The Brrrr Factor

Greetings from the North Shore. Hope you are keeping warm and all is well. Like many other places in the state, we’ve had some pretty cold weather here lately, which is good news for several different reasons, one being Lake Superior.

At the beginning of last week, it had been so warm that the Big Lake had only frozen 6 percent. Now it’s 31 percent frozen, according to Paul Huttner of MPR. We probably won’t see the whole lake freeze as it has in past years.

Remember this photo? It is one of many that NOAA has posted of Lake Superior’s “long hair” in winter.

Meanwhile, art-making continues.

The public is invited to celebrate art-makers at the opening of the Northwoods Fiber Guild exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post that opens on Friday.

The show is entitled: From Our Hearts and Hands and features a great variety of fiber work by 40 guild members. Look for weaving, knitting, felting, paper-making, and more. The opening reception is from 5-7 pm on Friday, Jan. 30. The exhibit runs through Feb. 22.

The centerpiece of the show is the Cook County Chair of Hope, a collaborative project inspired by the “African Dream Chair” of South Africa. Created by more than 20 local artists using a recycled chair from Oddz and Endz thrift store, this piece focuses on unity and connection. Visitors are encouraged to physically interact with the piece by taking a moment to “sit a spell” and reflect on their hopes for the world while reading a journal that documents the artists’ creative processes. Following its debut at the gallery, the Chair of Hope will continue its journey as a traveling symbol of connection throughout the county. Learn more about the exhibit here.

Winter gallery hours are in effect: 10 am to 4 pm Thursday through Saturday and from 1-4 pm Sunday.

Also on Friday, Hungry Hippie Tacos continues its Friday Cribbage & Cards opportunities from 3-8 pm.

The public is invited.

On Saturday, the Cook County Snowmobile Club, the Ridge Riders, will hold its annual Fun Run. This is a great opportunity to explore the resorts and venues on the Gunflint Trail with friends and family.

Participants can travel by car, snowmobile, or plane to the checkpoints on the Trail, where they can earn points when they play a game at the site. Checkpoints include Skyport Lodge, Trail Center, Poplar Haus, White Pine Lodge, Hungry Jack Lodge, Gunflint Pines, and Gunflint Lodge. Note: It is not required to go to all of the checkpoints, but it is encouraged.

The Fun Run concludes with dinner at Hungry Jack Lodge, where the winners will be announced. Open to all. To find out more, click here.

The Gunflint Trail Historical Society’s Online Auction begins on Sunday, Feb. 1.

The auction, a fundraiser for the Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center, features  Northwoods treasures, artwork, and more, as well as a great selection of one-of-a-kind adventures and tours. To see the offerings, click here. The auction continues through Feb. 13.

The annual Winter Fireplace Tour begins this weekend.

The tour features some of the most spectacular fireplaces in the lodges and resorts in the region. The public is invited to explore them all and enjoy a warm beverage and cozy moments in front of a dancing fire. Click here to see a list of all the fireplaces on the tour.

A Full Moon Poetry Reading will be held at Drury Lane Books on Sunday, Feb. 1.

The public is invited to bring a favorite poem to share. The event is open to all and runs from 6-8 pm. It is held by a bonfire on the beach outside the shop.

In inclement weather, it is held indoors. Free.

Exhibits:

The 2025 Cape Dorset Annual Print Collection continues at Sivertson Gallery.

This year, Sivertson Gallery celebrates over 65 years of annual print collections from Kinngait Studios.

Previously known as Cape Dorset, Kinngait is an Arctic island located in Hudson Strait, Canada. Cape Dorset is world famous for its artwork, especially printmaking, drawing, and carving. The studio is the longest continuously running print studio in Canada. More than 1,200 people live in Kinngait and most families count one or more members as artists. To see the complete collection, click here.

Two exhibits continue at the Duluth Art Institute, including Carl Gawboy’s exhibition of his historical watercolors and Wendy Savage’s collection of Ojibwe arts and artifacts.

The exhibits continue through March.

