An Aurora dome over Artist Point. Photo by David Johnson.
Greetings from the North Shore where, honestly, we might all be feeling a little “Ho Hum,” about photographs of the Northern Lights, since we’ve been shown so many of them over the last week.
I agree, but you might not have seen the ones we feature here because they’re by local photographers shooting (mostly) from familiar places on the North Shore. Plus, they’re so beautiful.
Enjoy!
Northern Lights this weekend by Kim Nelson.
The Ultimate Light Show by Dennis Chick. (Taken in the Twin Cities.)
Northern Lights, County Wicklow, Ireland by Michele Miller. (Taken in Ireland.)
That was fun! by Hayes Scriven.
Wowsa by Jamie Strickland.
The Wow Factor, by David Johnson.
Color and art are definitely a pair, but there are other ways to create on paper– charcoal. That’s what the theme will be in this week’s Art Night at Joy and Company.
Art Night will feature a chance to experiment with charcoal sketching.
Sketching with charcoal is easy, quick, and expressive and participants will be able to experiment with several different techniques using charcoal pencils. Art Night is held from 3:30-5 pm on Thursday in the shop. It is free, with a suggested $5 donation. Open to the public.
Also on Thursday evening, artist Tanya Piatz, who is exhibiting her work at the Johnson Heritage Post, will give an Artist’s Talk there from 5-6:30 pm.
Tanya Piatz will give an Artist’s Talk at the Johnson Heritage Post at 5 pm on May 16.
Piatz focuses on raising awareness for habitat conservation, and how the habitat directly impacts the diversity of species found in the environment. She does this by illustrating birds that we see every day, as well as lesser-known species that are found on Minnesota’s DNR’s “Species of Special Concern” list. Her exhibit at the Heritage Post continues through May 19.
The event is free and open to all.
And finally, the North Shore Swing Band will play at Up Yonder for Third Thursday Jazz Night from 7-9 pm.
The North Shore Swing Band will perform at Up Yonder on Thursday from 7-9 pm. Free.
This is always a great show. The band is known for its outstanding dance music and great jazz arrangements. Free.
On Friday, the Grand Marais Public Library will host a presentation by Let’s Plant Trees, a newly formed nonprofit based in Lutsen.
Let’s Plant Trees presentation will be at the library on Friday from 5-7 pm.
Let’s Plant Trees assists property owners with reforestation by providing free native Minnesota tree seedlings, along with information about how, when, and where to plant them. They also coordinate volunteer tree planting projects in Minnesota, by partnering with other organizations and property owners.
For this presentation, they will emphasize why we should plant trees and how they benefit the climate. Additionally, they will provide information on what kind of trees thrive in Cook County, as well as how to set your trees up for success in a warming climate that brings pests, blights, and other stressors to our boreal forests.
They will also have a limited number of seedlings available for free or for a donation to their cause. Visit their website www.letsplanttrees.org to check out the species that will be available.
The presentation will be from 5-7 pm on Friday. Free and open to the public.
Saturday will be busy.
First up is the Plant Sale and Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser at Great Expectations School.
The annual Plant Sale and Pancake Breakfast will be held at Great Expectations School from 8 am to 1 pm on Saturday, May 18.
This is always a highly anticipated sale for Cook County gardeners. The Plant Sale features a great selection of vegetable varieties, flowers, and herbs. The event runs from 8 am to 1 pm. The public is invited.
The Community Rummage Sale at the Cook County Community Center is also on Saturday.
The Community Rummage Sale will be held at the Cook County Community Center on Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm.
This community event always features a great selection of items, from clothing to furniture, tools, and odds and ends. Open to all. It runs from 10 am to 3 pm. Call 218-387-3015 for more info.
And finally, it’s Grand Marais Ole Opry night at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts on Saturday night.
Dusty Heart with Barbara Jean Meyers and Molly Dean will perform at the Grand Marais Ole Opry at the ACA on May 18. The event features a variety of great acts and starts at 7 pm.
This year’s Opry features headliners Honky-Tonk Jump, playing Texas dance hall music in the tradition of Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Ernest Tubb, and Spade Cooley, with a sprinkling of Hank Williams and other early honky-tonk legends. Check out Honky-Tonk Jump here:
The duo Dusty Heart (Barbara Jean Meyers and Molly Dean, with Mike Lewis) open the show, combining rich vocal harmonies with intimate layers of guitar, fiddle, and banjo. Rounding out the evening are local talents, guitarist Mark Zierath, and Bump and Grace Blomberg. The fun starts at 7 pm at the ACA. Tickets are $18 for general admission. They are for sale in advance at northshoremusicassociation.com and at the door starting at 6 pm. Everyone is invited to enjoy this great evening of music.
