Daffodils on Good Harbor Hill by Staci Drouillard.
We call these Maryl’s Dafs. Photo by Jim Boyd.
Grand Marais Daffodils by Joan Farnam.
Greetings from the North Shore where, indeed, we are all enjoying blooming daffodils this week. Their cheerful yellow blooms give us a sense of relief, really, that the growing season has indeed begun. Add to that the light green dusting on the trees and bushes and peepers addressing the night with their insistent calls and all doubts we had about the snow ever melting vanish. Welcome, May.
Color is certainly a marker for spring, and artists and would-be artists are invited to explore them at Art Night at Joy and Company. This week, Art Night will focus on using MaimeriBlu Artist Watercolors, a new line at the shop.
Art night at Joy and Company will focus on using MaimeriBlu Artist Watercolors, a new line at the store. The event is held from 4-6 pm.
The public is invited to play with these watercolors from 4-6 pm on Thursday, May 18. The pigment concentration is very high, with the majority of the paints consisting of a single pigment to ensure maximum color clarity and clean mixing. The event is free, with a suggested donation. All invited.
On Saturday, Linda LeGarde Grover, author of the newly published book, “The Sky Watched: Poems of Ojibwe Lives,” will be at Drury Lane Books for a Meet-and-Greet from 11 am to 1 pm.
Linda LeGarde Grover will be at Drury Lane Books to talk about her latest book of poetry: “The Sky Watched.” She will be at the bookstore from 11 am to 1 pm Saturday.
Summoning spiritual and natural lore, the award-winning poet follows the story of a family, a tribe, and a people through historical ruptures and through intimate troubles and joys—from the sundering of Ojibwe people from their land and culture to singular horrors like the massacre at Wounded Knee to personal trauma suffered at Indian boarding schools. Threaded throughout are the tribal traditions and knowledge that sustain a family and a people through hardship and turmoil, passed from generation to generation, coming together in the manifold power and beauty of the poet’s voice. All invited. Free.
Next Thursday, May 25, the Cook County Historical Society will present Historic Cook County Trivia at Up Yonder on Hwy 61 from 6-8 pm.
Historic Cook County Trivia Night will be held at Up Yonder on 61 from 6-8 pm Thursday, May 25.
Everyone is invited to test their knowledge of Cook County history at this free event. The trivia game is held on the last Thursday of every month.
Memorial Day Weekend is coming up with lots of planned events including the opening of the Grand Marais Art Colony’s Summer Exhibition at Studio 21,
The opening reception for the Grand Marais Art Colony‘s summer exhibit “Air Openness” will be held on Friday, May 26 at Studio 21.
The weekend is also the start of the summer season for the Cook County Market, which is held in the parking lot of The Hub (the Senior Center) from 10 am to 2 pm every Saturday through MEA Weekend in October.
The Cook County Market opens for the season in the parking lot of The Hub on May 27, It is held from 10 am to 2 pm.
Also, the Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center on the Gunflint Trail opens for the season over the Memorial Day Weekend.
The Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center opens for the season on May 27.
And finally, the Le Grand du Nord Gravel Cycling Classic will be held on May 27 throughout Cook County.
Le Grand du Nord Gravel Cycling Classic will be held on May 27. Click here to learn more and register.
Exhibits:
Douglas Ross is currently exhibiting his landscape paintings at the Johnson Heritage Post. Ross is intrigued by the colors and textures along the North Shore and paints his landscapes focusing on these qualities
“At the Cascade River” by Douglas Ross is one of his paintings at the Johnson Heritage Post this month.
The exhibit continues through May 28. The Heritage Post is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, It is open from 10 am to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from 1-4 pm Sundays. Open to all.
Artist Dodie Logue is currently exhibiting a series of charcoal drawings of trees at Tettegouche State Park.
Trees 3, charcoal, is one of the works by Dodie Logue, on view at Tettegouche State Park.
The exhibit continues through the end of May.
“Living on the Edge,” an exhibit by 27 members of the North Shore Artists League, is currently on view at the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, Wis. Here are a few of the pieces in the show.
Rose Cliffs by Kim Dayton.
Water, stoneware and wood, by Natalie Sobanja.
Lake Superior Agates, quilt, by Mary Matthews.
The exhibit features a wide variety of media including paintings, glass, ceramics, fiber art, sculpture and more. It continues through July 9.
In an outstanding interview, WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins interviewed Lutsen sculptor Greg Mueller about the exhibit and asked him about his thoughts as he worked on his piece for the show.
He said he focuses on the idea of the Edge, a fundamental concept for him in his art, so the title of the exhibit, “Living on the Edge,” was a perfect fit. Coincidently, we all are living on the edge here in Grand Marais and along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Edges are everywhere. Mueller expresses this idea in a photograph (below) and in the works he submitted to the exhibit.
The Edge, photograph by Greg Mueller.
Mueller says this about his sculpture below in his artist statement:
“This series of works draws influence from choosing to practice art on the North Shore’s edge – a spirit place between the sea and the trees. This arena reveals a theatre of awe – where the sky’s horizontal edges kiss the water.
Concurrently, in my contemplative practice, a glimpse of the vertical or divine is discovered in the stimulus/response edge of space between the breaths.”
Space Between the Breath I, metal and Mulberry, by Greg Mueller, is one of his pieces in the exhibit at the Phipps Center for the Arts.
To listen to the WTIP interview with Mueller, click here.
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is featuring a special exhibit of work by Thunder Bay artist Ruth Tye McKenzie. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, she moved to Thunder Bay in 1976. She loved the northern Ontario landscape and captured it in paintings, etchings, and mixed media works. Ruth is known for her lively sketches, portraits, and figure drawings.
