Hello From Here by Kristofer Bowman.
Greetings from the North Shore where the mosquitoes are still attacking in historic numbers and the blackflies are not far behind. But there’s some good news. The dragonflies have arrived to gorge on the blackflies, and we’re all hoping they go overboard this year.
Meanwhile, life continues, and we are all looking forward to one of the most popular events of the summer: North House Folk School’s Wooden Boat Show and the Good Harbor Hill Player’s Summer Solstice Pageant. The Wooden Boat Show starts on Friday, but there are a few interesting events happening before that.
First up is the Grand Marais Farmer’s Market, formerly known as the Thursday Local Food Market. It will hold the first market of the season in the parking lot of the Cook County Community Center from 4:30-6 pm on Thursday.
The Grand Marais Farmers Market opens for the season this Thursday. Hours are 4:30 to 6 pm.
Look for early spring locally-grown produce, fresh flowers, maple syrup, artisan breads, and other baked goods, fresh eggs, and more. The market is held every Thursday through the fall. Open to all. SNAP is accepted.
On Thursday evening, Joy and Company will hold its weekly Art Night, when the public is invited to come to the shop and experiment with different art supplies. This week, play with stencils and pencils and discover a whole new world of creativity.
Pencils and Stencils are on deck for this week’s Art Night at Joy and Company. The session runs from 4-6 pm.
There will be demonstrations as well as an opportunity for hands-on activities. Free, with a suggested donation. All welcome.
North House Folk School’s Wooden Boat Show begins on Friday and features craft demonstrations, community food events, speakers, kids’ activities, craft demonstrations, a community dance, and lots of beautiful wooden boats.
North House Folk School’s Wooden Boat Show is June 16 -18.
Special this year: A delegation of Swedish craft teachers from the Sätergläntan Institute for Slöjd and Handcraft Community in Sweden will be on campus. They will participate in coursework as well as give demonstrations. They are visiting North House as part of the craft school’s 100th anniversary. A 100th birthday party to honor the delegation will be held at 5 pm Friday.
Crafting demonstrations in the Commons are held throughout the Wooden Boat Show.
The weekend is packed with activities, including family-friendly crafting options, craft demonstrations, live music, and more.
Here are a few highlights:
Friday, June 16
- Crafting on the Commons
- Speaker Series: Weaving Through Scandinavia with Christine Novotny, 2pm; Indigenous Fishing Practices with Delaney Keshena
- Grand Marais Lions Club BBQ, 5-7pm
- Community Paddle/Row/Sail on the Harbor! Small Craft Takeover! 7–8 pm
- Community Contra Dance 7–8 pm (Family Dance) & 8–10 pm (Community Dance)
Saturday, June 17:
- Crafting on the Commons, family crafting opportunities, all-day
- Boats-to-Tools Auction 10 am–3 pm
- Lake Superior Chowder Experience – An Empty Bowls Fundraiser noon–1 pm
- Summer Solstice Pageant 8 pm, in the Commons, Rain date: Sunday at 2 pm.
Sunday, June 18:
- Fika and Friends 10:30 am | Free, donations appreciated
- Featured Presentation: Ted Bell, Northstar Canoes, noon
One of the exciting events of this weekend celebrating the summer solstice, is the Summer Solstice Pageant. The Commons at North House Folk School is packed with people to see this funny, quirky, creative puppet show complete with live music and plenty of participation from community members of all ages.
This year’s pageant will be extra special.
For the last 24 years, the Good Harbor Hill Players have created the Summer Solstice Pageant tradition and legacy, and this year, the show production and story creation transitioned into new hands. The “Old Guard” retired last year, and a new generation has stepped up.
The Sun King retired last year. Look for a new interpretation of the Summer Solstice this year.
This year’s pageant title reflects that: The Winds Have Changed: The Scroll Must Go On!
A young puppet-maker expresses enthusiasm for the upcoming Summer Solstice Pageant which will be at North House Folk School at 8 pm Saturday.
We’re all looking forward to seeing this production, which has gathered community members for weeks to write the script, practice the music, and create the puppets to make a great show. Showtime is 8 pm Saturday, with the rain date set at 2 pm Sunday. See you there!
Also on Friday, the 7th annual Lutsen Block Party will be held from 5-7 pm.
The 7th annual Lutsen Block Party will be held in downtown Lutsen from 5-7 pm.
This is a great opportunity to explore downtown Lutsen and all it has to offer. Look for live music, food, kids’ games, and prizes. Of special interest this year — the Big Water Jewelry and Gifts shop has opened. All invited.
On Saturday, the Cook County Market will be held in the Senior Center parking lot from 10 am to 2 pm.
