The Northern Lights Show on the Gunflint Trail March 24 was spectacular, as it was throughout the country.
Greetings from the North Shore, where we are still reverberating from the extraordinary display of northern lights all over the land on March 23. Not to get maudlin or anything, but this week seemed like the perfect time to celebrate the return of NorthShore ArtScene, light show and all. We’re happy to be back!
The next few weeks feature a number of fun events, including exhibits, and two live music festivals, a Full-Moon reading at Drury Lane Books and more.
The week starts out with an art-making event at Joy & Co. from 4-6 pm on Thursday.
Art Night will be held at Joy & Co. from 4-6 pm on Thursday, March 30.
This week’s topic is “GAC Medium by Golden ( What is it? )” Art Night will also be held on April 6. Topic to be determined. Open to all. Free. No registration is required.
On Friday night, the Cook County Historical Society and the Johnson Heritage Post will hold their monthly Culture Crawl, an opportunity to explore the holdings and exhibits of both organizations.
The Cook County Historical Society and the Johnson Heritage Post will hold a Culture Crawl from 5-7 pm on Friday, March 31.
First, stop by either the Museum at 8 Broadway Ave, or the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery at 115 W Wisconsin Street to begin your evening and pick up an event card. Each site will provide you with a sticker to place on your card, and a completed card can be exchanged for a free glass of beer, wine, or non-alcoholic beverage at The Gunflint Tavern located at 111 W Wisconsin Street. Completed event cards are only valid for the evening they are handed out, so don’t miss your chance to take advantage of this culture tour.
Also on Friday night, Papa Charlie’s will hold the first of two nights of music to celebrate spring skiing on Lutsen Mountains. (See the schedule in the live music section.)
Sweetwater Shake Down is at Papa Charlie’s from March 31 to April 2.
Other events are planned as well, including special afternoon concerts at the mountaintop Summit Chalet, apres-ski live music, and jam sessions.
Drury Lane Books will hold a Full Moon Reading on April 6 from 5:30–7:30 pm by the bonfire. The event will be part literary slam, part music and a song gathering.
Full Moon Reading at Drury Lane Books by the bonfire will be held April 6 from 5:30-7:30 pm.
Participants are invited to bring a favorite book passage, literary monologue, or poem to read by the fire. They are also welcome to read a passage from an original song, poem, or story. Kids are encouraged to read a passage from their favorite book or an original poem, too. Bring a thermos of hot chocolate, homemade mead, or cider and cookies to share, or just one good story to tell. Also, ukeleles, guitars, fiddles, and hand percussion are encouraged when it’s not too cold for instruments. Open to all.
Exhibits:
Winter Plein Air, sponsored by the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota, is exhibiting work at the Johnson Heritage Post through April 2.
The exhibit features paintings by more than 15 artists who spent a week at YMCA Camp Menogyn on East Bearskin Lake painting the Northwoods.
Here are a few examples of their work.
“Lake Shadows” by Patricia Lopez is one of the paintings on view at the Johnson Heritage Post.
“Fire” by Adam Swanson is one of the paintings in Winter Plein Air at the Johnson Heritage Post.
“Janey,” oil, by Susan Hayden, is also one of the paintings on exhibit at the Heritage Post.
The Heritage Post is open from 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Saturday and from 1-4 pm Sundays. Open to all. Free.
A new exhibit will open at the Grand Portage National Monument Heritage Center this weekend. Entitled Now That Summer Has Ended: An Exhibit about Winter Activities During the Fur Trade Era, the exhibit features reproductions of paintings that were created in the 1800s depicting the lives of voyageurs in the winter, as well as historical artifacts and quotes from people who were struggling through the harsh winters. There’s also a Selfie Space as well, where visitors can dress up in fur trade costumes and take a photograph of themselves in a reproduced cabin.
Karl Koster, a park guide who has been at the Monument for 20 years, designed the exhibit.
Here are a few of the images you will see. Koster said there are about 45 images in the exhibit and at least 20 of them have been rarely seen before.
Manner of Making a Resting Place on a Winter’s Night by George Back, 1820.
Stable Yard after Snowstorm by Mary Millicent Chaplin, 1842.
The Selfie Station at the exhibit. Visitors can dress up in winter gear and take their picture.
In Duluth, , a new exhibit opened at the Nordic Center this week. Entitled Leading With Our Hearts: Ojibwe, Sami, and Nordic Designs from Nature, it features traditional and contemporary floral and geometric designs from Ojibwe, Sami, and Nordic textile traditions. The exhibit was designed by Wendy Savage.
“Leading With Our Hearts,”the new exhibit at the Nordic Center, opened March 24. It continues through April.
The exhibit features Ojibwe floral beadwork and regalia from Fond du Lac Reservation members and Swedish-Norwegian inspired paintings of folk dress motifs, embroideries, and tapestries will be presented in an installation to promote the healing power of nature and to celebrate cultural traditions of the North.
