A roller coaster of summer days . . . by Kristofer Bowman.
A roller coaster of summer days …. yes, indeed. It continues to be a pretty wonderful, busy, and beautiful summer, with just enough rain to keep things green and beautiful. Last night, a summer storm rolled over the North Shore, bringing some hail, thunder, and lightning, but most of it appeared to be endowing Lake Superior with the worst of it.
Late last night we had a nice summer storm at Grand Marais by David Johnson.
On the other hand, places on the Gunflint Trail got smacked.
A Triple at Hungry Jack Lake by Dennis Chick.
Either way, we’re happy to get some moisture and happy to enjoy community and friends on the shores of the Big Lake.
The next two weeks will be busy.
First up, Art Night at Joy and Company, a weekly workshop of experimenting with a variety of different art media. This week, the topic will be Dot Painting on Rocks.
Dot Painting on Rocks is the topic for this week’s Art Night at Joy and Company.
The event is held from 4-6 pm at the shop and is open to all. Free, with a suggested donation.
Also on Thursday afternoon, the Grand Marais Farmer’s Market will be held from 4:30-6 pm in the parking lot of the Cook County Community Center.
The Grand Marais Farmers Market is this Thursday. Hours are 4:30 to 6 pm.
The Market features a great selection of locally grown produce, fresh eggs, artisan breads, and baked goods, including gluten-free items, to name a few. Open to all. SNAP accepted.
On Thursday night, Historic Cook County Trivia will be held 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.
Trivia Night is open to all. Prizes are awarded.
On Friday and Saturday, the Grand Marais Music Collaborative will once again be hosting the Stars of the North Music Festival in Harbor Park. This annual fundraising concert will feature many cornerstone local musicians as well as some special guests.
Stars of the North Music Festival is in Harbor Park July 28 & 29.
The music runs from 11:30 am to 9 pm on Friday and 11 am to 9 pm on Saturday. See the Music Schedule below for details. Free.
On Friday evening, the Johnson Heritage Post will host the opening reception for the exhibit, “Four Local Artists” from 5-7 pm.
The exhibit, Four Local Artists, opens at the Johnson Heritage Post on Friday with a reception from 5-7 pm.
Artists Bonnie Gay Hedstrom, Howard Hedstrom, Mary MacDonald and Jeff Morgan have come together to present a display of northern craftsmanship. Their artwork includes weaving, felting, wood carving, mosaic work, and more. The exhibit runs through Aug. 20. The reception is open to the public.
The Heritage Post is open from 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Sunday. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Free.
Also on Friday, Split Rock Lighthouse will celebrate its 113th Birthday with a festive “Keeper’s View” anniversary event.
Split Rock Lighthouse perched on a cliff overlooking Lake Superior by Nathan Klok. The lighthouse is celebrating its 113th birthday on Friday.
The event starts at 6 pm and includes food, storytelling, and the beacon lighting of the famous lighthouse. In addition, there will be a 30-minute guided tour around the facility to highlight the construction of the lighthouse. The public is invited.
In Duluth, the Joseph Nease Gallery will hold an opening reception from 5-7 pm Friday for the exhibit, “Sara Pajunen – Listening through Context,” a multi-media exhibit of her work in Minnesota, especially on the Iron Range.
“In the Water-Filled Mine Pit” by Sara Pajunen is one of the photographs in her exhibit at the Joseph Nease Gallery in Duluth.
Trained as a violinist and employing locally-responsive media ranging from field recordings to drone imagery, Pajunen’s work is motivated by interactions between her ancestral roots, American cultural histories, and connection to our environments through sound.
She will present audiovisual work, sound art, and photographs from her projects “Mine Songs: Sounding an Altered Landscape” and “The Places We Know.” The exhibit continues through mid-Septmeber.
Saturday opens with the Cook County Market, which is held from 10 am to 2 pm in the parking lot of The Hub.
The Cook County Market is held in the parking lot of The Hub from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, featuring a wide variety of arts and crafts and live music.
Look for a variety of arts and crafts including paintings, fiber art, knit caps, jewelry, stonework, woodwork, glass, and more. Open to all. Free.
