Art Along the Lake, Basket week & More

Greetings from the North Shore, where peak color is everywhere, and it’s probably fair to say that peak art is everywhere, too, as the Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour continues, plus lots more to see and do this week.

This extraordinary tour features 29 open studios and galleries featuring work by artists in every media. The studios offer refreshments and a chance to meet the artists and learn more about their work. Here are just a few examples of what you will see.

The studios and galleries are open from 10 am to 5 pm daily through Sunday, Oct. 7.

For more information about the tour, a video, and maps, click here.

This is also Basket Week at North House Folk School with lots of opportunities for the public to engage in and learn about basketmaking, a fundamental craft around the world.

Simple tools, natural materials, and skilled hands result in purposeful, beautiful items. Birch bark, spruce root, pine needles, black ash—the northern forest has been generous to basketmakers, and we’ll explore a variety of techniques and forms.

This year, North House welcomes back international guest instructor Steen Madsen. Steen is a remarkable basketmaker from Ringstead, Denmark who has been weaving with willow since 1979.

A film about basket making in Sweden will be screened on Thursday at 7 pm, and All-day Demonstrations are set for Friday. On Saturday, guest instructor Steen Madsen will speak about making big baskets at 7 pm. All the events will be held on the North House campus and are free and open to the public. For more information, click here.

There are lots of other events happening this weekend too.

Joy and Company will hold Art Night from 3:30-5 pm on Thursday. It is White Box night, and participants can pick up a box filled with a variety of art supplies to make something beautiful. The event is free, with a suggested $5 donation.

Also on Thursday, the Grand Marais Farmer’s Market will be held at the Cook County Community Center parking lot from 4:30-6 pm.

Look for tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, lettuce, and other fall vegetables as well as apples and squash. The market also features baked goods, fresh flowers, and more. SNAP accepted.

It’s Trivia Night at Up Yonder on Thursday, too. The event is from 6-8 pm and is free. Prizes. Open to all.

Starting on Friday and running through the weekend,  jewelers Billy and Barry will be in the Back Yard at Joy and Company to do jewelry demos and make custom creations from 10 am to 5 pm each day.

The public is invited to watch the demos and/or pick out and design their very own pendant or ring. Open to all.

On Saturday, the Cook County Market will be held in the parking lot of the Hub from 10 am to 2 pm. The market features a variety of arts and crafts created by local residents.

Look for everything from chainsaw sculptures, jewelry, paintings, glasswork, pottery and more. Open to all.

The Scruffy Dog Vintage Emporium will hold a Grand Opening on Saturday. The public is invited to celebrate the new store.

“We’ve been working hard on the space—it’s less scruffy and has more treasures for you to discover,” writes Annie Possis, who works with Annette Block-Valdivia, who is the owner.

“And,” Possis continues, “why ARE vintage finds like scruffy dogs? Well, they’re one of a kind, of uncertain parentage, their age is often unknown, they might be a little banged up but still adorable and lovable, and they need good homes.”

“We’ll have treats and hourly drawings for prizes…not to mention actual scruffy dogs on hand.”

The public is invited.

Don Luce, a retired curator from the Bell Museum, will be an artist-in-residence for the Gunflint Trail Historical Society, at the Chik-Wauk Museum this fall.

In retirement, Luce has pursued his long-standing interests in painting natural landscapes and ecological conservation. The focus of his residency will be exploring the shorelines of lakes through his paintings. In particular, he is interested in comparing the shorelines affected by storms and fire, with those that have escaped disturbance.

Luce has also illustrated books and publications and has taught drawing classes with a natural history focus. On Saturday, he will teach a workshop at the Seagull Community Center from 10 am until noon.

He writes: “In this informal workshop, we will explore bones, skulls, pinecones, rocks, and other objects from nature through the process of drawing. We will hone our observation skills using drawing techniques that awaken the right side of our brains. There will also be an opportunity to discuss the natural history of the objects at hand. Feel free to bring your own objects to draw and discuss.’

The cost is $25/person if you are a member of the Gunflint Trail Historical Society or $35/person for non-members. All materials will be provided.

Also on Saturday, there will be a presentation by members of the Historical Alliance of Cook County entitled “Storytelling from the Back Roads of Cook County”.

The event is free and members of the Cook County Historical Society, the Gunflint Trail Historical Society, the Tofte Historical Society, and the Schroeder Area Historical Society will speak. Open to all.

