It’s the Nose by Cathy Quinn.
Greetings from the North Shore, where we all have our happy moments. There are always lots to choose from. I hope it is the same for you.
Hopefully, the image above, It’s the Nose, makes you chuckle.
And then, for inspiration, this beautiful moment when a single maple leaf drifts away in flowing water. To see the leaf in action, click here.
A fall moment by Dave and Amy Freeman.
We are all settling into the fall season, with numerous festivals and events on the upcoming calendar, including Moose Madness, which takes place next week during MEA weekend.
Meanwhile, art-making continues.
First up is Art Night at Joy and Company, an opportunity for the public to make a quick art project with selected art materials.
Explore art-making at Joy and Company on Thursday.
The projects vary each week, and instruction is provided. Art Night is held from 3:30-5 pm and is free, with a suggested $5 donation.
The Grand Marais Farmers’ Market will be held in the parking lot of the Cook County Community Center from 4:30-6 pm on Thursday.
Nick Wharton arranges his vegetables on his table at the Grand Marais Farmer’s Market. Due to the warm fall we have been having, the Farmer’s Market has extended its weekly events through Oct. 23.
This is a great way to get stocked up on local produce and bakery goods. Look for all kinds of vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers, winter squash, garlic, and more, as well as baked goods and artisan breads.
The market will be held weekly through Oct. 23. Open to all.
This weekend is Apple Festival Weekend in Grand Marais with a variety of events and presentations scheduled from Thursday through Sunday.
The Apple Festival will be held in Grand Marais this weekend.
The festival kicks off with an apple pie baking contest at the Hub on Thursday, followed by an apple tasting from 3-5 pm.
Author, apple historian, and professional cider maker Daniel Bussey will give presentations and workshops during the apple festival.
Apple expert and author Daniel Bussey, who is the keynote speaker for the festival, will be at the Johnson Heritage Post from 1-4 pm on Friday and from 10 am to noon on Saturday to answer questions about apples and apple trees. Participants are invited to bring their apples and a photo of their trees to find out more about them. There will also be a sign-up sheet to take a mystery apple tree tour.
Bussey will give two presentations over the weekend — on Friday, at 6 pm, at Cook County Higher Education, and at 6 pm on Saturday at the Rec Hall in the Recreation Park. The title of his presentation is: “An Apple a Day for 47 Years: My Search to Know America’s Favorite Fruit.”
On Sunday, Bussey will host a hands-on pruning and grafting workshop at the Rec Hall.
All events are free and open to all. To find out more, click here.
The Johnson Heritage Post opens a new exhibition on Friday entitled: Days to Remember, featuring work from Nelia Harper French & Kurt Schulzetenberg.
The exhibit opens with a reception from 5 – 7 pm, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 2.
Backstory, oil, by Kurt Schulzetenberg, is one of the paintings in the exhibit “Days to Remember,” which opens on Friday.
Kurt Schulzetenberg works primarily en plein-air in an impressionistic style, often capturing the light and atmosphere of the North Shore.
Nelia Harper French uses various media, including oil and pastel, after studying the classical atelier method. Her work includes naturalistic landscapes and compelling portraits focused on capturing the essence of time, place, and space.
The combined works aim to create a reflection on memory and time, showcasing the artists’ shared goal of expressing the beauty of the world around them.
The gallery is open from 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Saturday and from 1-4 pm Sunday. Free and open to all.
Films on Fridays, the old-time film screenings held at the Cook County Community Center, will show the classic “Moby Dick” at 6 pm on Friday.
Here’s the original trailer:
Refreshments and treats will be available. Free.
Saturday is really busy this week.
The day opens with the Cook County Market, which is held in the parking lot of the Hub from 10 am to 2 pm.
Kiln-worked glass cup by Jeri Person. She is one of the vendors at the Cook County Market.
Look for a great selection of arts and crafts, including glass, pottery, paintings, fiber art, handmade lotions and balms, woodworking, and more. Free and open to all.