The Grand Marais Art Colony will hold free weekly mini-classes on developing a nature sketchbook from 11 am to noon on Saturdays through Aug. 25. Participants will learn to capture the beauty of the North Shore and the wonders of nature by keeping a nature sketchbook of their adventures.
A free class on sketching nature will be held at Studio 21 on Saturdays from 11 am to noon through Aug. 25.
The instructor, Janet Moore, is the Studio 21 visitor engagement manager. As an artist and naturalist, she will provide examples, instruction, and inspiration to participants.
All materials are provided for use during the session, with optional sketch bag kits available at the Gallery Store. The class is open to all ages and experience levels – beginners are especially encouraged and families are welcome. Children under 12 should be accompanied by an adult.
On Sunday, Polar explorer Lonnie Dupre will give a presentation at the Seagull Lake Community Center at 2 pm.
Lonnie Dupre will give a presentation at the Seagull Lake Community Center at 2 pm Sunday.
The title of his presentation is “Greenland: Then and Now.” All invited.
Ongoing:
The Grand Marais Summer Theater Festival, produced by the Grand Marais Playhouse, will be performing two plays in repertory through Aug. 13.
The Summer Theater Festival runs through Aug 13.
The plays and performance dates include:
- Four Old Broads will be performed July 27 & 29 and Aug. 4, 6, and 12
- Shout! The Mod Musical will be performed on July 28 & 30, Aug. 3, 5, 11 & 13
Tickets are available at the door and online. For more info, click here.
“Air — Openness,” the summer exhibition of the Grand Marais Art Colony, is on view at Studio 21.
Air-Openness is on view at Studio 21.
The Biggest Blueberry Contest continues through Aug. 13.
The Biggest Blueberry Contest on the Gunflint Trail continues through Aug 13.
For more info and weigh station locations, click here.
“Now That Summer Has Ended,” an exhibit on the second-floor balcony at the Grand Portage National Monument Heritage Center continues through Oct. 31.
Now That Summer Has Ended, an exhibit about winter activities at Grand Portage during the Fur Trade Era continues at the Heritage Center.
Viewers can learn about the ways people spent their winter at the time of the fur trade – work, survival, and even some leisure activities, during the harsh, dark, northern season. The exhibit is open daily. Free.
Kevin Kager, the Muffin Man, hosts story hour at Drury Lane Books every Saturday at 11 am.
Story Hour with the Muffin Man, at Drury Lane Books, 11 am Saturdays.
Exhibits:
Collage artist Cassandra Quinn is exhibiting her work at the Duluth Art Institute. Entitled “Birth, Afterbirth, Rebirth: Motherhood in the Time of AI,” Quinn’s work is inspired by personal experience, nature, and the supernatural. The hand-painted collages are dreamy and otherworldly.
Transmutation Milky Way, collage, by Cassandra Quinn is one of the pieces currently on view at the Duluth Art Institute.
Quinn says the work “invites viewers to reflect on their own experience of mothering: having been mothered, choosing to become or not become a mother, mothering outside of parenthood, caretaking in chosen families, pregnancy, pregnancy loss, and what self looks like on the other side of mothering.” The exhibit continues through Sept. 12.
At the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, “Wiigwas Manidoog Descendants” is the first solo exhibition of works by artist Helen Pelletier.
Ni Daanis, birchbark backpack 2023 by Helen Pelletier is one of the pieces on exhibit at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.
Her etched baskets, objects, garments, and accessories express her relationship with Wiigwas, or birchbark, and reflect her love for the land.
Upcoming:
The 94th annual Fisherman’s Picnic is Aug. 3-6 this year.
Fisherman’s Picnic will be held August 3-6 this year with many things to do and see. Find out more here.
In downtown Grand Marais, you’ll find music in Harbor Park, bingo, food trucks, craft sales, the loon calling contest, the cutest puppy contest, the rock-skipping contest, a fish toss, and more. There is also a Fisherman’s Picnic 5k Trail Run Saturday morning,
Fireworks are on Saturday night and the Fisherman’s Picnic Parade is at 1 pm Sunday. The Lions Club, which sponsored the event, holds a big raffle, including a grand prize of $10,000. For more information and to see the schedule of events, click here.
