A Bohemian Waxwing and its gift from a Mountain Ash tree by Paul Sundberg.
Greetings from the North Shore, where we honor and are grateful for the gifts of the holiday season.
Below is another gift… a rare sighting of one of nature’s wonders—a red and white squirrel, captured by David Johnson on one of his forays in the woods. Thank you, David!
Red squirrel dressed in holiday splendor by David Johnson.
And this week, there are a variety of fun things to do.
First up is Art Night at Joy and Company. This week, participants can decorate a canvas-covered notebook or sketchbook with their designs.
Paint the cover of a canvas-covered notebook at Joy and Company this week.
Instruction and paints will be provided. Notebooks and sketchbooks are for sale at the shop, but participants are invited to bring their own, too, if they wish. There are new hours for Art Night this winter: it will be held from 3:30-5 pm on Thursdays. Open to all. Free, with a suggested donation.
On Friday, painter Jayne Richards opens a retrospective show at the Johnson Heritage Post entitled “Spirit of Place.”
Jayne Richards opens an exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post with a reception from 5-7 pm Friday.
“Spirit of Place” refers to the unique, distinctive, and cherished aspects of a place – what it is that makes a place special. In her retrospective exhibit, Richards explores what that means to her with work both old and new. The opening reception is from 5-7 pm, and refreshments will be served. The exhibit continues through Jan. 7.
The Heritage Post is open from 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Sunday. Free.
Also on Friday, Tim Cochrane, local author of “Making the Carry: The Lives of John and Tchi-Ki-Wis Linklater” will be at the Grand Marais Public Library for a read-aloud of “The Mystery of Mary Bruneau: and Other Untold Isle Royale Stories” from 6-7:30 pm on Friday, Dec. 15.
Author Tim Cochrane will read from a new manuscript at the Grand Marais Public Library on Friday at 6 pm.
Cochrane has recently submitted this draft for publication at The University of Minnesota Press and is excited to debut excerpts with the community about the forgotten people and events at Isle Royale in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Linda LeGarde Grover, author of Gichigami Hearts: Stories and Histories from Misaabekong, has described Cochrane’s Making the Carry as “well-researched and touching.” These new stories should be just as captivating. The event is free. All invited.
Grand Marais photographer, Chuck Olsen, will debut an online stream of his latest photography project, “Seasonal Photography in the Superior National Forest” starting at 7 pm Friday.
Chuck Olsen hosts an online photography exhibit on Dec. 15 at 7 pm. See it here.
For the project, which was funded by a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, Olsen took photos from April through November at three different locations in the Superior National Forest. The online exhibit will also include some of his other work. The event is free and everyone is invited to see it. Click here or here to view.
In Duluth raku artists Richard Gruchalla and Carrin Rosetti will hold an Open Studio at their Duluth location, 1600 London Road, throughout the week.
Richard Gruchalla and Carrin Rosetti will hold an open studio in Duluth this week at 1600 London Road in Duluth.
Look for award-winning raku pottery and weavings by Carrin Rosetti at the event.
Saturday is the 2023 Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count.
Yellow Warbler. Photo by Monica Bryand.
Both feeder watchers and walking/driving birders are needed for the bird count. This is always a great time for bird lovers to find out what’s in their neighborhoods. To volunteer, contact Jeremy Ridlbauer at 218-370-0733 or sundew@boreal.org. Free, and it should be warm!
Also on Saturday, Dappled Fern Fibers will hold the weekly Fiber Circle at the shop. This free, drop-in group is a great place to work on easy projects and connect with other fiber folks in the area.
Dappled Fern Fibers will hold a Fiber Circle from 10 am to noon on Saturday, a weekly event in the winter.
Dappled Fern is a local yarn shop offering a curated collection of high-end yarn, tools, and gifts. It offers a place to make, gather, and be. Knitting instruction is not provided in this group, so bring a simple project that doesn’t take much thought. Slip into this comfortable space for a cozy morning. Saturdays, 10 am – noon. No sign-up is needed. All fiber arts are welcome.
And last, but not least, join the Grand Marais Film Society at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 4 pm for a Special holiday film. Costumes encouraged.
The Grand Marais Film Society will present a Family Holiday Film at the ACA at 4 pm on Saturday.
Hint: This film is about a big city, a narwhal and a snowball fight. Open to all. Free.
The Cook County Curling Club is offering two Open Curling sessions each week this winter.
There is Open Curling at the Community Center two times a week this winter.
