Light over Grand Marais, by David Johnson.
Greetings from the North Shore, where we’re totally enjoying perfect late summer weather this week with blue skies, puffy white clouds, and reasonable temps. Granted, there have been reports of early frosts on the Trail overnight, but warm air flowing over Lake Superior, which is 62 degrees right now, protects us from that.
The summer art and music season is turning a corner with new and exciting things on the horizon, including WTIP’s Radio Waves Music Festival, a new Hazel Belvo exhibition, North House Folk School’s Unplugged, the Grand Marais Plein Air Competition and show, and the Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour.
Meanwhile, art-making continues.
First up, Nan Onkka will teach a mini-class entitled Paper Collagraph Printmaking for Kids and Adults from 1-4 pm on Thursday in the Printmaking Studio.
Nan Onkka will teach a mini-class in the Art Colony’s Printmaking Studio on Thursday.
Open to students ages 6 to adult, this class is perfect for total beginners or anyone who wants to try a fun printmaking technique. Using paper, scissors, and glue, each student will create a unique image and will have the option to print it by hand or use the press. Students will leave the class with a print (or multiple!) to keep. Youth ages 6-10 should bring an accompanying adult to work with. The cost of the class is $25.
For more information, click here.
On Thursdays from 3:30-5 pm, Joy and Company holds Art Night, a chance for the public to make an art project as they experiment with art supplies carried at the shop.
Art Night at Joy and Company is from 3:30-5 pm.
The event is open to the public and free, with a suggested $5 donation.
Also on Thursday, the Cook County Farmer’s Market is held in the parking lot of the Cook County Community Center from 4:30-6 pm.
The Grand Marais Farmer’s Market is held in the parking lot of the Cook County Community Center from 4:30-6 p.m
Look for a great selection of summer vegetables, baked goods, artisan breads, fresh herbs, and more. SNAP is accepted.
Kudos to Mark and Melinda Spinler!
Mark and Melinda Spinler were named Cook County’s “2025 Farm Family of the Year” by the University of Minnesota. To read more, click here. They sell at the Cook County Farmer’s Market on Thursdays.
On Friday, the Johnson Heritage Post will hold an opening reception to honor the addition of a new work to its collection of paintings by Anna C. Johnson. The painting is entitled “The Woman with Sticks.”
“Woman with Sticks” by Anna C. Johnson has been donated to the Johnson Heritage Post to add to its collection of the artist’s works. Pictured, from left, are Victoria Lewandowski and Leslie Carter.
This new addition to its permanent collection was possible thanks to a donation from the Johnson Trust and Leslie Carter (as its previous owner). The painting will be on view at the opening as well as other of Anna’s works.
For many years, a painting titled “Woman with Sticks” was believed to be an original in the gallery’s collection. However, a few years ago, staff discovered that the painting was actually a copy that was created after the original was badly damaged in a fire.
The newly donated piece is an original, and while not the exact same as the copy version, it is very similar. JHP Gallery Manager Victoria shared that it was common for Anna Johnson to create multiple versions of her work, making this an even more special piece to have in our collection.
To learn more, read The Story of Two Paintings: Unveiling the Mystery of Local Artist Anna C. Johnson’s “Woman with Sticks,” click here.
Saturday opens with the Cook County Market, which is held in the parking lot of The Hub from 10 am to 2 pm.
Potter Natalie Sobanja is one of the vendors at the Cook County Market.
The market features a great selection of work by local artists and artisans, including pottery, paintings, fused glass, rock lamps, handmade balms and lotions, baked goods, beeswax candles, and more. Open to all.
Cook County’s Mark Hansen will give a presentation at Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center at 1 pm on Saturday.
Mark Hansen will give a presentation at Chik-Wauk on Saturday.
Hansen is a master boat builder, one of the founders of the North House Folk School, and a speaker who makes the past leap off the page and into the imagination. He’s going to dust off his projector and slides to entertain attendees with some captivating images and stories from the Trail. His talks are equal parts history lesson, fireside chat, and journey into the heart of the wilderness.
Hansen will take attendees deep into the history and lore of the Gunflint Trail. With vivid storytelling and striking images, he brings to life the legendary “old timers” who shaped this rugged corner of the Northwoods. Unforgettable characters like Benny Ambrose, the last man to live in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, will be featured, along with the hardy pioneers who carved out lives on this wild and beautiful land. Audience stories are encouraged—so bring family tales to help keep these histories alive.
