Steam and soft colors at dawn by Roxanne Distad.
Wowa! It’s pretty quiet in Cook County this week, and no wonder, after a busy summer season wrapped up with a packed Grand Marais during MEA last weekend. It was great to see all the youngsters and their parents connecting with Lake Superior and our wonderful community. And now, we get some quiet time. But not too much! There are things to do and see this week, for sure.
Art-making continues.
Art Night at Joy and Company is a great example. The event, which is held from 3:30-5 pm every Thursday, offers the public a chance to make a small art project with selected supplies from the shop.
Experiment with making art during Art Night this week.
Art Night is free with a suggested $5 donation. Some instruction is provided. Open to all.
The Grand Marais Farmer’s Market will be held in the parking lot of the Cook County Community Center from 4:30-6 pm on Thursday.
The Grand Marais Farmer’s Market is held from 4:30-6 pm in the parking lot of the Community Center.
Look for all kinds of locally-grown late summer and fall fruits and vegetables, artisan breads, baked goods, and more. SNAP is accepted. The Farmer’s Market closes for the season next Thursday, Oct. 30.
Drop-in Practice, modern dance classes open to the public, continue at the Covill Town Hall on Thursday from 6-7:30 pm.
Drop-in Practice is held at the Covill Town Hall on Thursday.
The modern dance classes are designed for adults of all abilities – whether you’re a seasoned dancer or just love to jam. Come as you are and discover the joy of movement in a welcoming, no-judgment space. There is a suggested donation of $5-$15, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. For more info, dropinpractice@gmail.com
On Friday, the Grand Marais Public Library will host They Brought Their Songs: International Folk Music in Minnesota with Caleigh from 5-6:30 pm.
Caleigh will perform at the library from 5:-6:30 pm on Friday.
They Brought Their Songs: International Folk Music in Minnesota with Caleigh is a 1-hour program suited for adults and children ages 10 and up. It weaves together stories and the history of Minnesota with musical genres that highlight the diverse ethnic makeup of the state.
Caleigh pairs harp, fiddle, bodhran, banjo, accordion, guitars, mandolin, congas, viola, contrabass, and captivating vocals for a program that is a perfect harmony of Minnesota history. This musical experience connects listeners with musical selections including Scandinavian, German, Italian, Finnish, Native American, French-Canadian, Irish, and more.
Free and open to all.
Also on Friday night, the film series, Films on Fridays, will screen The Man with the Golden Arm, a black and white film from 1955 starring Frank Sinatra, Eleanor Parker, and Kim Novak. Here’s the trailer:
Free. Tea and snacks will be provided.
The annual Pincushion Mountain Volunteer Trail Work Day will be held starting at 9:30 am on Saturday.
The Pincushion Mountain Volunteer Trail Work Day is Saturday. Photographer unknown. Do you recognize who is doing the handstands?
Volunteers finish up the work of clearing brush from the sides of the trails to get the trails ready for ski grooming. There will be other projects to tackle as well, including organizing equipment storage for the Ski Sparks ski instruction program for K-6 kids and reseeding portions of the Pincushion Loop trails that were impacted by construction this summer.
Volunteers meet at the Pincushion Chalet at 9:30 am. Plan for 2-3 hours of volunteer work. Questions? Email info@pincushionskiandrun.org.
Drury Lane Books will host an Author Talk with Janis A. Fairbanks on Saturday at 6 pm. She will discuss and read from her debut memoir, Sugar Bush Babies: Stories of My Ojibwe Grandmother. A Q&A and booksigning will follow.
Janis Fairbanks will give an Author Talk at Drury Lane Books on Saturday..
Fairbanks is a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. She is involved in preserving and revitalizing the Ojibwe language and was the first coordinator of the Anishinaabemowin Ojibwe Language Program for Fond Du Lac Reservation. She is on the Editorial Advisory Board for Thunderbird Press (Animikii Mazina’iganan) and mentors a writer’s group.
The event is free, mobility aid accessible, and open to the public.
On Monday, an Ecstatic Dance session will be held at the Log Building at the Community Center starting at 7 pm.
An Ecstatic Dance will be held at the Log Building on Oct. 27.
Ecstatic Dance is held on the last Monday of each month in the Log Building. This month’s dance is entitled the Harvest Dance.
Ecstatic Dance is an intentional, judgement-free space for free-form movement without words.
An invitation to embodiment, fun, healing, flow, and play. Open to all. Freewill donations are accepted.
Exhibits:
Sivertson Gallery announces the release of the 2025 Dorset Fine Arts Print Collection.
Pingnguaqti Player, etching and hand-coloring print, by Ningiukulu Teevee, is one of the Cape Dorset prints on view at Sivertson Gallery.
