Elegance and beauty by Paul Sundberg.
A day’s worth of wood by Marco Good.
Greetings from the North Shore, where we celebrate Minnesota and winter.
It is a busy weekend.
On Friday, the Hygge Festival starts in Grand Marais and runs through Feb. 13.
The Hygge Festival runs from Feb. 6-13.
The Danish concept of “hygge” (pronounced hoo-gah) has been around for a long time. It refers to the ritual of embracing life’s simple pleasures. Feeling relaxed, cozy, and surrounded by the warmth of family, friends, community, and fire all encompass the idea of hygge.
Local businesses and organizations are celebrating big this year with special events and more. Art-making, open houses, a contra dance, and art receptions are planned for this week. To see the complete schedule, you can click here. And not to forget, the Winter Fireplace Tour, featuring more than 20 beautiful fireplaces in lodges and resorts in the county, is ongoing. Click here to see your options.
The Grand Marais Art Colony will host an Open Studio at Founders Hall on Friday with three artists from the PF Studios in the Twin Cities.
Maiya Lea Hartman works on a painting. She is one of the artists in residence at the Art Colony this week. An open house will be held on Friday in Founders Hall.
The young artists have been in residency at the Art Colony since Jan. 29, and will share their work at the Open Studio from 5-6 pm on Friday. Free and open to all.
On Friday night, North House Folk School will hold a Community Contra Dance from 6-7:30 pm.
Community Contra Dance on Friday at North House Folk School.
The dance is free and open to all. There will be live music and a caller to teach you, no experience needed. Come alone or bring a friend, and warm up on a cold winter night. This event is part of North House’s First Friday community weekend.
Also on Friday night, the Grand Marais Public Library will host Films on Fridays and screen the movie, “Grave of the Fireflies.”
In the film, orphans Seita (voiced by Tsutomu Tatsumi) and Setsuko (Ayano Shiraishi) fight for survival in post-World War II Japan. But society is harsh, and they come to the somber conclusion that they can neither escape the hardships of war nor find enough food to survive. Named the Best Animated Feature at the 1994 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, this film proves that not all anime tales are pixie-dust fantasies or brutal sci-fi standoffs.
The screening starts at 6 pm at the library. Free. Light refreshments will be served.
On Friday and Saturday, the annual Easter Seals Snowarama will be held at the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino, a fundraiser for Easter Seals, which sponsors programs to help children with disabilities.
Snowarama for Easter Seals is this weekend in Grand Portage.
There are two snowmobile routes for participants. The races start on Saturday and conclude with a dinner and a dance with The Hoolies. To find out more and register, click here.
Saturday opens with a different kind of race — The Gunflint Mail Run Sled Dog Race, with the start at Trail Center.
The Gunflint Mail Run Sled Dog Race is on Saturday. Photographer unknown.
This is always a popular community event, bringing together mushers from around the region. The race will feature a 10-dog 65-mile-long race and starts at 8 am. The public is invited.
Also on Saturday morning, the 11th Annual Blast From the Past Vintage Snowmobile Ride, sponsored by the Lutsen Trailbreakers Snowmobile Club, will be held at Cascade Lodge.
Vintage Snowmobile Ride on Saturday starts at Cascade Lodge.
Registration is at 10 am, and the ride begins at noon. An award ceremony will follow. Spectators are welcome.
North House Folk School will hold its monthly Free Drop-in Craft Day on Saturday as well.
The free drop-in crafts event at North House is on Saturday.
This month, participants will learn winter printmaking with Nan Onka. The event will be held in the Blue Building and will be held from 10 am to 4 pm. The public is invited.
Also on Saturday, plein air artist Tim Vahle will host a drop-in event at his gallery Vahle Fine Art, from 10 am to 5 pm as part of the Hygge festival. Visitors will enjoy Hygge-themed refreshments and snacks, a drawing for a free print, and general merriment!
The Tombolo, plein air, oil on panel, by Tim Vahle. He will hold an open house at his studio on Saturday.
The gallery is located in the Birch Alley Building directly behind the Gunflint Tavern and the Dairy Queen. The public is invited.
