Holy Moly

Greetings from the North Shore where we watch and wait on wildfires in St. Louis and Lake counties, with fingers crossed that we don’t get more.

Thousands of acres have burned, 140 structures have been lost as of Wednesday, and hundreds  have been evacuated from the fire zones. Our hearts go out for those impacted by these devastating wildfires. We are thankful for the firefighting crews which are fighting the fires and that no wildfires have been reported in Cook County yet. Be extremely careful out there. For the latest information, click here , here   here ,  here or here.

Art-making continues, though.  As David Seaton, Hungry Jack Outfitters, puts it, “Art gets us through these times when we freak out.”

Joy and Company will hold a “Teacher’s Choice” Art Night this week.

The public is invited to come and make art at the shop from 3:30-5 pm on Thursday. Everything will be supplied as well as some instruction. Art Night is free with a suggested $5 donation.

Also on Thursday, clay artist extraordinaire, Candice Methe, will hold a free demonstration in the Art Colony’s Clay Studio from 5:30-8 pm.

Methe will guide participants through the making and assembling of one of her flower brick forms. This demo will cover soft slab construction with templates and hard slab elements to create unique forms. She will also discuss approaching the surface with line-work and contrasting geometric shapes. This event is free to all, and no pre-registration is required.

The North Shore Swing Band will perform at Up Yonder from 7-9 pm on Thursday, part of the monthly Jazz Night series at the establishment.

 The Grand Marais Art Colony will hold a Pop-up exhibit of works by elementary school students at Studio 21 from 3:30-5:30 pm Friday. The exhibit is entitled North Shore Bioluminescence.

Each year, the Grand Marais Art Colony hosts Sawtooth Elementary Kindergarten – Second Graders for Art Days, and it is just how it sounds. The students explore various art materials, work on projects, and learn creative techniques. Then they get to exhibit their work and share it with the community. This year, the theme is North Shore Bioluminescence, featuring artwork that glows and a walk-through installation.
Note that a black light will be used.

This activity is supported in part by Arrowhead Cooperative’s Round Up grant, WISE (Women’s Initiative for Service and Education), and the Grand Marais Campus PTA.

The public is invited.

On Friday night, the North Shore Music Association will present the Grand Marais Ole Opry VIII.

The Opry returns with an unforgettable evening of timeless country, Americana, and Roots music, headlined by none other than The Cactus Blossoms. Known for their spellbinding harmonies and vintage-inspired songwriting, brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum create music that feels both classic and fresh. Their latest release, Every Time I Think About You, explores themes of love, loss, and moving on, all wrapped in their signature sound—a seamless blend of heartfelt storytelling and mesmerizing vocal chemistry.

Supporting them will be Clare Doyle and her band, bringing a modern edge to soulful country and roots rock. With raw, unapologetic songwriting and a voice that carries both grit and grace, Doyle was named one of First Avenue’s Best New Bands of 2023 and The Current’s Best New Artists of 2024. Her songs pull from a life of adventure, heartache, and resilience, making for an electrifying and deeply moving performance.

Kicking off the night is local talent Lynden Blomberg, setting the stage with an authentic North Shore sound.

Expect stunning harmonies, compelling storytelling, and music that bridges past and present—this is a show you won’t want to miss! Tickets link here.

On Saturday, the  Superior Spring Trail Races will be held on the trails of the Superior Hiking Trail. This year  there will be 50k, 25k and 12.5k races.

Race central is at Caribou Highlands on Lutsen Mountains. For more info, click here.

 

On Tuesday, May 20, Care Partners of Cook County will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new office, 615 E. Hwy 61, from 4-6 pm . It will also be a celebration of the organization’s 10th anniversary.

Care Partners , a nonprofit organization, provides vital support and services to help clients and their families address transitions of aging, serious illness and end of life.

The celebration will also feature live music and refreshments. The public is invited.

On Wednesday, the Grand Marais Public Library will host “Going to Bartalina: Songs & Stories of

Commercial Sailing on the Great Lakes,”a folk concert by songwriter and performer Charlie Maguire.

“If you have ever seen a big ship entering a harbor, or glimpsed one out on the horizon and wondered what it must be like to be onboard, then this program is for you,” says Davis Helberg, Director (Ret.) of the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth. “Charlie’s songs and stories make it as real as the wind in your face, the comradeship of the crew, and the movement of the deck under your feet.” After listening to Maguire’s songs, Pete Seeger once remarked, “Your songs are damn good and so are you.”

This program is one hour long and is appropriate for all audiences. Free.

Here’s a song he wrote about winter in the north.

Exhibits: 

This is the last weekend to see the Hovland Arts Guild’s Spring Show at the Johnson Heritage Post. It closes on Sunday, May 18. This eclectic exhibit features a great selection of work and media from Hovland artists.

The Heritage Post is open from 10 am to 4 pm Wednesdays through Saturdays and from 1-4 pm Sundays. Free.. Free.

Tettegouche State Park is exhibiting the work of Linnaea Borealis Rose in the Great Hall this month.

 The Members Show at the Duluth Art Institute opened this week, featuring works by regional and local artists in every medium.

The Art Institute galleries are located at 130 W. Superior St., Suite 400 in the US Bank Building. Free. The exhibit continues through June 9.

