Winter

Greetings from the North Shore, where we might not have huge amounts of snow, but ice sculptures and frosted windows tell their own winter tales.

The shoreline of the Big Lake is pretty spectacular at this time of year, too.

And the mysteries of lake ice:

This week is marked by lots of live music, a concert, art opportunities, and a new exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post.

First up is Art Night at Joy and Company. The event, which is held from 3:30-5 pm each week, offers the public an opportunity to experiment with the wide variety of art supplies available at the shop.

This week, the topic is Stencils/Embossing/Metal Leaf and instruction on creating with these materials will be offered. Art Night is free, with a suggested $5 donation. Open to all.

On Friday, an exhibit entitled “100 Years of Art,” featuring works from the Johnson Heritage Post‘s Permanent Collection, opens with a reception from 5-7 pm.

The exhibit kicks off the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the  Cook County Historical Society.

This should be an extraordinary exhibit. The Heritage Post has an extensive collection of works by Cook County artists that it has been collecting since the 1920s. The public is invited. Refreshments will be served.

Also on Friday, a new film series will start at the Cook County Community Center. Entitled “Films on Fridays,” the series features classic films that are in the public domain. Many are black and white – noir – murder/mystery/comedy/western movies and are free. The screenings are at 6 pm.

The first film is “Charade” with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.

The next film in the series will be screened on Friday, Jan. 24. Stay tuned.

Friday also marks the first day of the Norpine Fat Bike Classic on trails in Cook County. The event features biking, mulled wine at the North Shore Winery, a Dark Sky Tour, BBQ at Cascade Lodge Restaurant, local beer from Voyageur Brewing Co., fat bike demos, and more.

Note: Due to icy trail conditions, studded tires are now required for the Norpine Race. Looking at the forecast, the icy conditions are expected to remain.

Also because of the icy conditions,  registration fees have been lowered to $10.  Learn more and sign up here: https://superiorcycling.org/norpine/

The event continues through Sunday. To see the schedule, click here.

Live music is the theme of the day for Saturday with a performance at the public library and a concert at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts.

 Dennis Warner and the D’s will play at the Grand Marais Public Library from 11 am to noon on Saturday.

Warner, a singer/songwriter,  draws on his years of stage experience to create a warm, welcoming, and intimate concert. He has a wealth of performance experience with concerts at the Kennedy Center, an international tour of South Africa, and a feature on PBS North with songs from his 11 albums. Warner’s concerts are a blend of serious, thought-provoking songs with lighter, up-tempo sing-alongs, for fans of acoustic-driven troubadours John Denver, James Taylor, and Gordon Lightfoot.

Known as an entertainer, Dennis and the D’s love bringing the audience into the performance with laughter and a few sing-alongs. This free program is one hour long and is geared towards audiences of all ages.

The performance is free and open to all.

On Saturday night, Gary Rue and Randy Sabien will be in concert at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7 pm hosted by the North Shore Music Association.

Rue is known as a member of the groups FAB 6, Nip and Tuck, and the Sensational Sleepers and for his 50-year career as a songwriter for national and international artists, including Prudence Johnson, Butch Thompson, Pat Donohue, Debbie Duncan, Honeydogs, Willie Murphy, and Leslie Ball.

Sabien describes his sound as “Bob Wills meets Art Blakey (be-bop) meets the Allman Brothers (blues rock).” Sabien has toured the world playing in different styles and with many greats of the music world. “Jazz Profiles” of NPR dubbed him “The past, present and future of jazz violin.”

The doors open at 6 pm. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online here. 

On Wednesday, Dusty Heart will play for the Songwriter Series at the Lofty Gondola on Lutsen Mountains starting at 8 pm.

On Wednesday evenings, the Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains transforms into a listening room showcasing some of the Midwest’s top songwriters.

In an effort to create a safe and intimate environment, and to give audience members an opportunity to immerse themselves in the stories and craft of the song, guests in the main room are asked to limit conversation during the performance.

Free and open to all.

On Thursday of next week, the Grand Marais Public Library will host Beginner Knitting Classes with Dorothy Broomall, owner of the local knit shop Dappled Fern Fibers. 

In a warm and cozy place in the library, Dorothy will help beginner knitters and intermediate knitters in search of a refresher. Each session focuses on a different basic knitting skill. By the end of the series, participants will have all the skills you need to make an Artist Point Cowl if you would like to continue knitting!

You can attend all sessions or choose the ones you are most interested in. Yarn and needles will be provided. The classes will be held on Thursdays from 10-11 am.