All presentations are family-friendly and free to the public. Donations are always appreciated.
On Saturday evening, Drury Lane Books will host an Author Talk with T. Williams and David L. Grant.
T Williams and David Grant will give an Author Talk at Drury Lane Books on Saturday.
The public is invited to join Minneapolis activist Williams and editor Grant as they discuss Williams’ memoir “Rewind: Lessons from Fifty Years of Activism.”
Williams is an independent consultant specializing in questions of social and distributive justice, with particular emphasis on issues affecting minority populations. Grant has written drama for the stage, film, and television, as well as fiction and memoir. Both live in Minneapolis.
Doors will open at 5:45 pm, and attendees can expect the talk to begin shortly after 6 pm. The final portion will open for questions and conversation, and a book signing and sales will follow.
This event is free, open to the public, and mobility aid accessible.
On Sunday, Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center will hold an Old-fashioned Pie and Ice Cream Social. The event, which is open to the public, marks the end of the 2025 season for the organization.
As always, there will be lots of locally homemade pies to choose from. There is a suggested donation per slice of pie, ice cream, and beverage.
This day also features
- Music by Bump Blomberg – Bring a chair and enjoy folk music on the lawn from noon – 3 pm
- Annual Chik-Wauk “sidewalk” sale, which offers steep discounts on many gift shop items
- Individual Pie Competition
- Silent Auction
- Games
The public is invited. Free admission all day.
Exhibits:
A Walk in the Woods, an exhibition of fused glass work by The Glass Group, continues at the Johnson Heritage Post through Sept. 7.
This is a phenomenal exhibit, showcasing the myriad forms, colors, textures, and designs, as well as ideas that come from working with fused glass. The Glass Quilt, below, is an example, featuring small squares created by each artist and fused together to form a single piece.
Fused Glass Quilt by the Glass Group.
The Glass Group includes: Mary Bebie, Sharon Frykman, Lissa Grover, Jeri Person, Bob Pranis, Tony Rau, Lee Ross, Nancy Seaton, and Veronica Weadock.
This group of nine glass artists has worked together as they’ve moved into their own studios after sharing space at the Art Colony. A Walk in the Woods is a look into the many angles they see in their environment, interpreted in glass.
Here are a few examples:
Metallic green plate by Bob Pranis.
Winter Thaw, fused glass and table by Tony Rau. Photo by Lois Clay.
Sapphire Blue Boat, cast glass, by Lee Ross. Photo by Victoria Lewandowski.
Kiln-worked glass by Sharon Frykman.
Frankly, A Walk in the Woods is a totally fun and exciting show. Highly recommended. It closes Sept. 7.
This is the last weekend to see two exhibits at Studio 21: Movement, the Grand Marais Art Colony‘s summer exhibition featuring work by seven juried artists, and Nancy Carlson’s Arrowhead Artist of the Month exhibit for August.
Meeting Place, graphite on paper by Michael Marks, is one of the pieces in the Movement exhibition. It closes on Saturday, Aug. 30.
Arctic Hare, wild clay, slip, by Anna Metcalfe, is also in the Movement exhibit.
Northshore Dream, mixed media, by Nancy Carlson. Her exhibit as the Arrowhead Artist for August at Studio 21 closes Aug. 30.
Studio 21 is open from 10 am to 4 pm Thursday through Saturday.
The Duluth Art Institute‘s exhibition of Heidi Wanzek’s “Within the Threshold” continues through Sept. 16.
Heidi Wanzek’s multi-media exhibit at the Duluth Art Institute continues through Sept. 16.
The Crop Art exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair is a popular spot for viewing art creativity with seeds.
Crop art exhibit opens at the Minnesota State Fair. Photo by Ben Hovland.
To see more photos and read about it, click here.
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is exhibiting a number of shows, including selections from its Permanent Collection.
Wolf at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, 1997, Cyanotype and Van Dyck brown on paper by Mary Anne Barkhouse. It is in the Permanent Collection at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.
To learn more about the collections and see more images, click here.
The opening reception for Hazel Belvo’s new exhibit at Studio 21, “Walking the Croftville Road,” is at 4:30 pm on Thursday. Sept. 4.