The event is a fun, relaxing, and no-pressure curling. Instruction and equipment are provided. To participate, all you need is a pair of clean athletic shoes (no dirt or gravel in the treads), comfortable easy-to-move-in clothing, and a light jacket or sweater. Fleece works well. Note: the first two attended nights are free.
Next Thursday, Dec. 21, the annual Winter Solstice Shadow Puppet Show will be held outside at North House Folk School at 6 pm with live music. Afterward, there will be a bonfire to toss in your Gloomies followed by a community potluck. The theme this year is Chickadees. Free and open to all. Stay tuned for details next week.
Exhibits:
The Tweed Museum of Art is hosting the 64th Arrowhead Regional Biennial this year. Look for a wide variety of exciting work in different media.
The 64th Arrowhead Biennial is currently on view at the Tweed Museum of Art.
Artists selected by judge Aya Kawaguchi include: David Austin, Karlyn Berg, Cyrus Carlson, Steven Carlyle Moore, Rachel Coyne, Wynn Davis, Luke Erickson, Peter Giebink, Lindsy Halleckson, Ralph Hanggi, Amanda Hanlon, Monica Ihrke, Richard C. Johnson, Stefanie Kiihn, Zachary Leonard, Eric Lewiston, Eric Lunde, Kim Matthews, Scott Murphy, Polly Norman, Isaiah Okongo, Karen Owsley Nease, Laura Ruprecht, Lissa Scotland, Juliane Shibata, Kathy Snow Stratton, and Anda Tanaka. The exhibit continues through Feb. 3. The Tweed is located on the campus of UMD.
Jonathan Thunder’s exibit at the Nease Gallery in Duluth closes on Saturday.
“Modern Times,” acrylic on canvas, by Jonathan Thunder. His exhibit at the Joseph Nease Gallery in downtown Duluth closes Saturday.
Thunder’s exihibit, “Liminal Vignette,” has been a journey through surreal landscapes and thought-provoking narratives. His unique blend of contemporary mediums and traditional Ojibwe stories has captivated visitors, leaving a lasting impression on all who have walked through our gallery doors. As we near the end of this remarkable exhibit, we encourage you not to miss this final opportunity to experience Thunder’s visionary artistry.
In Thunder Bay, bead artist Jean Marshall is exhibiting work at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.
Jean Marshall’s beadwork on moose hide is currently on view at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. Pictured is Wabooz (Rabbit).
Her work is featured at the entrances to Gallery 2 and includes a trio of hand-tanned moose hides, each decorated with an important tie to nature. Accompanying the tanned hides is a gardener’s bandolier bag.
The Grand Hill Gallery Holiday Show opens Dec. 14 and runs through Dec. 30. Grand Marais plein air painter Neil Sherman will have works in the show.
Neil Sherman will exhibit in the Grand Hill Gallery Holiday Show.
The opening reception is from 6:30-9 pm Dec. 14. The gallery is located at 333 Grand Ave. in St. Paul.
Opportunities:
The Lake Superior Writers has put out a call for volunteers to serve on the Northeast Minnesota Book Awards committee.
Lake Superior Writers has put out a call for volunteers to serve on the NEMBA Committee.
Lake Superior Writers, which is based in Duluth, took over management of this awards program in 2022, led by a committee of volunteers. The committee meets monthly on the fourth Monday of the month via Zoom.
For more than 30 years, the Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards has honored books that capture the spirit of this region. This unique program selects winners and honorable mentions in six different categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Children’s Literature, Middle Grade/Young Adult, and Memoir.
The planning process for the 2024 awards has started and the organization is seeking individuals who love our region and want to help promote authors who tell our stories, and who enjoy planning or taking on tactical tasks. Applicants with fundraising experience would be particularly welcome to help grow this program. LSW is also looking for someone who would like to take on a co-chair position. Anyone willing to commit time to keep these awards alive is welcome to reach out, as well.
Complete information about the awards can be found here.
To volunteer, email NEMBA@lakesuperiorwriters.org
Upcoming:
Maria Nickolay will hold a CD release concert at the Hovland Town Hall on Dec. 27.
Maria Nickolay will have a CD release concert at the Hovland Town Hall on Dec. 27. The concert starts at 7 pm.
Her highly-anticipated EP, Wolves, is a fusion of folk-rock artistry and soulful storytelling. Exploring themes of longing, loss, and perseverance in collaboration with some of Belfast’s finest musicians.
Raised in the forests of Northern Minnesota, Maria’s music was influenced by genre-defying songwriters such as Glen Hansard, Bonnie Raitt & Dave Matthews. Her story of emigrating across the sea to her new home in Northern Ireland is an inseparable part of her musical journey as she seeks to illuminate stories of the soul through song.