The dates and topics of each class are:

Jan. 16 – Casting On; Jan. 23 – Knit Stitch; Jan.  30 – Purl Stitch; Feb. 6 – Fixing Mistakes; Feb. 20 – Increase & Decrease; Feb. 27 – Reading a Pattern.

Free and open to all.

Kudos:

In a recent press release, the North Shore Music Association announced the hiring of Barbara Jean Meyers as its new Executive Director. A longtime Cook County resident, accomplished musician, and experienced arts professional, Meyers brings a wealth of skills, leadership, and passion to this role.

Meyers has spent her career cultivating connections through music, storytelling, and community building. As a professional musician, she has toured internationally behind three albums of original music, collaborating with acclaimed artists such as Bon Iver, Anaïs Mitchell, and Jenny Lewis. Her work includes curating sold-out shows at The Dakota Jazz Club, Southern Theater, and Icehouse, as well as co-directing music production for North House Folk School’s record-breaking Unplugged event in 2022.

Meyers is also an award-winning journalist and radio professional. She served as WTIP’s first-ever News Director, establishing the station as a leading regional source for news and cultural information. Most recently, she managed WTIP’s StoryCorps’ One Small Step initiative, fostering meaningful conversations that build bridges across differences—highlighting her ability to strengthen community connections.

“Barbara Jean’s unique blend of musical talent, leadership skills, and deep roots in our community make her the perfect fit to lead NSMA into its next chapter,” said Chel Anderson, NSMA Board Chair.

“I’m honored to join NSMA,” Meyers said. “Music has the power to bring people together, and I look forward to supporting NSMA’s mission of connecting our community through live performance.”

NSMA also honors outgoing Executive Director Kate Fitzgerald for her 14 years of exceptional service. Longtime NSMA board member Tracey Cullen shared, “I know I speak for the entire NSMA board in acknowledging the excellence and commitment that have characterized Kate’s work on behalf of our organization since 2010. She has played an essential role in helping NSMA fulfill its mission of bringing fine musicians to Cook County.”

Under Meyers’ leadership, NSMA looks forward to another year of inspiring performances, workshops, and events that celebrate music’s unique ability to unite and uplift communities.

For more information about NSMA and its upcoming events, visit northshoremusicassociation.com.

Upcoming:

The community is invited to come together to read “Native Love Jams,” by Tashia Hart, a novel that will soon be a film.

Join in virtually on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 6 pm for a facilitated group discussion. Hart is not scheduled to make an appearance that day, but she will be here for an Author Event on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 2 pm at for a Q & A. The first 15 people in attendance will receive a copy of Hart’s “The Good Berry Cookbook: Harvesting and Cooking Wild Rice and Other Wild Foods.”

These events are sponsored by CCHE, Library Friends of Cook County, and Drury Lane Books. Both books are available at Drury Lane Books.

The Grand Marais Art Colony has several upcoming application dates and deadlines.

They include:

• Registration for summer classes at the Art Colony is open for members on Monday, Jan. 13, and for the general public, on Monday, Jan. 26.
• Applications for the Arrowhead Artists monthly summer exhibitions close on Jan. 15.
• Applications for the Summer Artist Residency Program open on Jan. 16. The residencies are from July through December.
• Applications for the 2025 Grand Marais Arts Festival open on Jan. 20.

For more information about all of these, click here,

North House Folk School will hold Fiber Week Feb. 11-17.

This year look for lots of great classes, presentations, and sharing opportunities. Click here to learn more and register.

The Gunflint Mail Run Sled Dog Race has been rescheduled for Saturday, Feb. 8.

As always, the race will start, layover, and finish at the iconic Trail Center Lodge. The first team will leave the start chute at 8 am. As a result of rescheduling the race, organizers will need to refill all of their volunteer slots ASAP. Volunteers can sign up online here.

The John Beargreae Sled Dog Marathon has been rescheduled for March 2. 

 For more info about the race, click here.

Artists at Work:

Online Music:

Photographs:

Here is a selection of photographs we found this week:

Wildlife:

 Potpourri:

Skyscapes,Landscapes & Icescapes:

Info about Northern Lights courtesy of Dennis Chick.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

BTW: Were you surprised, delighted, intrigued, informed, or amused by what you saw on ArtScene this week? I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to make a contribution, that would be great. Just click on the link below. And Thank You!

A big shout out to Jeremy Lopez (Live Music schedule, tech advice, music suggestions), Yvonne Mills (proofreading), and Kari Carter (caption corrections.)  And a big thank you to Visit Cook County for its awesome Events Calendar.