Hazel Belvo will open an exhibit, Walking the Croftville Road, at Studio 21 on Sept. 4.
An American artist, art educator, and feminist leader, Belvo has been an exhibiting painter for more than 60 years. Her latest body of work, Walking the Croftville Road, is comprised of paintings that capture the small details of Croftville Road in Cook County: details she observed and gathered during her daily walks. Each piece portrays one month in the annual calendar, and the colors are inspired by the book, The Medicine Wheel, by Sunbear from Turtle Mountain Ojibwe. The medicine wheel, also known as a sacred hoop, is a symbol of healing and health that represents the connection between the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual realities.
The reception is from 4:30-6 pm. The public is invited. The exhibit continues through October.
On Friday, Sept.5, WTIP’s Radio Waves Music Festival begins and runs throughout the whole weekend.
The Radio Waves Music Festival is Sept 5-7.
The music starts at 4 pm on Friday, Sept. 5, with the Portage Band and concludes on Sunday, Sept. 7, with Sam Miltich: New Music From the Old Country.
There’s lots of music in between and the public is invited to enjoy the special ambiance of spending the weekend on Sweethert’s Bluff with friends and family. Food trucks will be on site, and there’s a great dance floor under the big tent.
Artists at Work:
Interior # 2, Artists Point, oil, by Tim Vahle.
Volcanic Composition, oil, by Paula Gustafson. It is currently on view at North Shore Health.
Jay Andersen, pencil on paper by Katie Wagner. Jay, who is now retired, is the founder of the Arrowhead Center for the Arts and was the director of the Grand Marais Art Colony for years. He has also served as the editor of the Cook County News-Herald and was the news director at WTIP Community radio for many years. He was Awarded the Maddie Simmons Arts Advocate Award by the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council. (That’s just a short list.}
A Memory of Trees, walnut ink crystals and carbon ink, by Kim Dayton.
The Cook County Co-op mural is complete. Detail. Created and produced by Adam Swanson and Sam Zimmerman.
Sarah and Anna Hamilton, Grand Marais Matriarchs, acrylic, by Jan Attridge.
Pond Lilies, Sketch 2025 by Christi Belcourt.
Hiking the Boundary Waters: The Best Trails
Great places to go in the BWCA. Click here to see.
A moment in a Beaver’s day
A moment with a local beaver. By Chuck Olsen. Click the link for more.
Online Music:
From WTIP’s Will Moore’s Album of the Week pick:
Live Music:
Thursday, August 28:
- Bump Blomberg, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 5:30-8 pm
- Emma Tweten, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6:30-8:30 pm
- Silent Disco Dance Party!, Caribou Highlands Courtyard, 7-10 pm
Friday, August 29:
- Pat Eliasen, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 2-5 pm
- Southpaws, Birch Terrace Supper Club & Lounge, 4-8 pm
- Barbara Jean and Mike Lewis, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- Triple Fiddle, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 5-8 pm
- Jim Miller, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 7-9 pm
- Tina & the B-Sides, City Center Stage, Silver Bay, 7:30 pm
- Emma Tweten, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
- The Federales, Up Yonder, 9-11:59 pm
Saturday, August 30:
- Kari Golden, Cook County Market at the Hub, 10-2 pm
- Ethan Todd, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 2-5 pm
- Sky Blue Jazz Ensemble, Birch Terrace Supper Club & Lounge, 5-8 pm
- Pat Eliasen, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 7-9 pm
- Mike Munson & Tres Osos, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 8-11 pm
- The Federales, Up Yonder, 9-11:59 pm
Sunday, August 31:
- Bump Blomberg, Chik-Wauk, noon – 3pm
- Ethan Todd, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 2-5 pm
- Paul Lawrence, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
- Drew Heinonen, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 5-7 pm
- Scott Schuler (Campfire Guitar Pull), Caribou Highlands Lodge Courtyard, 7:30 pm