Artists include Fond du Lac enrolled members Wendy Savage (artist and curator), Dr. Lisa Savage, Herb Fineday Jr., Chi-Ma’iingan, and Sarah Agaton Howes and Nordic-Sami artists Alison Aune, Laurel Sanders, and Marlene Wisuri.
The Nordic Center is located at 23 N Lake Ave. in Duluth.
Kudos:
The North Shore Artists League will be featured in an exhibit at the Phipps Gallery in Hudson, Wis. in May.
North Shore Artists League to open an exhibit at the Phipps Gallery on May 12.
Ely photographer Jim Brandenburg just won National Geographic’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Only five other photographers have ever received this award.
National Geographic recently awarded Jim Brandenburg a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Here are two of his famous photographs:
White wolf by Jim Brandenburg
To learn more and see an interview, click here.
Upcoming:
Spirit of the Arts, featuring work by members of the North Shore Artists League, opens at the Johnson Heritage Post April 7 with a reception from 5-7 pm.
Lutsen Mountains will hold a Giant Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 8 on the mountain.
Lutsen Mountains will hold a giant Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 9 starting at 9 am.
The Mountain Meltdown Festival will be at Papa Charlie’s April 14-16 featuring a wide variety of local and regional bands.
Mountain Meltdown Festival at Papa Charlie’s is April 14-16 this year. See Live Music below for the schedule.
The Grand Marais Playhouse will present Alice in Wonderland by Alice Gerstenberg from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts in mid-April.
The Grand Marais Playhouse will present Alice in Wonderland in mid-April. Opening night is April 15.
Performances are April 15-16 & 20-23. Thursday- Saturday performances start at 7 pm. Sunday matinees at 2 pm.
Join Alice as she climbs onto the mantel and crosses into a fantastic world with strange beings such as the White Rabbit, the Hatter and March Hare, Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts and more. Journey with her as she discovers a place that gets “curiouser and curiouser.”
Advance tickets are recommended and available here
Cook County Higher Education will hold an author talk with Diane Wilson from 6:30-7:30 pm April 16.
Author Diane Wilson will lead a discussion about her book, The Seed Keeper, at Cook County Higher Education April 16. The event is live and on Zoom.
The Seed Keeper is a masterfully written story of reawakening, remembering our original relationship with seeds and, through them, with our ancestors. The story follows three generations (1862-2002) of Dakota women as they struggle to preserve their way of life and their sacrifices to protect what is most important. The Seed Keeper, (Milkweed Editions) received the 2022 Minnesota Book Award for Fiction. To register for the presentation, click here.
Rachel Rae has just completed a series of paitings depitctinhg the mythological stories of the aurora borealis.
Painting by Rachel Rae. She will have an exhibition at Joy and Co beginning April 22.
The exhibit wil lbe Aprill 22-29 at Joy and Co with a reeption from 4-6 pm April 29 at the store. All invited.
Artists At Work:
Biboon Waabizheshi: Winter Marten, acrylic, by cranesuperior.
Tim Cochrane holds up a copy of his latest book, “Making the Carry.” It is available through Drury Lane Books.
Hearts, fused glass by Nancy Seaton.
Partners in Pride stoneware by Terry Lord Lewis, one of the artists participating in the upcoming exhibit of the North Shore Artists League at the Johnson Heritage Post.
Off the SHT (Superior Hiking Trail), oil, by Paula Gustafson.
The third print in a series of celestial woodcut prints by Nan Onkka. She is one of the artists participating in the one-day show, 60 Artists on 50th, that will be held at the Burroughs Elementary School in Minneapolis on Sunday. The school is located at 1601 W 50th Street,
Online Findings:
Check out “Northern Lights, Starry Skies,” a PBS documentary below.
It features photographer Travis Novitsky, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, on a visually stunning exploration of the heavens as seen from Voyageurs National Park, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and Quetico Provincial Park—together comprising the world’s largest designated Dark Sky sanctuary. Ojibwe artist and scholar Carl Gawboy shares Indigenous star knowledge complemented by Indigenous and cultural astronomers Jim Rock and Jessica Heim and astronomer Bob King.
This video was made a few years ago.
Online Music:
Live Music:
Thursday, Mar. 30:
- Timmy Haus, Mogul’s Grille & Tap Room, 4-6 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-9 pm
- Pat Eliasen, Raven Rock Grill at Skyport Lodge, 6-8 pm
Friday, Mar. 31:
- Jim Miller, Mogul’s Grille & Tap Room, 4-6 pm
- Sweetwater Shake Down, Papa Charlie’s at Lutsen Mountains
- Twisted Pine, 9 pm
- Yonder Mountain String Band, 10:30 pm
Saturday, Apr. 1:
- Sweetwater Shake Down, Papa Charlie’s at Lutsen Mountains
- Maygen & the Birdwatcher, 12 pm
- New Salty Dog, 1:30 pm
- Brotherhood of Birds, 4 pm
- Pert Near Sandstone, 9 pm
- Yonder Mountain String Band, 10:45 pm
Sunday, Apr. 2:
- Brotherhood of Bird, Papa Charlie’s, 4 pm.