The Grand Marais Public Library is marking Indigenous Peoples Day with Carving Your Clan, an art and culture workshop led by Minnesota artist and Ojibwe educator Jeffrey Tibbetts.
Jeffrey Tibbetts will hold a workshop, Carving Your Clan, at the Grand Marais Public Library on Saturday. Click here to reserve your space.
Tibbetts, an enrolled member of the Fond du Lac (Nagaajiwanaang) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and program director at Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College, blends ceremony, culture, and art in this unique hands-on experience. Over the course of three hours, participants will carve a stone figure of their choosing while gaining perspective on the Ojibwe worldview.
Tibbett’s cultural values are at the forefront of his workshop. He writes, “I create a space of cultural sharing and celebration in all the places I have presented at. This I do to not only share my Ojibwe culture but also to help bring each participant’s gift of creativity to the surface.”
This special workshop takes place on Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm. Space is limited to 20 participants due to the personalized, hands-on instruction provided. The program is open to ages 10 and up; children must attend with a parent or guardian, as sharp tools will be used. Participation is free, but registration is required. Contact the library at 218-387-1140 or gmlib@alslib.info to reserve your place.
Bluefin Bay will hold the 2nd annual Oktoberfest on Saturday from noon to 6 pm.
The 2nd annual Oktoberfest will be held at Bluefin Bay on Oct. 11.
The event features a day filled with traditional German food, refreshing beer, and thrilling competitions, as well as a great selection of arts and crafts from local artists. This event is free to attend, and outside guests are welcome.
The Grand Marais Art Colony is hosting an Art Supply Swap from 1-4 pm on Saturday at Studio 21.
An Art Supply Swap will be held at Studio 21 on Saturday, from 1-4 pm.
Artists! Celebrate fall with a harvest of your art supply collection. Bring your bounty to Studio 21 and leave with creative supplies to last you through the winter ahead. This is a low-key affair and open to anyone who has art supplies they would like to bring and trade.
Whether you have supplies to share or want to discover something new, all are welcome. This event and all supplies are free and open to the public.
“Storytelling from the Back Roads of Cook County,” hosted by the Cook County Historical Society, will be held at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts from 2-4 pm on Saturday.
Storytelling from the Back Roads of Cook County will be held at the ACA on Saturday.
The event is a collaborative work of the Historical Alliance of Cook County that includes;
- Cook County Historical Society - Margaret Hedstrom will deliver a presentation concerning the history and ongoing preservation efforts related to the historic fishing tug, the Nee-Gee.
- Gunflint Trail Historical Society – David Hakensen will talk about his new book, “Her Place in the Woods: The Life of Helen Hoover.“
- Schroeder Area Historical Society – Katie O’Gara will read excerpts from the interview of author Mary T. Bell on her book, “Cutting Across Time: Logging, Rafting and Milling the Forests of Lake Superior.”
- Tofte Historical Society – Mark Gordon, owner of Amicus Adventure Sailing, a non-profit educational program, will give a presentation about the project.
The event is free and open to all.
The North Shore Music Association will kick off October with Borealis, the chamber ensemble of the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus. The concert at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts begins at 7 pm.
Borealis will be in concert at the ACA on Saturday at 7 pm.
This 20-voice tenor-bass group is known for its artistry, inclusivity, and joyful performances that span music from Bach to Bologna. Expect an evening of powerful, moving song that celebrates community and belonging.
Tickets are sliding scale, from $10 to $30. Kids under 12 are free. To get tickets, click here.
Great Expectations School will host the 3rd annual Fun Run on Sunday.
Community Fun Run on Sunday.
This community Fun Run is a chance for the community to play/run/walk together and help support school programs. Costumes are encouraged.
Costumes are encouraged at the Community Fun Run.
Participants register at 11:30 am, $20 for individuals, $75 for families.
The races will start at noon. Participants should gather at the Cutface Creek Wayside Rest, 2920 W. Hwy. 61, Grand Marais. Open to all. For more info, click here.