Monday, September 1:
- Emma Tweten, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 5-8 pm
Tuesday, September 2:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 5-7 pm
- Briand Morrison, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 5-8 pm
- Open Stage hosted by Pete K, Up Yonder, 6-8 pm
- Community Singing, Lighthouse on the Harbor, 7-8:30 pm
- Joe Paulik, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 5-8 pm
- Briand Morrison, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
Thursday, September 4:
- Bump Blomberg, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 5:30-8 pm
- Gene LaFond and Amy Grillo, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6:30-8:30 pm
- Silent Disco Dance Party, Caribou Highlands Courtyard, 7-10 pm
Friday, September 5:
- Radio Waves Music Festival, Sweetheart’s Bluff in the Grand Marais Rec Park
- Portage Band, 4 pm
- SonofMel, 5 pm
- Boss Mama Trio, 6 pm
- Danny Frank & the Smoky Gold, 7:20 pm
- The Evening Stars, 8:30-10 pm
- Barbara Jean and Mike Lewis, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- Medicine River, Birch Terrace Supper Club & Lounge, 4-8 pm
- Chris Mulkey & Scarlet Rivera, City Center Stage, Silver Bay, 7:30 pm
- MYsterious WAYs, Up Yonder, 8-11 pm
Saturday, September 6:
- Briand Morrison, Cook County Market at the Hub, 10-2 pm
- Radio Waves Music Festival, Sweetheart’s Bluff in the Grand Marais Rec Park
- North Shore Swing Band, 10 am
- Lynden Graham, 11:30 am
- Ginger Bones, 12:30 pm
- Tina & Drew, 1:30 pm
- Splints, 2:30 pm
- The Penny Peaches, 3:30 pm
- Moonshot, 4:30 pm
- Between Howls, 5:30 pm
- The Brothers Burn Mountain, 6:30 pm
- Rich Mattson & Germaine Gemberling, 7:30 pm
- Trailer Trash, 8:30-10 pm
- Frequency Rising, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 3-6 pm
- Martha Marnocha, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- MYsterious WAYs, Up Yonder, 8-11 pm
Sunday, September 7:
- Radio Waves Music Festival, Sweetheart’s Bluff in the Grand Marais Rec Park
- Chris Gillis, Thomas Stamps & Friends, 10 am
- Briand Morrison & Rox Berglund, 11:30 am
- Sam Miltich: New Music From the Old Country, 12:30-2 pm
- Molly Maher, North Shore Winery, 3:30-6 pm
- Timmy Haus, Moguls Grille and Tap Room, 5-7 pm
- Scott Schuler (Campfire Guitar Pull), Caribou Highlands Lodge Courtyard, 7:30 pm
Photographs:
Here is a selection of photographs we found this week:
Wildlife:
Alaskan Salmon harvest, from a video by Chuck Heller.
The flight of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird by Paul Sundberg.
Monarch duo by Paul Sundberg.
Family Life by David Johnson.
Great Blue Heron by Chuck Olsen.
Barn Swallow babies are almost ready to fledge by Jamie Strickland.
I’m pretty fancy, aren’t I? Photo by Paul Sundberg.
Potpourri:
The Minnesota State Fair by Layne Kennedy.
A summer delight by Bre Schueller.
The Chanterelles are still popping in places by Beth Drost.
The Fungus Among Us 1, by Cathy Quinn.
The Fungus Among Us 2 by Cathy Quinn.
The Fungus Among Us 3 by Cathy Quinn.
Nightlife in Grand Marais by Layne Kennedy.
Landscapes, Skyscapes & Cloudscapes:
A change of season by Chuck Olsen.
August 2025 by Bryan Hansel.
Chequamegon Bay, Lake Superior by Ken Harmon.
Storm brewing over Iceland’s Southeast coast byLayne Kennedy.
Rising in the fog by Jan Swart.
Quiet Beauty by Bryan Hansel.
A fine day by Donald Olson.
Have a great weekend, everybody!
P.S. One of the hardest parts of putting NorthShore ArtScene together every week is writing the appeal to readers to make a contribution to keep it going. What do I say? It matters, for sure. There’s the electricity bill, computer repair, internet access fees, and, for sure, compensation for all the hours spent collecting info and photos for you.
Please support NorthShore ArtScene today by clicking on the link below. It really makes a difference. And, Thank You!
Also, a big Thank You to Jeremy Lopez (Live Music schedule, technical advice) and Yvonne Mills (proofreading) for their support. And Thank You, Visit Cook County, for a great Events Calendar.
{ 0 comments… add one }