Decades ago, Jan Sivertson traveled to far north Canada and Alaska and brought the work of Inuit sculptors and Cape Dorset printmakers back to her small Grand Marais, Minnesota, gallery. Today, Sivertson Gallery is nationally known for its extraordinary collection of prints and sculpture from the Arctic—art that tells the story of living off the land and sea sustainably, against all odds. For many years, an annual “Inuit Premiere” event was held at Sivertson Gallery. This celebration brought together artists from the far north, fostered artist demonstrations in local studios, and engaged the community. Today, the spirit of this event lives on with the October release of the Dorset Fine Arts Print Collection at Sivertson Gallery.
To see the collection, click here.
This is the last week to see Hazel Belvo’s exhibit, Walking the Croftville Road, currently on view at Studio 21.
Two of Hazel Belvo’s 12 Dyptichs currently on view at Studio 21: Forsythia with Gray, 2023, above, and August, late Summer 2025.
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 exhibit continues through Oct. 25. Free.
Also on view at Studio 21 is the Grand Marais Art Colony member-exhibit, Muse.
A selection of works from the Muse 2025 exhibit. The exhibit continues through Oct. 25.
For the exhibit, the artists were requested to create a 12-inch by 12-inch work in any medium.
Studio 21’s exhibit space closes for the season on Oct. 25. It will be open from 10 am to 5 pm Thursday through Saturday. Free and open to all.
Days to Remember, a new exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post, has opened. It features a fascinating collection of paintings by Nelia Harper French & Kurt Schulzetenberg.
In Her Garden, oil, by Nelia Harper French.
Beautiful Day by Kurt Schulzetenberg.
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 Thursday through Saturday and from 1-4 pm Sunday. Free and open to all.
In Duluth, the 65th Arrowhead Regional Biennial continues at the Duluth Art Institute. The opening reception will be held from 5:30-8 pm on Thursday, Oct. 23. Free. Register here.
Here are the three top winners of the exhibit:
First Place: De Hilo a Hilo 1 (From Thread to Thread 1), Woodcut and dry pigment screenprint on fabric with cotton thread, 2025, by Nancy Ariza.
Second Place: Boreal Box. box collage and gouache on paper, by Wendy Rouse.
Third Place: By the World’s Great Flood, mixed media on carved wood, by K. Daphnae Koop.
As one of the longest-running biennials in the country, this exhibition features a wide range of artwork produced within the last five years from artists residing in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, and Ontario, Canada. The exhibit is open to all 2D & 3D work, except AI-generated.
Juror Wendy Savage writes:
“In this exhibition, you will see an array of mixed media, sculpture, and textiles. From ancient techniques to new genres of work, this Biennial is a breath of fresh air. You will encounter a wide range of themes expressed through a palette of greens, blues, earthly tones, soft pinks, and bold reds. The use of color and imagery conveys a richness and depth while commemorating the shared sense of belonging and cultural unity. Drawn from the landscapes of lakes, woodlands, and prairies, these colors reflect the essence of our shared cultures and environmental interconnectedness.”
The exhibit continues through Dec. 19. To see all the works in the exhibit, click here.
Grand Portage Ojibwe artist George Morrison is making waves in New York City with his first solo exhibit at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
George Morrison celebrated in a one-man show at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
George Morrison. Photo courtesy of the Morrison family.
Here is the lead-in to the story about the exhibition at the Met, which runs through May.
“Born in Chippewa City, a remote Native American village on the shore of Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, George Morrison (Wah-wah-ta-ga-nah-gah-boo and Gwe-ki-ge-nah-gah-boo, Grand Portage Chippewa, 1919–2000) overcame innumerable challenges—poverty, a life-threatening childhood illness, social isolation, racial and cultural barriers—to become a leader of the Abstract Expressionist movement, which he collaboratively defined both publicly and behind the scenes.
“Morrison’s influence as an abstract expressionist painter began in 1943 when he traveled from rural Minnesota to New York City to study at the Art Students League on a scholarship. Immersing himself in the city’s vibrant cultural scenes, he studied painting and drawing, contributed to numerous exhibitions and publications, and openly challenged the mainstream art establishment of his generation.”
To read more and see photographs of the works in the exhibit, click here.
Here’s one of many positive reviews the exhibit is getting.
On Tuesday, George Morrison’s extended family was honored with a special reception at the Met.
George Morrison’s extended family was honored at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Tuesday.
To read more and hear an interview by MPR, click here.
Upcoming:
Visit Cook County’s annual Fall Gala will be at the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino on Oct. 30.
The annual Fall Gala will be held at Grand Portage on Oct. 30. Photographer unknown.
This special event brings together community leaders, entrepreneurs, and dedicated hospitality professionals for an evening of networking, recognition, and appreciation. Enjoy a social hour followed by a buffet dinner. The main event will feature the presentation of two distinguished award programs:
- Cook County Chamber Business Awards: Recognizing outstanding businesses and business leaders who have made a significant contribution to the local economy and community.
- Visit Cook County Heart of Hospitality Awards: Honoring the frontline hospitality workers who provide exceptional service and create memorable experiences for visitors.