Next weekend is Moose Madness Weekend with all kinds of games, events, and shenanigans planned. Here’s a quick video of what to expect:
This annual event is the ultimate family-focused celebration of all things moose. Enjoy the outdoors and learn a few facts about our celebrated mascot along the way with activities, scavenger hunts, quizzes, and more. Click here for the schedule of events.
Exhibits:
A new exhibit has opened at Studio 21. Muse 2025 is an exhibit of 12″ x 12″ works created by members of the Grand Marais Art Colony — artists of every age.
Some of the works from the Muse 2025 exhibit, which opened in Studio 21. The exhibit continues through Oct. 25.
North Shore Sunshine, by Henrik Dahl, 12, is one of the pieces in the Muse exhibit.
Hazel Belvo’s exhibit “Walking the Croftville Road,” continues at Studio 21.
Two of Hazel Belvo’s diptychs are currently on view at Studio 21: Forsythia with Gray, 2023, top, and August, Late Summer 2025.
The exhibit features a collection of 12 diptychs inspired by the seasons on the Croftville Road. The exhibit continues through Oct. 25.
Studio 21 is open from 10 am to 5 pm Thursday through Saturday. Free.
Watercolor artist Jess Lindell is currently exhibiting her work in the Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park.
Jess Lindell is exhibiting her work at Tettegouche State Park this month.
The exhibit focuses on portraits of animals of the north as well as landscapes. To see more of her work, click here.
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery opens an exhibit by Thunder Bay artist Gayle Church with a reception from 5:30-8 pm (EDT) on Thursday. She will give an Artist Talk as well.
“Fragile,” glass works by Gayle Church, is currently on view at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.
“Fragile” is the debut solo exhibition by Thunder Bay artist Gayle Church. Using the pâte de verre technique (French for “glass paste”), Church creates a menagerie of life-sized glass animals inspired by nature and wildlife. Innovating with material and representation, her glass sculptures are mesmerizing forms with “melting” edges, layered textures, and delicate fissures. While foxes leap and butterflies swarm, Gayle Church’s sculptural glass works inhabit a blurred reality of wild and domestic.
The exhibit continues through Jan. 4.
All Kinds of People, currently on view at the Tweed Museum of Art, is the first installment in a series of permanent collection rotations that feature works organized within thematic areas.
All Kinds of People, an exhibit of works from its collection, is currently on view at the Tweed Museum of Art. Photo by Rik Sierra.
Drawn from the Tweed’s growing collection of about 11,000 objects, this rotation includes artists from the 17th century to the present day who approach portraiture and the depiction of people through the mediums of drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, photography, and printmaking. The title draws its name from a 1968 exhibition organized by influential curator Walter Hopps (1932 – 2005) at the Washington Gallery of Modern Art (Washington, DC). The salon-style exhibition of portraiture and figurative work was organized in response to the overwhelming predominance at the time of abstraction in contemporary culture.
Here, visitors encounter a constellation of works that collapses the past and present, geography and generation. The arrangement also places portraits that have been displayed often in the museum alongside those that might not have found their way into a major exhibition, or have never been on view. Viewers are encouraged to be curious and open to new discoveries through the visual interplay between the works, or possibly consider a fresh perspective about a favorite or familiar portrait in the collection.
FYI:
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council has announced a new Emergency Relief Fund for Artists.
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council has established an Emergency Relief Fund for artists.
The Emergency Relief Fund Grant Program provides $500 or $1,000 to individual artists who have had a critical need relating to healthcare, housing, equipment, or legal emergencies since Jan. 1, 2024. This grant is intended to serve the arts community by addressing the pressing circumstances of artists in need. ARAC can fund at least 36 artists in need with this program. The deadline to apply is Nov. 9.
Artists at Work:
Untitled, mixed media, by Mira Gupta.
Vessel, raku, by Richard Gruchalla and Carrin Rosetti..
Pedal car, oil, by Scott Murphy.
The cover of Betsy Bowen’s new book, Leaf Town Forever. She will be doing a book signing at Drury Lane Books on Oct. 18.
The Boardwalk, print, by Nan Onka.