- Open Mic Hosted by Pete K, Up Yonder, 5-8 pm.
Tuesday, Apr. 4:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
Thursday, Apr. 6:
- Timmy Haus, Mogul’s Grille & Tap Room, 4-6 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-9 pm
Friday, Apr. 7:
- Bump Blomberg, Mogul’s Grille & Tap Room, 4-6 pm
Saturday, Apr. 8:
- Dan Nelson Trio, Cascade Restaurant and Pub, 6-8 pm
Sunday, Apr. 9:
- Open Mic Hosted by Pete K, Up Yonder, 5-8 pm.
Tuesday, Apr. 11:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
Friday, Apr. 14:
- Mountain Meltdown, Papa Charlie’s at Lutsen Mountains
- Mark Joseph & Friends, 1 pm
- Southpaws, 2:30 pm
- Floydian Slip, 4 pm
- Big Wu, 9 pm
Saturday, Apr. 15:
- Mountain Meltdown, Papa Charlie’s at Lutsen Mountains
- Eli Bentley of Ginstrings, 1 pm
- Zulu Link, 2:30 pm
- Spruce Roots, 4 pm
- Big Wu, 9 pm
Photographs:
We found lots of photographs this week. Let’s start with wildlife.
Wildlife:
Northern Hawk Owl by Heidi Pinkerton.
Enjoying the spring weather Photo by Paul Pluskwik.
American Goldfinch in spring by the picture taking guy.
A puma and her cub in a Chile desert courtesy of Tharaka Nuwan.
A not-so wild:
Pause. Photographer unknown.
Potouri:
Lake Superior surfers by Tor Torkildson
Duluth Lift Bridge by Christian Dalbec.
Hope springs eternal by Penny Ortmann.
The Joseph L Block is the first to arrive in Duluth to start the 2023 season to take on a load of iron ore. Photo by Bjornberg photography.
Ann Ward takes an early spring swim in Lake Superior. Photo by Alisa Berns.
Aurora Stormscapes:
It seems like everyone was out with their camera on March 23, captuing those amazing Northern Lights. We have a small selection of the hundreds of photos taken that night, but first, the reason for it all.
A hole in the surface of the sun was the reason for the spectacular night of northern lights. Huge amounts of ionized particles streamed across space toward the earth, lighting up the sky. Photo courtesy of NASA.
The sky is awake and so am I. Photo by UpNorthCo.
Gunflint aurora explosion by Mark Ellis.
The aurora dance wildly over Bassett Church in northern Minnesota by Jim Schnortz.
The Eyes of Cthulhu by Bryan Hansel.
March 23 by Matt Herberg.
Tofte Park March 23 by Thomas Spence.
Wisconsin Point Lighthouse by Scott Youmans.
All lit up by Kjersti Vick.
The light show by Barbara Jean Myers.
Auroras over the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.
Lights over Duluth by Steve Mattson.
Amazing, eh?
We found some great other photos, too:
Early morning in Grand Marais by Sierra Parsons.
Mid-March in Duluth by Karen Sunderman.
Early spring at Stoney Point by Edward Lee.
March shoreline by Bruce Bauer.
Mid-March sunset by Nathan Klok.
Underwater light show by Christian Dalbec.
Artist Point by James Joerke.
Sunset at Hollow Rock by Paul Chen.
Valentine’s Day sunrise by Ken Harmon.
A river in spring by Thomas Spence.
The High Falls in early March by the Hazy Family.
A shaft of sunlight. Photo courtesy of Big Bear Lodge.
Full moon at Split Rock Lighthouse by Dana Malkovich.
Waves of crystal water by Sierra Parsons.
Here are two photos for the finale:
Ode to Spring: A pothole named Lake Superior in Duluth by Judy Grey.
And this cheerful final note: Statue of Liberty Snowman by Apollo Hansel. Photo by Ilena Hansel.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
If you would like to support NorthShore ArtScene with a donation, just click on the icon below or snail mail a check to NorthShore ArtScene, PO Box 1232, Grand Marais, MN 55604. We really appreciate financial support. And Thank you! Your support is much appreciated.
We’d also like to thank the volunteers who helped this week with captions, proofreading, technical issues, and videos. They include Jeremy Lopez, Yvonne Mills, Kari Carter. Thank you all!
{ 1 comment… add one }
Joan, Jeremy Yvonne, and Kari, Thank you for this week’s “Scene!”
What an engrossing, beautiful, and timely collection! Bravo!