If you’re going to be in Duluth on Saturday or Sunday, painter Aaron Kloss, who exhibits his work at Sivertson Gallery, will be at Fitger’s Brewery for Art Fest this weekend.
North Shore Excursion Triptych, acrylic, by Aaron Kloss. He will be showing his work at Fitger’s Art Fest, May 18-19.
Kloss will have new work as well as prints and will join other local artists for the event. The Art Fest is from 11 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday. The public is invited.
The Northern Lights Pottery Group will hold an Open House in its new studio in the Betsy Bowen Studio and Gallery building from 2-4 pm on Sunday.
Northern Lights Pottery Group to hold Open House on Sunday, May 19
The group includes Ann Ward, Bob Tamanaha, and Joan Farnam.
Also on Sunday, May 19, the Violence Prevention Center will hold its annual fundraiser at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. The event is entitled: Beyond the Reel.
The annual Violence Prevention Center fundraiser is May 19 at the ACA.
This annual fundraiser is an opportunity to enjoy live music, refreshments, and a screening of a film that aligns with the VPC’s mission to foster a community that cultivates healthy relationships, empowers systems to serve individuals with equity and compassion, and does not tolerate violence.
This year’s film explores the life and times of cultural anthropologist Esther Newton, whose work has inspired generations of LGBTQ and gender studies activists and scholars. Here’s the trailer:
The event is open to all. Tickets at the door are $25. Student rates are available.
Exhibits:
This is the last weekend to see the exhibit, Species of Special Concern, featuring drawings by Tanya Piatz at the Johnson Heritage Post.
Connecticut Warbler by Tanya Piatz is one of the drawings on exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post. The exhibit continues through May 19.
In Duluth, the Prøve Collective, 21 N. Lake Ave., is opening an exhibit of student photographs with an opening reception from 5-7 pm on Friday.
Duluth Air Show. Photograph by Arthur Goodman.
John Hitchcock, Shields, Two-sided, suspended from ceiling Ribbons flow to the ground is currently on view at the Tweed Museum of Art.
Spirit Bear, acrylic on Canvas, by Willow Chikane, Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School.
Call for artists to submit work to exhibit at North Shore Health.
Paintings, photography, fiber art, mosaic, sculpture, and mixed media; essentially artwork that can be displayed on walls or atop pedestals, is of interest. The art will be displayed in the lobby, registration area, hallways and other public areas of NSH. There are over 300 lineal feet of various spaces available, allowing for multiple pieces to be displayed.
Questions and submissions can be directed to Todd Ford at 218-387-3508 or email at Todd.Ford@northshorehealthgm.org. The pieces can be for sale. NSH does not charge a commission.
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council is seeking board members.
ARAC is looking for representatives in the following locations:
- Aitkin County representative
- Carlton County representative
- Cook County representative
- Duluth representative
- Fond du Lac nation representative
- Student Liaison
The ARAC Board of Directors is the governing body of the organization – primarily ensuring financial health and providing strategic direction.
Apply by June 7, 2024, to be considered for this fiscal year (FY25).
For more information and to apply, click here.
Upcoming:
Next week is Memorial Day Weekend, with lots of things to see and do. Here’s a brief selection:
A Full Moon Reading will be held at Drury Lane Books by the bonfire on the beach on Thursday, May 23.
A Full Moon Reading will be held at Drury Lane Books from 6-8 pm on Thursday, May 23.
Participants are invited to read a poem (or two), a passage from a book, or tell a story. Open to all.
On Saturday, May 25, the Cook County Market opens for the season at 10 am in the parking lot of The Hub.
The Cook Market opens for the season on Saturday, May 25 in the parking lot of The Hub.
More than 20 vendors have signed up to sell and display their work this year. All are local artists and make everything from rock art, jewelry, pottery, paintings, and more. Look for old favorites and new artists this year. The market runs from 10 am to 2 pm every Saturday through MEA weekend. All welcome.
Also on Saturday, Fisherman’s Daughter will hold a Herring Fest from 11 am to 4 pm.
Fisherman’s Daughter will host Herrng Fest from 11 am to 4 pm May 25.
Look for a fish toss competition, fish cakes and fish chowder, live music, local artist displays, and, of course, herring. Open to all just outside the restaurant.
Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center on the Gunflint Trail opens for the season next weekend, too.
Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center opens for the season on May 25.
The museum has a number of new displays this year, including one featuring local authors Tim Cochrane and Staci Drouillard. The museum is open daily through Oct. 20. To find out more, click here.
For mountain biking fans, the Le Grand Du Nord Gravel Cycling Classic is May 25 as well, with lots of alternative routes for participants.