The Cook County Market runs from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday in the Senior Center parking lot. Pictured, above, is work by Jeff Lilienthal.
The market features a wide variety of crafts and art by local artisans. Look for paintings, weaving, woodwork, jewelry, and more. There’s also live music. All welcome.
Also on Saturday, Drury Lane Books will hold an Author Talk with Rudi Hargesheimer. He will discuss his book, “The Superior Hiking Trail Story: The Trek Continues.” The talk will be from 6-7 pm at the bookstore.
Author Rudi Hargesheimer will talk about his book on Saturday, June 17 at Drury Lane Books.
“The Superior Hiking Trail Story, The Trek Continues Expanded Content” is a sequel to 2020 The Superior Hiking Trail Story. The new book was printed in April 2023. It offers four extra years of historical stories gleaned from many interviews with hikers, volunteers, and Superior Hiking Trail Association staff, many new photos and “Sentiment” quotes from hikers plus a new emphasis on volunteers with portrait stories of several “Super Hero” volunteers. It also includes a great selection of award-winning photographs. The Author Talk is open to all.
On Sunday, join Neil Sherman at Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center as he gives an Artist Talk about his 16 years of plein air painting on the Gunflint Trail.
Swamper Creek Flowage by Neil Sherman. He will give an Artist Yalk at Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center on Sunday.
Neil Sherman at work. Photo courtesy of the artist.
This talk is part of Sherman’s experience as one of the Grand Marais Art Colony’s 2023 Graham Studio Artists-in-Residence. The Graham Studio Residency supports two Cook County resident artists with studio space for 9 months. This program is supported by a Rural Leadership Boost Grant from the Blandin Foundation.
His talk will be from 2-3 pm at the museum.
On Monday, join fellow knitters at 9 am for a free, weekly drop-in knitting and crafting circle on the beach.
Beach knitting, sponsored by Dappled Fern Fibers is held every Monday from 9-11 am.
Knitters meet on the Harbor Park beach between the harbor and the Superior Trading Post. Bring something to sit on, warm clothes (even when it’s warm a few blocks away, it can be cool and breezy on the water), and an easy project to work on. Project support is not provided for this group. Children under 14 must have an adult with them. All fiber arts are welcome. Rain location is at Dappled Fern.
Exhibits:
The Grand Marais Art Colony’s summer exhibition explores their 2023 theme of Air – Openness. Exhibiting artists Mary Bergs, Walter Early, Ben Moren, and Galilee Peaches have explored and interpreted this theme in their artwork.
The Air-Openness Exhibition continues at Studio 21.
Stop in to observe how Air and Openness can be expressed through art. Studio 21 is open from 10 am to 3 pm Thursdays through Saturdays.
Three artists inspired by nature, connection, and life come together to present “Beauty is Everywhere,” an exhibition at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery.
Burst, acrylic, by Jennifer Scammahorn is one of the pieces in the exhibit.
Rosemary Hultman, Jennifer Scammahorn and Cynthia Starkweather-Nelson display a variety of different techniques, perspectives, and passions in this exhibit. It continues through June 25. Free admission.
The Heritage Post is open from 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Sunday. It is closed Monday and Tuesday.
Ceramic artist Matthew O’Reilly is exhibiting at the Duluth Art Institute.
Matthew O’Reilly is exhibiting his sculptures in the Steffl Gallery at the Duluth Art Institute.
He embraces satire to generate conversation about the human condition, including the notion of inner growth and change in his exhibit, Shed Self. O’Reilly constantly reinvents himself—and his work—in response to his surroundings, circumstances, community, and life. The exhibit continues through Sept. 12.
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery will open a new exhibit entitled “Wiigwas Manidoog Descendants” on June 23. It is the first solo exhibition of works by artist Helen Pelletier.
Ni Daanis, birchbark backpack by Helen Pelletier, is one of her pieces in the exhibit at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.
Pelletier’s etched baskets, objects, garments, and accessories express her relationship with Wiigwas, or birchbark, and reflect the love she feels for the land.
Upcoming:
Sara Thomsen & Paula Pedersen will be in concert at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts on June 24 at 7 pm, Here’s a clip from a concert last year.
FYI:
Take a survey about the Grand Marais Recreation Area
Grand Marais Recreation Area.
The public is invited to look at and make comments about the Grand Marais Recreation Area in a new survey just released to the public. See it here.
Call for Artists: Design a sidewalk mosaic for the Johnson Heritage Post
The Johnson Heritage Post has put out a call for artists to design a mosaic for the front plaza.
The Johnson Heritage Post seeks an artist or collaborative team to thoughtfully design and install a sidewalk mosaic for the main plaza entrance of the JHP Art Gallery. The deadline to submit an application is June 30. For more information and an application form, click here.