Artists At Work:
Untitled, detail, acrylic, by Martin DeWitt.
First marks made in new studio by Eric Dubnicka.
Kīwētin ahtahk, The North Star, acrylic on canvas by Christi Belcourt.
Getting into the spirit daily! Santa was spotted on a frozen Gunflint Lake during practice runs on the US/Canada border by Layne Kennedy.
Quite a dramatic change in the colors in today’s light by Mary Beams.
Detail from “Chibiboz miinawaa Ogozisan” by Robert DesJarlait.
A painting collection by Andy Ness.
Mark Attridge, acrylic, by Jan Attridge.
Handprinting looks a lot like this by Jill Levene.
Online Findings:
For bass players: An interview with Jaco Pastorius:
Online Music:
On the Road Again…with a euphonium!
Live Music:
Thursday, Dec 14:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
Friday, Dec 15:
Saturday, Dec 16:
- Jim Miller, Lutsen Lodge, 6:30-9 pm
Tuesday, Dec 19:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- Open Mic Hosted by Pete K, Up Yonder, 6-9 pm
Thursday, Dec 21:
- John Gruber, Moguls Grille & Taproom, 4-6 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
- North Shore Swing Band, Up Yonder, 7-9 pm
Friday, Dec 22:
- Pat Eliasen, Moguls Grille & Taproom, 4-6 pm
Saturday, Dec 23:
- The Honest Heart Collective, Up Yonder, 8-11:55 pm
Sunday, Dec 24:
- Briand Morrison, Moguls Grille & Taproom, 10 – noon
Photographs:
Here’s a selection of the photos we found this week:
Wildlife:
Ducks Unlimited used this photograph by Michael Furtman on its Christmas message to members.
He stopped for a couple of photos by David Johnson.
Bohemian Waxwings enjoying the feast.
What the hell? by Jim Boyd.
Bohemian Waxwings arrive for the harvest.
Squinting in the snow by Roxanne Distad.
Pine martens putting on a good show by Hayes Scriven.
Bear in a wood pile by Pavel Vyakin, Russia.
Grey Wolf in heavy snowfall, Finland, by Niko Pekonen.
Hello friend! Photo courtesy of birdsonearth.
Cranes in Kenya by Suman Saha.
Apostle Bird, courtesy of birdsonearth.
A Pileated Woodpecker in French River by Frank Sander.
Cold morning! by Siffy Torkildson.
Great Gray Owl by Sparky Stensaas.
Potpourri:
Sunday is Laundry Day by Stacy Morgan.
Eight inches of clear ice by Michael Furtman.
Someone left a glove at the post office It’s worked so hard it’s about to become a Real Person. It’s loaded with history. Photo by Mary Beams.
Sundown on the Indian Rock by Callie Vannet Estrada.
Vertigo by Kim Dayton.
Antler ceiling light, Clearwater Lodge by Layne Kennedy.
The Catch, Steve Sve, by Christian Dalbec.
Those lines! by Tor Torkildson.
Dog nose, courtesy of Julie Deters.
Landscapes, Skyscapes, Rockscapes & Beautyscapes:
The beauty of winter’s light, Grand Marais, by Layne Kennedy.
Three elders and friends by Judy Gray.
Devil’s Track Lake ice out by Christmas? by Terry Backlund.
Red Rock Beach by Don Davison, the Carlson homestead.
The Lift Bridge and Bentleyville by Hayes Scriven.
Feeling the energy surrounding this lone tree in the cattails by Judy Gray.
Lake Superior magic by Roxanne Distad.
All we need is some snow by David Johnson.
Devil’s Kettle by Siffy Torkildson.
Magnetic Rock by Jennifer Schulz.
Out and about on the UP by Sandra Updike.
Photo of the Little Spirit Cedar Tree in Grand Portage from an old North Shore tourist brochure, courtesy of Dan Helmerson.
The day begins by Jay DeCoux.
The Magic of Washington Pines by Layne Kennedy.
The Baptism River in early winter by Gail Murton.
Forest Sunset by Chuck Olsen.
Beauty in Grand Marais by Tyler Godes.
The Splendor of December by Maryl Skinner.
Good night by Mary Lou Williams.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
And please consider making a year-end donation to NorthShore ArtScene this week. We so appreciate and need your support. Thank you!
Here are the people who helped make this blog possible: Jeremy Lopez, Live Music Schedule, proofreading and technical advice; Yvonne Mills, proofreading and Kari Carter, photo captions and research. Thank you!
{ 0 comments… add one }