The Temperance Traders will hold an Octoberfest Happy Hour from 4-7 pm on Saturday.

The event will feature live music, drinks, and a chance to see what Temperance Traders is offering, including plants and gardening supplies.

At 6 pm on Saturday, author and adventurer Andrew Keith will give an Author Talk at Drury Lane Books. He will discuss the 2nd edition of his book,  “Afloat Again, Adrift”.

Three major continental watersheds originate in northern Minnesota: the Mississippi River, flowing South to the Gulf of Mexico; rivers and lakes flowing North to Hudson Bay; and waters flowing East through the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. In ‘Afloat Again, Adrift’, author Keith chronicles three separate summer-long trips, two by canoe and one by sea kayak, downstream along these routes– each journey offering unique experiences and companions. Filled with heart, adventure, and inspiration, this is a fascinating and fun read that any outdoor enthusiast will enjoy.

Book signing and great conversation to follow the talk.

Keith was raised in the Twin Cities near the Mississippi River. Although he has paddled, biked, and hiked far and wide, he somehow always returns to this Land of Lakes. Presently, he resides on the North Shore of Lake Superior.

The public is invited.

Exhibits:

Grand Marais Plein Air, an exhibit of paintings by members of the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota continues at the Johnson Heritage Post through Sunday.

The exhibit features a wide variety of work from regional artists including paintings in oil, watercolor, and gouache. In all, more than 250 paintings are being exhibited in this show.

The Heritage Post is open from 10 am-4 pm Wednesday through Saturday and from 1-4 pm Sunday. Free.

An exhibit entitled Muxe 12×12 Member Show continues in Studio 21.

Art Colony members were invited to make a piece that was 12 inches x 12 inches for the exhibit, any media. It will be on view through October 19.

Watercolor artist Margie Helstrom is exhibiting work in the Grand Marais Art Colony‘s Gallery Store through Oct. 6.

She is one of four Arrowhead artists who were offered the opportunity to show in the location this summer.

Painter Katherine Boyce has recently opened an exhibit in the Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park.

The exhibit continues until the end of the month.

In Duluth, a new exhibit entitled “The 11th Hour” has opened at the Zeitgeist Arts Cafe featuring works by 36 local and regional artists.

The exhibit continues through December and is highly recommended.

This is the last week to see the current exhibits at the Duluth Art Institute, including work by sculptors Gary and MaryAnn Carlson.

In this show, the artists fashion together unlikely objects that build a story in their exhibit at the Duluth Art Institute: Our Journey of Synthesis.” The sculptures are sometimes mysterious, sometimes humorous, always provoking the viewer to see the beauty in ordinary objects. Their work starts with collecting items both human-made and natural: faded artifacts, defunct technology, vintage toys and tools, and sticks and stones. The objects are deconstructed, rearranged, and reassembled using techniques from welding to sewing to gluing to fastening with hardware.

The exhibit continues through Oct. 11.

 Upcoming:

The Grand Marais Art Colony will hold an Open Studio to make bowls for Empty Bowls from 5-8 pm on Thursday, Oct. 10.

The event is free. To sign up, click here.

The Grand Marais Apple Festival will be held from Oct. 17-19 this year in a number of different locations.

Here are the events

• Oct. 17:  5-6:30 pm, Taste the latest University of Minnesota apple varieties, enter or watch the pie baking contest, win an apple tree. All events are at The Hub.
• Oct. 18:  4-7 pm., learn apple cider pressing and make apple hats: North House Folk School
• Oct. 19: 10 am to 4 pm, visit or pick your own apples at two orchards in town run by Ray Block and Stan Bautch.

Note: This 6th year of the Apple Festival is sponsored by Carolyn Dry’s Johnny Appleseed Project.

 Artists At Work:

 

Online Findings:

Online Music:

Photographs:

 Here’s a selection from the photographs we found this week:

Wildlife:

Potpourri: 

Landscapes, Waterscapes and Cloudscapes:

Have a great weekend, everyone!

And don’t forget to show your support for NorthShore ArtScene this week. Your contributions let us know that you appreciate all the hard work that goes into ArtScene every week, and it keeps us solvent.
It’s also a way to say Thank you to those who help make this blog possible: Jeremy Lopez, Live Music Schedule, tech advice; Yvonne Mills, proofreading and Kari Carter, captions.