And then, on Saturday night, The Grand Marais Film Society will screen a film at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7 pm. Tickets are $5.
The Grand Marais Film Society will screen a film at the ACA at 7 pm Saturday.
For more details, including the name of the film and to purchase tickets, click here.
To cap off a busy weekend, there are two great music concerts set for Saturday and Sunday.
Two concerts are set for this weekend.
Singer/Songwriter Erik Koskinen and his Full-Band Honky-Tonk Show will play at Up Yonder starting at 8 pm.
On Sunday, Martha Scanlan and Jon Neufeld will perform at the 4-H Building starting at 6 pm.
Both events are sponsored by the North Shore Music Association. To read more about it, click here. For tickets, click here.
The Super Bowl is on Sunday. Gunflint Lodge is one of the venues that will be screening the game at a Watch Party starting at 5 pm.
A Super Bowl Watch Party will be held at Gunflint Lodge on Sunday.
The Grammy Award-winning band, Bad Bunny, will perform at halftime.
Next week, fiber fervor peaks in mid February as lovers of all things fiber connect on the North House Folk School campus for Fiber Week. The public is invited for this special week-long event that celebrates all manner of fiber arts Feb. 10-16.
Fiber Week at North House begins Feb. 10. For more info and to sign up for classes, click here.
Featuring speakers, demonstrations, community gatherings, and coursework from long-time North House instructors as well as new artisans, tuck into the warm and woolly camaraderie of fiber art this winter. To find out more and sign up for classes, click here.
Exhibits:
“From Our Hearts and Hands,” an exhibit featuring the diverse work of over 40 makers of the Northwoods Fiber Guild, opened at the Johnson Heritage Post on Friday. The exhibit highlights a wide variety of fiber techniques and styles by the artists. The centerpiece of the show is the Cook County Chair of Hope, a collaborative project inspired by the African Dream Chair of South Africa.
The Chair of Hope, a collaboration by Fiber Guild members.
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 on it 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.
The exhibit runs through Feb. 21.
During Hygge Week, which runs from Feb. 6 through Feb. 16 and is hosted by Visit Cook County, the gallery will offer complimentary tea and hot chocolate served during regular hours. It is open from 10 am to 4 pm Thursday through Saturday and from 1-4 pm Sunday. Free.
Opportunities:
Call to artists: Applications for the Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour are now open.
Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour will be from Sept. 24 to Oct. 4.
The Fall Studio Tour is from Sept. 24 to Oct. 4. Applications are now open for Art Studio hosts and galleries. The deadline to apply is Feb. 23. The deadline for guest artists is March 11. Click here to learn more.
Applications are also open for the Grand Marais Arts Festival.
Applications for the Grand Marais Arts Festival are now open. The deadline to apply is Feb. 23.
The Gunflint Trail Historical Society Online Auction continues.
Gunflint Trail Historical Society’s online auction ends Feb. 13.
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 Arrowhead Regional Arts Council will host an online workshop entitled Income Tax Basics for Artists on Feb. 11.
A Zoom workshop on the basics of income tax for artists will be held on Feb. 11.
To register for the workshop, click here.
Also, ARAC has opened applications for Art Project grants for individuals and organizations.
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council has opened applications for Art Project grants.
To find out more and apply, click here. The deadline to apply is March 15.
Artists At Work:
River Bed, fused glass, by Nancy Seaton.
Play is Serious Business, monotype, by Linda Ricklefs Baudry.
Bathed in Moonlight (2020), acrylic on canvas by Reilly Fitzgerald.
On the breeze, woodcarving, by Colin See-Paynton.
The North Shore in summer, oil, by Greg Murphy.
Fisherman’s Point, McGregor Bay, tempera, by Group of Seven artist A. J. Casson.
Moonlit Birch, acrylic, by Sue Rauschenfels.
Rabbit, Rabbit by Greg Stones.
The Guardian of the Sleeping Woods, acrylic, by Bertil Joseph.
Winter Sun ~ Red Foxes, oil on fine Belgian linen, 2022, by Martin Ridley.