Online Findings:
The Martha Graham Dance Company
Night Journey, NYC Dance Project. The photograph is one of many in a new book celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Martha Graham Dance Company. To learn more and see stunning photographs, click here.
Dockside Fish Market— A History
Shele Toftey talks about starting Dockside Fish Market in this fun video. To see, click here.
Sparky Stensaas is in Madera Canyon
Online Music:
Live Music:
Thursday, October 9:
- Pat Eliasen, 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, October 10:
- Barbara Jean and Mike Lewis, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- John Kerns, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
- Grant Eull TH3 Funk Trio, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 8-11 pm
Saturday, October 11:
- Bump Blomberg, Cook County Market at the Hub, 10-2 pm
- John Kerns, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Borealis Chamber Ensemble, Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Grand Marais, 7 pm
- Grant Eull TH3 Funk Trio, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 8-11 pm
- EDM (Electronic Dance Music), SILENT THUNDER, LENTICULA, WASKO, Up Yonder, 9-11:59 pm
Sunday, October 12
- Watershed Group, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
- Scott Schuler (Campfire Guitar Pull), Caribou Highlands Lodge Courtyard, 7 pm
Monday, October 13:
- Pete Kavanaugh, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 6-9 pm
- Barbara Meyers & Mike Lewis, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
Tuesday, October 14:
- 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, Log Cabin at the Grand Marais Community Center, 7 pm
- Joe Paulik, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 5-8 pm
- Briand Morrison, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
Thursday, October 16:
- Bump Blomberg, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 5:00-8 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6:30-8:30 pm
- North Shore Swing Band, Up Yonder, 7-9 pm
- Silent Disco Dance Party, Caribou Highlands Courtyard, 7-10 pm
Friday, October 17:
- Barbara Jean & Mike Lewis, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- Bump Blomberg, Bluefin Grille, 8-10 pm
- Katie Tasman, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 7-10 pm
- Buffalo Galaxy, Up Yonder, 8-11 pm
Saturday, October 18:
- Kari Golden, Cook County Market at the Hub, 10-2 pm
- Joe Diethelm, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Katie Tasman, Gunflint Tavern Rooftop, 7-10 pm
- Buffalo Galaxy, Up Yonder, 8-11 pm
Sunday, October 19
- Scott Schuler (Campfire Guitar Pull), Caribou Highlands Lodge Courtyard, 7 pm
Photographs:
Here’s a selection of photographs we found this week:
Wildlife:
In the rut by Thomas Spence.
Great Blue Heron by Carl Anderson.
Golden Silk Orb-Weaver by John Gregor.
Nuzzle Buddies by Heidi Pinkerton.
Big and wide by David Johnson.
Bald Eagle on Lima Mountain Road by Travis Novitsky.
Potpourri:
Grape pressing day. Photo courtesy of the North Shore Winery.
Oil can, Bill Bally Blacksmith & Welding Shop, by Layne Kennedy.
Circle of Life by Tijhe Fireweed.
Saved from the frost by Joan Farnam.
The sails of the Hjordis are reflected on the sails of Matt Nesheim’s schooner, Charlie, as they pass each other. Photo by Layne Kennedy.
Landscapes, Waterscapes, Cloudscapes & Mushrooomscapes:
Amanita and its younger relatives by Mary Beams.
Pie and an exploding mushroom by Mary Beams.
Sky Talk by Travis Novitsky.
Meandering in Fall by 906 Images.
Golden Reflections by Don Davison.
Pretty at the Overlook by Sierra Parsons.
Maple Tree offerings by 906 Images.
Craters of the Moon National Monument by Bryan Hansel.
Neys Provincial Park, Ontario by John Gregor.
Living the Dream by Matthew Pastick.
Glassy fall reflections by Nathan Klok.
A week of auroras by Travis Novitsky.
Dew-covered Spruce by Paul Sundberg.
Splash time along Lake Superior by Carl Anderson.
Cascade River State Park by Annie Possis.
Kayaking in autumn reflections by Roxanne Distad.
Sky mystery at sunset by Maryl Skinner.
The Harvest Moon by Roxanne Distad.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
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