali.
A Summer Evening by Edward Hopper, 1947.
Artists At Work:
Sweet grass basket with agate and bead trim by Paula Sundet Wolf.
Untitled, latex enamel, acrylic, mixed media overlay by Martin DeWitt.
Honoring Living Traditions (Swedish and Ojibwe) by Alison Aune-Hinkel.
Sunday by Mary Beams.
Strawberry Moon by Julie Berg-Linville She is represented by Sivertson Gallery.
Video of painter/printmaker Andy Ness printmaking in Patricia Canelake’s Print Studio at the Little Knife Sanctuary, View the video here.
Split Rock Lighthouse, beadwork on felt, by Jo Wood.
Balsam sap creates a rainbow in a mud puddle reflection. Photo by Yvonne Mills.
8 pm, Neil’s Place by Matt Kania.
Moonlight Lupines, acrylic, by Aaron Kloss
“Camping at the Edge of Nature and Culture,” iron and bronze, by Wayne Potratz. The sculpture is located near the Coast Guard Station parking lot.
This sculpture by Wayne Potratz was installed several years ago in the rocky area by the Coast Guard Station parking lot. At some point, vandals broke off one of the handles of the paddles. Tom Christiansen repaired the handle last week. Hint: Look for the tiny bronze turtles hidden in various places on this sculpture. Also, look for the detailed work on the iron hull.
Historic artifact, watercolor, by Bryan Hansel.
Water Is Sacred, acrylic, by Christi Belcourt.
“High Falls,” fused glass bowl by Lee and Dan Ros
The “High Falls” glass bowl, above, is a new direction for Lee & Dan Ross, Hovland artists. They will be showing this bowl at the upcoming Art Along the Lake: Fall Studio Tour along with their ceramics, prints, and stone in their home/studio on the shore of Lake Superior.
Online Findings:
The video of the 2022 Summer Solstice Pageant at North House Folk School is done. Check it out below.
Online Music:
The Indigo Girls will be at Bayfront Park on Sept. 4. See “Water is Life Festival” info, above.
Reina del Cid’s version of the Octopus’ Garden is the theme song for Northern Gardening, which airs on WTIP Community Radio on the 2nd Thursday of every month. Garlic! is the topic for the next show which airs on Sept. 8 at 7 pm.
Tinariwen, the desert blues band from Mali, will be at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Josh Cleveland Band, Live at WTIP, Summer 2022 from WTIP North Shore Community Radio on Vimeo.
Live Music
Thursday, Sept. 1:
- Jim McGowan, Cascade Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 7-9 pm
Friday, Sept. 2:
- Jim McGowan, The Birch Terrace, 5-8 pm
- Kevin Buck, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
- The Federales, Gunflint Tavern, 8-11:55 pm
Saturday, Sept. 3:
- The WunderDogs, The Birch Terrace, 5-8 pm
- Sky Blue Jazz Ensemble, Cascade Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Jim McGowan, Lutsen Resort Campfire, 6:30-9 pm
- Monroe Crossing, Grand Marais Playhouse, 7:30-9:30 pm
- The Federales, Gunflint Tavern, 8-11:55 pm
Sunday, Sept. 4:
- Zahir Orest, Bear Tree Park in Grand Marais, 12-1:30 pm
- Mary Bue, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
Monday, Sept. 5:
- Joe Paulik, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
Tuesday, Sept. 6:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 5-7 pm
Wednesday, Sept. 7:
- Tim Haussner, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
Thursday, Sept. 8:
- Al Oikari and Caitlin Nicol-Thomas, Cascade Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 7-9 pm
Friday, Sept. 9:
- Radio Waves Music Festival, Grand Marais Rec. Park, 3-10 pm
- 3:00-3:50 Portage
- 4:00-4:50 Barbara Jean & Mike Lewis
- 5:00-5:50 Dan Nelson Quartet
- 6:00-6:50 Colleen “Boss Mama” Myhre
- 7:00-7:50 New Salty Dog
- 8:00-8:50 Dre AKA Jamaican
- 9:00-10:00 The Splints
- Jim McGowan, Cascade Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Pete Kavanaugh, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