Le Grand Du Nord Gravel Classic is May 25. For more info, click here. Photo by Josh Kowaleski.
The race starts in downtown Grand Marais and then tours through the Sawtooth Mountains before dropping back to the shores of Lake Superior. The award ceremony and after-party is at Voyageur’s Brewing Co. Registration is still open. Click here for details.
The Solstice Pageant Puppet Workshops will begin on Tuesday, May 28 at the Cook County Community Center with a Kick-off Party from 6-8 pm. All invited.
The schedule for the workshops is Tuesday to Friday 3-8 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10-1 pm and 3-8 pm. There are no workshops on Mondays.
Workshops to make puppets for the Solstice Pageant start May 28 and are open to all. Photo courtesy of the Harbor Hill Players.
The Summer Solstice Pageant will be performed at North House Folk School at 8 pm June 22. For more information about the workshops email info@goodharborhillplayers.org
Artists at Work:
Round Things by Mary Beams.
Carved stoneware vases for my wood-firing in a couple of weeks by David Vorhees.
Bea Kennedy Klinker, 3, fastens her shoes before the Sunny Day dance performance at the ACA last week. Photo by Kelsey Kennedy.
Online Findings:
The free app, Radio Garden, allows users to listen to live radio stations all around the world.
A free app, called Radio Garden, allows you to listen to radio stations around the world. Click here to explore the world of music on Earth.
Click here to try another station out.
Online Music:
Live Music:
Thursday, May 16:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
- North Shore Swing Band, Up Yonder, 7-9 pm
- Open Old Time Appalachian Music Jam, Community Center, 7-9:30 pm
Friday, May 17:
- John Kerns, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
Saturday, May 18:
- Grand Marais Ole Opry VII, Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 7 pm
- Unity DJ, Up Yonder, 8-11:59 pm
Tuesday, May 21:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- Open Stage, Up Yonder, 6-9 pm
Thursday, May 23:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
- Bump Blomberg, Gunflint Tavern’s Rooftop Bar, 6-9 pm
Friday, May 24:
- Frequency Rising, Gunflint Tavern’s Rooftop Bar, 7-11 pm
- Pete Kavanaugh, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
Saturday, May 25:
- Medicine River, Gunflint Tavern’s Rooftop Bar, 7-10 pm
Sunday, May 26:
- Joe Paulik, Gunflint Tavern’s Rooftop Bar, 6-9 pm
Photographs:
Here’s a selection of photographs we found this week:
Wildlife:
A Baltimore Oriole visit by Eva Hanson.
Happy Mother’s Day by David Johnson.
Another spring visitor. A Rose-breasted Grosbeak by David Johnson.
Palm Warbler by David Johnson.
Wildflowers:
Daffodils Are Loving This Spring by Jim Boyd.
Spring Beauty by Trish Francis.
Bog adventures, a Pitcher Plant by Trish Francis.
Birds-eye Primrose, is a rare flower in Minnesota. It is normally found in the Arctic by Chuck Olsen.
Potpourri:
Ryan with his catch — a Steelhead. Photo by Bob Tamanaha.
First campfire of the year by Michael Furtman.
Hjørdis homecoming by Andy Keith. Book a sail on the Hjordis here.
More Aurorascapes:
Best in 20 years by Greg Fangel.
Pinks dancing across the sky by Sawbill Canoe Outfitters.
Prince homage from the skies this morning by Chuck Olsen.
This doesn’t even begin to show how the light shimmered overhead by Bob King.
Aurora by Paul Sundberg.
Northern Lights in Big Pine Key, Fla., May 10 by Ron Jarrell.
The Sky Is Still Feeling Fancy Tonight by Erika Ternes.
Landscapes, Skyscapes, Waterscapes, Rockscapes & Treescapes:
Prairie thunderstorm building on the edges of Custer State Park in the Black Hills, South Dakota by Layne Kennedy.
My neighbor’s dock by Michael Furtman.
Just before 6 am by Sandra Updyke.
A White Pine in the Superior National Forest by Roxanne Distad.
Milky Way over Split Rock Lighthouse by John Gregor.
Reflections in the Black Hills by Bryan Hansel.
A sunset from the shore by Siffy Torkildson.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Note: If you enjoyed NorthShore ArtScene this week, please consider contributing. We value your support and depend on it to keep providing art news, music, and photographs to you every week. Thank you!
We also want to acknowledge our friends who helped make this issue possible, including Jeremy Lopez (the Live Music Schedule, tech support, and music suggestions), Yvonne Mills (proofreading), and Kari Carter (caption editing and research.) WTIP’s Phil Oswald recommended some music selections. Thank you all.
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