Artists at Work:
Two-Spirit billboard on display at AICHO in Duluth. Photograph by Ivy Vainio.
Studio Action: Melting by Greg Mueller.
Winter Robin, acrylic, by Gina Adams. She will be exhibiting at the Hovland Arts Festival.
Summer Fish by Sam Zimmerman.
Grand Marais is made for sketching by Neil Sherman.
Week long art retreat at the Grand Marais Art Colony. Courtesy of Jane Johnson.
Handmade knives in progress by John Jacobson.
Cherry Blossoms in the City, collage, by Marti Mullen.
Weaving sweetgrass baskets for the Hovland Art Festival by Paula Sundet Wolf.
Sam Zimmerman’s Waabooz, Winter Rabbit, won the Juror’s Award at the Smithsonian exhibition Wild Muse: Animals in Art.
Orange and a Memory from the Pie Place by Mary Beams.
Pride Celebration by Neil Sherman. The Plein Air painter painted this during the Pride Rally on Saturday at Harbor Park.
Online Music:
Live Music:
Thursday, June 15:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
- Jim Miller, Cascade Restaurant and Pub, 6-8 pm
Friday, June 16:
- Michele Miller, Harbor Park, 3:30-6:30 pm
- Lutsen Block Party, Live Music in Lutsen, 5-7 pm
- Lost Island Society, Up Yonder, 8:30-11:59 pm
Saturday, June 17:
- Zahir Orest, Senior Center Parking Lot, 10 am
- Lost Island Society, Up Yonder, 8:30-11:59 pm
Sunday, June 18:
- Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille & Tap Room, 10-12 pm
- Molly Maher, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
- John Gruber, Mogul’s Grille & Tap Room, 4-6 pm
- Open Mic Hosted by Pete K, Up Yonder, 5-8 pm
Tuesday, June 20:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 5:30-7:30 pm
Wednesday, June 21:
- Bump Blomberg, Mogul’s Grille & Tap Room, 10-12 pm
Thursday, June 22:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
- Jim Miller, Cascade Restaurant and Pub, 6-8 pm
Friday, June 23:
- Crazy Chester, Up Yonder, 8:30-11:59 pm
Saturday, June 24:
- Fred Anderson, Senior Center Parking Lot, 10 am
- Michele Miller, Harbor Park, 4-7 pm
- Crazy Chester, Up Yonder, 8:30-11:59 pm
- Sara Thomsen & Paula Pedersen, Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 7 pm
Photographs:
We were lucky this week and found some photographs. Here’s a selection:
Wildlife:
Purple Finch, snacking on gravel by Chuck Olsen.
Whitetail Fawn by Paul Sundberg.
Moose Crossing by Thomas Spence.
Merganser Mom with 50 ducklings in tow. Many are orphans. Photo courtesy of the Audubon Society.
Flowerscapes:
Lupines are starting their bloom by Chuck Olsen.
Lady Slipper Season on Poplar Lake by Mary Indritz.
Yellow Lady Slipper by Jesse Pearson.
At last, color in Duluth by Martha Lind.
A Doublescape:
Milky Way over Mesa Arch in Canyon Lands, Utah by Dennis Chick.
Mesa Arch in Canyon Lands, Utah at dawn by Dennis Chick.
A Peoplescape:
Making that leap, but wait until August when it is hot, by Layne Kennedy.
Potpourri:
I am looking forward to Petrichor. Hopefully by this weekend. Photo by Big Tree Hun
Landscapes, Skyscapes, Starscapes & Waterscapes:
Went to my favorite spot today by Jamie Rex.
Shoreline Campsite by Ken Harmon.
North Shore of Lake Superior II by Ken Harmon.
Running into Summer by Christian Dalbec.
The pyrotechnics at this rock show were lit, by Ryan Cairl.
Apostle Island sea caves by Timothy Mattimore.
Crossing the Plains in early Summer by Travis Novitsky.
A summer lake by Tor Torkildson.
Morning Sky, Slim Butte, SD, Oglala Lakota Country by Tom Healy.
Tofte, Minnesota by Chuck Olsen.
Grand Portage Reservation by Vallen Cook.
A border lake in the Boundary Waters by Ken Harmon.
Lake Superior sunrise by Jeffrey Doty.
Superior Colors by Chuck Olsen.
Young Bull Moose giving us the eye by Layne Kennedy.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Note: Today is a good day to show your support for NorthShore ArtScene and the arts community on the North Shore.
Become a sustaining member or make a single gift today. We are so grateful for your support. Click below to donate. And Thank You
A special Thank You! goes out to our volunteers: Jeremy Lopez, Yvonne Mills, and Kari Carer.
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