Social hour is at 5 pm, followed by a buffet dinner. The program begins at 7 pm.
The North Shore Readers and Writers Fest will be held in Grand Marais, Nov. 5-8.
The North Shore Readers and Writers Fest is Nov 5-8. Click here to learn more.
The 6th biennial North Shore Readers and Writers Festival, hosted by the Grand Marais Art Colony, celebrates writers and fosters the literary arts and engagement with the written word.
The festival features classes, craft seminars, special events, author readings and an exhibitors’ hall.
Authors this year include:
- Jennifer Eli Bowen
- Charles Baxter
- Peter Geye
- Brian Malloy
- Kawai Strong Washburn
- Leif Enger
- Wendy Webb
- Marcie Rendon
- Anna Farro Henderson
- Nancy Carlson
- Erin Soderberg Downing
- Emily August
- Sun Yung Shin
To sign up and learn more, click here.
An evening Showcase of Art is coming to the Silver Bay Public Library and Tettegouche State Park on the evening of Friday, Nov. 7. Paintings by Wayne Pruse will open at the library, and Watercolor Landscapes of the North Shore by Sandra Maxwell will open at Tettegouche.
All You Need Is Love, acrylic, by Wayne Pruse, is one of the paintings that will be on display at the Silver Bay Public Library in November.
Menogyn Pines, watercolor, by Sandra Maxwell, is one of the works that will be exhibited at Tettegouche.
Stay tuned for details.
Artists at Work:
River Lapwing, Ink on Bristol vellum, by Robert Keating.
“Music is like a huge release of tension.” James Taylor, by Layne Kennedy.
Forgotten Adirondack, October 2025 by Don Davidson.
Pond Lilies #3, print, by Christi Belcourt.
The Observer, 1927. Watercolor and pencil on paper, by Jeanne Mammen.
Online Findings:
Online Music:
We have opened up this section to fan participation.
Be the DJ on NorthShore ArtScene for a week! Send me links or titles to 3 or 4 of your favorite songs to be considered for inclusion in the Online Music section. We’d love to hear your music. Email: joan.farnam@gmail.com
Here is our first submission. It is from Will Moore, music director at WTIP Community Radio.
Live Music:
Thursday, October 23:
- Yuya Mix, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6:30-8:30 pm
- Jim Miller, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
Friday, October 24:
- Barbara Jean and Mike Lewis, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- Caleigh, Grand Marais Public Library, 5-6:30 pm
Saturday, October 25:
- Rhoda Anderson Habedank, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
Sunday, October 26:
- Scott Schuler (Campfire Guitar Pull), Caribou Highlands Lodge Courtyard, 7 pm
Tuesday, October 28:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 5-7 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
Thursday, October 30:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6:30-8:30 pm
- Jim Miller, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
Friday, October 31:
- Barbara Jean & Mike Lewis, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- The Evening Stars, Up Yonder, 8-11 pm
- Boogie Wonderland, Grand Portage Lodge & Casino, 9-1 am
Photographs:
Here is a selection of photographs we found this week:
Wildlife;
‘Tis the season. Photo courtesy of the Voyagers Wolf Project.
A background of tamarack by Katie Slanga.
Male Ruffed Grouse surveys the woods from his drumming log. Photo by Bill Marchel.
Before the click by Heidi Pinkerton.
Spruce Grouse by Michael Furtman.
A 10-pointer by Bill Marchel.
Still hanging out, by Sandra Updyke.
Potpourri:
Picked the last of the peppers today by Deb Bennett.
Still Blooming by Joan Farnam.
Shelving by Lin Salisbury.
My passion flower bloomed! by Anne Hegg.
Treescapes, Waterscapes & Cloudscapes:
From Sicily by Margi Preus.
Gales of November by Bryan Hansel. (File photo.)
Lake Superior in Fall by Sandra Updyke.
Red Oak by Paul Sundberg.
A week of auroras by Travis Novitsky.
What an end to the day by Maryl Skinner.
October Brilliance by Carl Anderson
Fall tumbles in at Jay Cooke State Park by Gregory Isrealson.
Waking up on the North Shore by Lin Salisbury.
Nice color in P. J. Hoffmaster State Park, Michigan, by Jeremy Church.
Last paddle of the season by Judy Bloom.
October along the Black River in Northern Wisconsin by Carl Anderson.
A fall sunset by Jamie Rabold.
Catching a shooting star by Hayes Scriven.
Blue sky of fall by Judy Bloom.
First Snows in the UP by Sandra Updyke.
A walk on the beach by Bryan Hansel.
Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
P.S. I hope you enjoyed reading North Shore ArtScene this week. If you would like to contribute to keep this blog an important source of art news and information for you, please make a donation today. Thank You!
And Thank You! to Jeremy Lopez (tech guru, Live Music Schedule) and Yvonne Mills (proofreading) for your dedication and support.
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