At the Walker Art Center, Dyani White Hawk’s (Sičáŋǧu Lakota, b. 1976) art centers on connection—between one another, past and present, earth and sky. By foregrounding Lakota forms and motifs, she challenges prevailing histories and practices surrounding abstract art. Featuring multimedia paintings, sculpture, video, and more, Love Language gathers 15 years of the artist’s work in this major survey.

 

The exhibition unfolds across four sections named by the artist to speak to Indigenous value systems: See, Honor, Nurture, and Celebrate. ‘See’ introduces visitors to White Hawk’s worldview. Opening with early pieces that combine quillwork, beadwork, and painting, the artist examines, dissects, and reassembles elements of her own Sičáŋǧu Lakota and European American ancestries. Visitors will encounter Lakota forms and teachings that inform her practice, alongside works addressing urgent issues of settler colonialism and oppression.

The exhibit continues through April.

Kudos:

Staci Drouillard has recently published a children’s book about Grand Portage artist George Morrison.

The book can be found at Drury Lane Books.  

An exhibit of George Morrison’s work is currently on view at the  Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Minnesota Public Radio went to the opening of that exhibit and talked to his family and the curator of the exhibit.  Click here to listen to the interview.

FYI:

WTIP North Shore Community Radio announced this week a change in format for live music events in the coming year. The decision is based on a combination of factors that include reduced funding from the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund and uncertainty related to future funding.

The changes include the cancellation of the Radio Waves Music Festival in 2026. WTIP executive director, Matthew Brown, recognized that Radio Waves is a beloved community event and that the decision to cancel the festival in 2026 was difficult.

In a press release, Brown said, “This was not an easy decision, but given the reduction in funding and our 2026 operating budget deficit, we believe a format change is the best way to continue to serve our community, while expanding live music events throughout the year.”

Part of the WTIP mission is to showcase diverse musical acts while supporting new artists and local favorites. WTIP remains committed to this mission and is exploring creative ways to support live music in Cook County through a new initiative called North by North Shore.

“We want our community and local musicians to know how deeply we value the role that live music events play in contributing to the creativity in Cook County. This new live music initiative will expand the number of events we can offer each year, and create opportunities to partner with other organizations that share our mission,” said development director Katie Belanger.

Follow North by North Shore event announcements at 90.7 FM Grand Marais/North Shore, 90.1 FM Grand Portage, and 89.1 FM Gunflint Trail. Sign up for our newsletter, follow WTIP on social media, or stream online at wtip.org.

Upcoming: 

The North Shore Music Association is sponsoring two music events next weekend: The Erik Koskinen Band at Up Yonder on Feb. 7 and an intimate concert in the Log Cabin Building on Sunday, Feb. 8, with Koskinen, Martha Scanlan & Jon Neufel. The two events offer completely different but beautiful music experiences.

The music weekend kicks off on Saturday night at Up Yonder with a full-band honky-tonk show led by Erik Koskinen — swinging country, great songs, and a room made for gathering and moving in the middle of winter.

Sunday evening shifts into an intimate listening-room concert at the 4-H Log Cabin, with Martha Scanlan and Jon Neufel sharing their deeply moving songwriting, joined by Erik as a special guest.

 For tickets and more information, click here.

Artists At Work:

 Online Findings:

30 Inspiring Photos by Erdem Kilic That Capture Travel, Culture, and Human Stories

Sparky Explores Birds & Winter Storms 

Online Music: 

Selections courtesy of Phil Oswald

 

Photographs:

Wildlife:

 Potpourri:

 

Landscapes, Skyscapes, Waterscapes & Icescapes

 

Have a good weekend, everyone.  Be well.

Note: If you enjoyed NorthShore ArtScene this week, please consider contributing today. We so appreciate and need your support to continue bringing you the arts and entertainment news and photographs from The North Shore.

Thank you!

 

This blog is grateful for the help and support from Jeremy Lopez for his tech support and Yvonne Mills for her great proofreading. Thank you, both! And to visit Cook County for its outstanding Events Calendar.