Artists at Work:
Thomas Spence will exhibit his photographs at Split Rock Lighthouse in September.
I am so grateful for all of it by Andy Ness.
Cook County Jail, Ink and watercolor by Bryan Hansel.
Weisman Art Museum on the University of Minnesota campus. Designed by Frank Gehry.
A drawing of the Weisman by Michael Birawer.
“Sunny Blues” by Laura Frykman is one of the pieces that will be in the State Fair Art Show this year. The State Fair opens Aug 23.
Online Findings:
Lee Staples, a Mille Lacs elder, and his assistant Chato Gonzales talk about the inner spirit, ceremony, and the importance of the Ojibwe language. Listen here.
How Canal Park in Duluth went from a Junk Yard to a Gem
What we now call the Lakewalk looked like this in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Duluth News Tribune photo. To see more photos of what the shoreline looked like, click here.
Online Music:
Live Music:
Thursday, July 27:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 7-9 pm
Friday, July 28:
- Stars of the North Music Festival, Downtown Grand Marais at Bear Tree Park
- Adam Kirsch, 12-1 pm
- Roxann Berglund, 1-2 pm
- Briand Morrison, 2-3 pm
- Fred Anderson Band, 3-4 pm
- Oversize Load, 4:30-6 pm
- Brothers in Arms, 6-7:30 pm
- The Splints, 7:30 – 9 pm
- Jim McGowan, Birch Terrace, 5-8 pm
- Joe Paulik, Pat Flack, and Friends, Gunflint Tavern, 6-9 pm
- John Kerns, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
Saturday, July 29:
- Jim McGowen, Senior Center Parking Lot, 10 am
- Stars of the North Music Festival, Downtown Grand Marais at Bear Tree Park
- Michelle Miller, 11-12 pm
- Michael Monroe, 12-1 pm
- Superior Siren, 1:15-2:30 pm
- The April Fools, 2:30-3:30 pm
- Rich Mattson and the North Stars, 4-5 pm
- Zulu Link, 5:30-6:30 pm
- Andre AKA the Jamaican, 6:45-7 pm
- The Evening Stars with special guests and area students from the GMMC student program, 7:30-9 pm
- 4 Shore, Birch Terrace, 4-8 pm
- Alex Zackary, Grand Portage Lodge & Casino, 5-7 pm
- Joe Paulik, Pat Flack, and Friends, Gunflint Tavern, 6-9 pm
- Free Falling: A tribute band to Tom Petty, Grand Portage Lodge & Casino, 7:30-9:30 pm
Sunday, July 30:
- Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille & Tap Room, 10-12 pm
- Joe Paulik, Raven’s Nest at Gunflint Tavern, 1-4 pm
- Maija Lindaas, Harbor Park, 1:30-3 pm
- Martha Marnocha, Harbor Park, 3-4:30 pm
- Side string band (featuring members of Black River Revue, Feeding Leroy, Sugar on the Roof, Tin Can Gin), North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
- Timmy Haus, Mogul’s Grille & Tap Room, 4-6 pm
- Scott Jasmin, Skyport Lodge, 4-7 pm
- Open Mic Hosted by Pete K, Up Yonder, 5-8 pm
Monday, July 31:
- John Gruber, Harbor Park, 1:30-3 pm
- Enno Limvere, Harbor Park, 3-4:30 pm
Tuesday, Aug 1:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 5:30-7:30 pm
Wednesday, Aug 2:
- Jim McGowan, Mogul’s Grille & Tap Room, 4-6 pm
Thursday, Aug 3:
- The Devils Kettle Band, Harbor Park Stage, 3-6 pm
- Dan Nelson Trio, Cascade Restaurant and Pub, 6-8 pm
- Open Stage / Street Dance hosted by Zulu Link, Harbor Park Stage, 7-10 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 7-9 pm
Friday, Aug 4:
- Zahir Orest, Senior Center Parking Lot, 10 am
- Jim McGowan, Harbor Park Stage, 11-12:30 pm