Saturday, Sept. 10:
- Radio Waves Music Festival, Grand Marais Rec. Park, 10-10 pm
- 10:00-10:50 Gene Lafond & Amy Grillo
- 11:00-11:50 Joe Paulik Band
- 12:00-12:50 Jim McGowan
- 1:00-1:50 Sky Blue
- 2:00-2:50 Adam Moe
- 3:00-3:50 Echoes from Iron Ore
- 4:00-4:50 Cryote
- 5:00-5:50 Sam Miltich & Clearwater Hot Club
- 6:00-6:50 Superior Siren
- 7:00-7:50 Rich Mattson & the Northstars
- 8:00-8:50 Ginger Bones
- 9:00-9:50 The Evening Stars
- Trevor McSpadden, Cascade Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Jim McGowan, Lutsen Resort Campfire, 6:30-9 pm
Sunday, Sept. 11:
- Radio Waves Music Festival, Grand Marais Rec. Park, 10-2 pm
- 10:00-11:45 North Shore Community Swing Band
- 12:00-12:50 Kenna Rose
- 1:00-2:00 Zulu Link
- Billy Johnson, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
Monday, Sept. 12:
- Jim McGowan, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
Tuesday, Sept. 13:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 5-7 pm
Wednesday, Sept. 14:
- Kevin Buck, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
Photographs:
We found a lot of great photographs this week. Here’s a selection:
Wildlife:
At Current River by Don Malcom.
Heron surprise by Travis Novitsky.
A Monarch visitor by Ben Seaton.
Low water exposes the walrus rock by Thomas Soence.
White-tailed deer in late summer by Bill Marchel.
A Robin’s Life
The beginning. Photograph by Paul Sundberg.
Almost grown up, photograph by Paul Sundberg.
Mama’s pet by Paul Sundberg.
The Golden Time by Jennifer Shoals.
Peek-a-boo by Thomas Spence.
Kingfisher with a breakfast surprise. Photographer unknown.
Summer loon by Jack Willis.
A big buzzy by Natalie Sobjana.
A juvenile bald eagle hunting by John Heino.
Found ‘em! Photo by Paul Sundberg.
Almost Wildlife:
Ingrid. the heifer with a nosey tongue. Lakeview Dairy Farm by Jack Willis.
Bella at work by Michael Furtman.
Peoplescapes:
The goose and the Girl. Photographer unknown.
A chicken friend with Timothy Young.
Hello? Photograph by Ian Andrus.
And he bought me a sword at the Renaissance Festival Photo by Tina Hegg Raway.
The Minnesota State Fair by Will Wright.
Plantscapes:
Water Lily by David Johnson.
Sometimes a tree just says shoot me by Jamie Rabold.
Duluth in the summer by Marth Lind.
Rockscapes, Landscapes, Waterscapes, and Skyscapes:
The Essence of Wilderness by Layne Kennedy.
Dave Freeman and a Precambrian Shield rock formation at Cinq Cert Bay in Newfoundland. Photo by Amy Voytilla.
Blue Hour on Lake Superior by Thomas Spence.
Sunset on the Gunflint Trail by Bryan Hansel.
Grand Marais sunset by Bruce Block.
Seagull Lake by Jeanne Ouellette.
Thankful by Ilena Hansel
Sliding into the invisible summer of lasts by Jeanne Ouelette.
Fire in the Clouds by Don Davison.
A Northwoods Sunset by Ray Colby.
August sunset at the Rock by Hayes Scrsiven,
To the Light by Mark Tessier.
Lake Superior Wonders by Ken Harmon.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
This week’s contributors include Joan Farnam, editing, collection, and collation of art, photographs, and music videos; Paula Gustafson, art news; Vicki Biggs-Anderson, events; Maggie Anderson, proofreading; Jeremy Lopez, live music info and placement, layout uniformity, and technology support; Matthew Baxley, videos; Rae Kleser, grant research and Yvonne Mills, fact checker.
I would like to extend a special thanks to everyone who has reached out to show their support for this blog, either through subscribing or supporting our work financially. Most importantly, thank you to all the creators featured in this week’s blog post.
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Our next issue will be out Sept. 14.
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