“Debbie,” acrylic on canvas by Ruth Tye McKenzie is on exhibit at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery in the Spotlight exhibit.
This exhibition honors Ruth’s creative spirit and passion for art. Many of these works are on loan from Ruth’s friends as well as from people who purchased original pieces directly from the artist at her studio sales, and from Lakehead University. The exhibit continues through June 18.
Kudos:
WTIP Community Radio won a prestigious Edward R. Murrow award yesterday in the “Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” category for its series “It Happens Here: The Roots of Racial Inequity on the North Shore,” produced by Staci Drouillard.
Staci Drouillard
You can listen to episodes here.
The Radio Television Digital News Association has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Murrow set as a standard for the profession of broadcast and digital journalism.
Murrow Awards are presented to news organizations, not individuals (except in the Student categories). All awards are presented based on the specific body of work submitted. Regional Murrow Awards are presented to small and large radio, television, and digital outlets based on 14 geographic regions. Regional winners are automatically considered for a National award. Network competitors are judged at the national level.
Upcoming:
Cedar strip canoes are only one of the highlights at the North House Folk School’s Wooden Boat Show. It will be June 16-18 this year. To find out more, click here.
Artists at Work:
The North Shore debut of the band, Grandpa Bucket, was Saturday night at Up Yonder. There were lots of cheers and dancers. Pictured from the left are Will Seaton, Joe Rauzi, and Parker Brown. Photo by Nancy Seaton.
The Grand Marais Art Colony held a 2-day exhibition of youth art projects in Studio 21 last week
Evening mood, gentle colors by Mary Beams.
Sam Zimmerman is showing his work at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, ND.
Potter Kari Carter is one of the artists who will be at the Hovland Arts Festival this year. The Art Festival will be held over the July 4th weekend at the Hovland Town Hall.
Online Findings:
Take a dive in the Caribou River by Chuck Olsen. Click here to see this fascinating short video.
Online Music:
Little Moon, a Utah band, was the winner of NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest. Nearly 6,000 bands competed. Here’s the song that won.
The Swedish band, Loreen- Tattoo, won the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. Bands from 39 countries competed. Here’s the winning song:
Here’s some other music we found this week:
This is pretty fun.
Live Music:
Thursday, May 18:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
Sunday, May 21:
- Open Mic Hosted by Pete K, Up Yonder, 5-8 pm
Tuesday, May 23:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
Thursday, May 25:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
Friday, May 26:
- Barefoot Bluegrass, Up Yonder, 8:30-11:30 pm
Saturday, May 27:
- Barefoot Bluegrass, Up Yonder, 8:30-11:30 pm
Sunday, May 28:
- Barefoot Bluegrass, Up Yonder, 1-4 pm
- Open Mic Hosted by Pete K, Up Yonder, 5-8 pm.
Photographs:
We were lucky again this week Here’s what we found:
Wildlife:
Northern Pintail pair by Michael Furtman.
Keeping their feet dry by Saraphine Metis.
Red Phase Ruffed Grouse lookin’ for love today by Thomas Spence.
Ring-necked Ducks courtship flight by Michael Furtman.
Hello? Photo courtesy of Charlie and the Crows.
Ruby Throated Hummingbird on a curly kiwi vine by Chuck Olsen.
Black Oystercatcher courtesy of the Audubon Society.
Walking companions on a Duluth beach by Siffy Torkildson.
Plantscapes & Flowerscapes:
Wild Ginger by Gayle Coyer.
An asparagus sighting by Jamie Rex.
Spring by Brigette Binesikiwe Nies.
Death Valley sunflower, courtesy of the National Park Service.
Potpourri:
Leftovers by Mary Beams.
Millions of gallons of water are released from Lake Powell to the Colorado River and will continue on to Lake Mead.
A huge baobab tree, said to be the largest in the world. The photographer is unknown.
Landscapes, Skyscapes, Wavescapes and Windscapes:
High winds in the Harbor by Paul Sundberg.
Spring runoff by David Johnson
Minnehaha Creek at sunset by Betty Hemstad.
Early Spring by Michael Furtman.
The uneven bridge on the Amnicon by Bryan Hansel.
A bird flies by. Photo by Ron Benson.
Lake Superior just chillin’ today by Roxanne Distad.
Lift Bridge emerges from wispy waves of fog on Lake Superior by Ken Harmon.
The Honorable James L. Oberstar enjoying a sunbath at 6:33 am by Jeffrey Doty.
Aurora Lane, April 23 by Travis Novitsky.
Dropping into Moningwaanekaaning by Mike Wiggins, Jr.
During the recent gale force winds we had, Ore Boats Hugged the North Shore by David Johnson.
Happy Thursday by Roxanne Distad.
Falls on the Brule by Tor Torkildson.
Ghost Ship by Nicholas Stamper.
Sometimes you just know by Christian Dalbec.
Lake Superior and the Paul R. Tregurtha by David Schauer.
Palisade Head by Christian Dalbec.
Bean and Bear Lake by Nathan Klok.
French River by Bryan Hansel.
Hook and Curl by Christian Dalbec.
And finally, waterfall season is definitely here. Enjoy!
Cascade River by Paul Sundberg.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
And please consider donating to NorthShore ArtScene today. We put a lot of work into this blog every week and appreciate your support. Thank You!
And here’s a shout-out to the people who help make this blog possible: Jeremy Lopez, Kari Carter, and Yvonne Mills. Thank you all very much.
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