- North Shore Swing Band, Harbor Park Stage, 1-2:30 pm
- Drew Heinonen Trio, Harbor Park Stage, 3-6 pm
- Southpaws, Birch Terrace, 6-8 pm
- Street Dance with The Evening Stars, Harbor Park Stage, 7-9:30 pm
- Southpaws, Up Yonder on 61, 8-11:55 pm
Saturday, Aug 5:
- Zahir Orest, Senior Center Parking Lot, 10 am
- Roxann Berglund and Briand Morrison, Harbor Park Stage, 11-12:30 pm
- Frozen Britches (Tom VanCleve and Eric Hahn), Senior Center Parking Lot, 1-4 pm
- Josh Schmidt, Harbor Park Stage, 1-2:30 pm
- The Splints, Harbor Park Stage, 3-6 pm
- Portage, Birch Terrace, 4-7 pm
- Sky Blue Jazz, Skyport Lodge, 4-7 pm
- Street Dance with Mysterious Ways, Harbor Park Stage, 7-9 pm
- D.J. Birthday Gurl, Up Yonder, 9-11:59 pm
Sunday, Aug 6:
- North Shore Swing Band, Bethlehem Lutheran Church jazz service, 10-11 am
- Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille & Tap Room, 10-12 pm
- Adam Kirsch, Harbor Park, Noon-1 pm
- Joe Paulik, Raven’s Nest at Gunflint Tavern, 1-4 pm
- Briand Morrison, Harbor Park, 1:30-3 pm
- Boyd “Bump” Blomberg, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
- Shane Martin, Skyport Lodge, 4-7 pm
- Open Mic Hosted by Pete K, Up Yonder, 5-8 pm
Photographs:
We found quite a collection of photographs this week. Take a look:
Wildlife:
Morning on the Milkweed by Maryl Skinner.
A Leopard and a Black Panther spotted together. Photographer unknown.
I am not sure I want this in my onions or not, but I can appreciate it as our unique expression of life by Good Nature Farm.
Foxy forest friend by Chuck Olsen.
The pine beetles are getting frisky by Bryan Hansel.
Flowers & Plants:
Fireweed Pollinator by David Johnson.
Ghost plant, Monotropa uniflora by Kim Dayton.
Campanula glomerata and Lady’s Mantle in a meadow. Planting at Tait Lake by Alisa Berns.
The Lupine, scorned by many, adored by others, goes to seed by Layne Kennedy.
A Water Lily for your enjoyment by Bryan Hansel.
Potpourri:
Grand Marais at Night by Layne Kennedy.
The Queen Departs. The Paul R Tregurtha, the longest ship on the Great Lakes, departs Duluth by Nathan Klok.
With Rose Arrowsmith by Layne Kennedy.
Schooner Charley by Ryan Rumpca.
Landscapes, Rockscapes, Skyscapes & Waterscapes:
Northern Lights on the Gunflint by Dennis Chick.
Gunflint Lake lichen by Betty Hemstad.
Today’s ride by Bryan Hansel.
Good morning, Grand Marais by David Johnson.
The forest by Mount Josephine after a summer shower by Alison Healy.
Beaver River by the North Shore Explorer.
The wild and rugged coast of Lake Superior by Layne Kennedy.
Amazing Place by Christian Dalbec.
Happy Sunday by Bryan Hansel.
Summer Sunrise at Grand Marais by David Johnson.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Thank You! to everyone who has been supporting NorthShore ArtScene with your gifts and donations! We are so grateful.
We can only add that if you haven’t donated yet, today is a good day to show your support for ArtScene and the entire North Shore Arts Community.
Become a sustaining member or make a single gift today, whatever feels comfortable for you. And thank you! Click below to donate.
Also, a big Thank You! goes out to Jeremy Lopez, proofreading and technical support; Yvonne Mills, proofreading; and Kari Carter, photo caption corrections.
{ 0 comments… add one }