The Hartley Nature Center has opened a new exhibit entitled “Invasive Plants in My Backyard: A Linocut Art Exhibit by Monica Ihrke. 

In a press release, the Nature Center writes that his project “explores using art and science to raise awareness about invasive species, their impact on the community, and what individuals can do to help.”

The exhibit, which runs through Oct. 19, explores invasive species through art and educational displays as well as through community events.  The opening reception is from 4-6 pm on Friday, May 16. Ihrke will give an Artist Talk and native plants will be available. The public is invited.

The exhibition and educational displays will be open to the public during normal business hours (9am – 4pm) Monday – Saturday.

For a list of events planned during the exhibition, click here.

Note: Amy Demmer is the executive director at the Hartley Nature Center. She served as the executive director at the Grand Marais Art Colony for 10 years.

Upcoming:

Memorial Day Weekend, the start of the summer season on the North Shore, is next weekend, with lots of events and openings. Here’s a link to see them all, 

Of particular note: Plein Air Painter Neil Sherman will open an exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post with an opening reception from 5-7 pm on Friday, May 23.

The title of the exhibition is “Recent Works.”  Sherman has been painting the North Shore for years and was the Grand Prize winner of the 2024 Plein Air Grand Marais Competition.

The public is invited.

Also, the Grand Marais Art Colony will open its summer exhibition, “Movement,” with a reception and dessert auction from 5-7 pm on Friday, May 23.

Exhibiting artists include Alexandra Beaumont, fiber/painting; Chotsani Elaine Dean, ceramics; Olga Lah, sculpture/Installation; Michael Marks, drawing/printmaking; Anne Metcalfe, ceramics; Jack Pavlik, kinetic sculpture, and  Moira Villiard, painting. Stay tuned.

Also next weekend, the Cook County Market, featuring work by local artists and artisans, opens in the parking lot of The Hub at 10 am on Saturday, May 24.

Also next weekend, the Grand Portage National Monument Depot opens, as does the Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center and the North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum. Stay tuned.

Opportunities:

North Shore Health (NSH) is requesting Submission Proposals & Qualifications for the display of works of art. Artists will be selected to exhibit works of art in the public areas of North Shore Health from June 1– Sept. 30. The art can be paintings, fiber, photography, mosaics, sculpture, woodwork and mixed media. The art will be displayed in the lobbies, registration area, hallways and other public areas of NSH.

The works should celebrate and reflect one or more aspects of the cultural, historical, geographical, or community attributes of Cook County and/or the North Shore. The selected art will be placed in areas of high profile to be viewed and enjoyed by visitors, patients, residents and employees of NSH. For more information and to apply, email Todd.Ford@northshorehealthgm.org.

FYI

A memorial service for Mark Abrahamson will be held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church at 11 am on Saturday, May 17.

Kudos 

The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council held the first of two award ceremonies at the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet on May 9.

The event opened with an Honor Song followed by videos of each artist created by Jeremy Gardner, a videographer based at the college.

The first awardee introduced was Giizh (Sarah) Agaton Howes, who was presented the Award for Transformational Art. This new award  was created to recognize the efforts artists make to transform their communities through their work. Howes is a multi-media artist and has shared her skills generously throughout the community, transforming it.

Next, Karen Savage-Blue was awarded the George Morrison Artist Award. This award recognizes an individual artist whose body of work has made a significant contribution to the arts over an extended period of time. The Award is named after internationally acclaimed visual artist George Morrison (1919-2000), who was an important member of the second generation of American abstract expressionist artists.

Lastly, Joan Farnam was awarded the Maddie Simons Arts Advocate Award for her blog, NorthShore ArtScene, which has championed the arts and artists f on the North Shore and beyond for more than  a decade.

The evening wrapped up with a Traveling song and more cheerful conversation.

A second reception and award ceremony will be at the Johnson Heritage Post at 5:30 pm on Friday, May 30. The public is invited. NorthShore ArtScene readers, for sure! To RSVP, click here.

To find out more, click here.

 

 Artists at Work:

Doodle Art

Online Findings:

For Sparky Stensaas fans:

 

Vending machines that dispense art cards:

 

Online Music:

• Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
• North Shore Swing Band, Up Yonder, 7-9 pm

• Grand Marais Ole Opry, Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 7 pm
  • Lynden Blomberg
  • Clare Doyle
  • The Cactus Blossoms

Saturday, May 17:

• Barbara Jean and Mike Lewis, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
• DJ Unity, Up Yonder, 9-11:59 pm

Photographs:

Here’s a selection of what we found this week:

Wildlife: 

Potpourri:

Landscapes, Skyscapes, Moonscapes: 

Have a great weekend, everyone. Stay safe.

PS: We’re going to join the party this week and ask for your donation to keep this blog alive and healthy.  We put a lot of time, effort and creative thought into making this blog as interesting as possible every week. Showing your support through contributions fires us up. And thank you!  for clicking  on the button below.

 

We’d also like to throw in a big Thank You! to Jeremy Lopez (Live Music schedule, tech advice, music suggestions), Yvonne Mills (proofreading and music suggestions), and Kari Carter(caption corrections) for helping put ArtScene together. And thank you to Visit Cook County for its outstanding Events Calendar.