In progress, the cover of my new novel, The Bear and the Monk, by Tor Torkildson. Sumi-e painting by Leela.
Bike to Resist, No 5, by Keely Young-Dixon.
Stormy, mixed media acrylic, by Marti Mullen.
Online Music:
Music courtesy of Virgil Rust
Live Music:
Thursday, February 5:
- Timmy Haus, Moguls Grille & Taproom, 4-6 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
- Jim Miller, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
Friday, February 6:
- Mark Joseph, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 3-6 pm
- John Gruber, Moguls Grille & Taproom, 4-6 pm
- Gene LaFond and Amy Grillo, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Briand Morrison, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- John Gruber, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
- Timmy Haus, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 8:30-11 pm
Saturday, February 7:
- Mark Joseph, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 3-6 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
- Martha Marnocha and John Grube, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Joe Paulik, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- Erik Koskinen Band with Martha Scanlan and Jon Neufeld, Up Yonder, 8 pm
- Timmy Haus, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 8:30-11 pm
Sunday, February 8:
- Pete Kavanaugh, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- Erik Koskinen Band with Martha Scanlan and Jon Neufeld, Log Cabin in Grand Marais, 6 pm
Monday, February 9:
- Timmy Haus, Voyageur Brewing Company, 5-7 pm
- Gordon Thorne, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- Jim Miller, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
Tuesday, February 10:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- Open Stage hosted by Pete K, Up Yonder, 6-8 pm
- Pat Eliasen, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- Community Singing, Log Cabin at the Grand Marais Community Center, 7 pm
- Pat Eliasen, Skyport Lodge & Raven Rock Grill, 6-8 pm
- Bump Blomberg, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
Thursday, February 12:
- Timmy Haus, Moguls Grille & Taproom, 4-6 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
- Jim Miller, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
Friday, February 13:
- Pete Kavanaugh, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 3:30-6 pm
- Bump Blomberg, Moguls Grille & Taproom, 4-6 pm
- Possibilities Quartet, Grand Marais Public Library, 6-7:30 pm
- John Gruber, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Briand Morrison, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- Bump Blomberg & Gordon Thorne, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
- Timmy Haus, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 8:30-11 pm
Saturday, February 14:
- Tina Hegg Raway & Drew Heinonen, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
- Pete Kavanaugh, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 3:30-6 pm
- Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Joe Paulik, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- Barbara Jean and Mike Lewis, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
- EricKaoke, Karaoke hosted by Erick Steey, Up Yonder, 8-1 am
- Timmy Haus, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 8:30-11 pm
Sunday, February 15:
- Pete Kavanaugh, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
Photography
Wildlife:
In Two Harbors by Adam Malmanger.
Otter Track at Bally Creek Ski Trail by Tom McCann.
I felt like I was being watched, then… by Andy Keith.
Thunder Bay pigeons by Chris Artist.
Big boy showed up yesterday by David Johnson.
Into the snow for breakfast by Bill Marchel.
Summer memories in winter by Sam Cook.
The close-up by Chris Artist.
Potpourri:
Sawbill Mandatory Break, 2022, by Jeffrey Doty.
Another shot from the 2022 Beargrease by Jeffrey Doty.
Nathan Schroeder at sunrise on the trail during the Beargrease 2026 by David Johnson.
Those moments between moments are usually my favorite by Layne Kennedy.
No. Posted by Jim Boyd.
Landscapes, Skyscapes & Icescapes
Two Harbors on a stormy day by Roxanne Distad.
An icy day by Doug Cottrell.
Moonlight over Lake Superior by Ken Harmon.
Redwood National Park in Northern California by Layne Kennedy.
Winter Sundog by Kathleen Wolleat.
A Lake Superior winter evening by Chuck Olsen.
Drifts by Paul Ostrum.
Snowy shoreline by Hayes Scriven.
Ice shards along Lake Superior at sunset by Ken Harmon.
Rainy Lake, International Falls, by Kallie Kantos.
The Moon and the Lighthouse — two silent keepers of the night by Lake Superior Only.
A bit of sunshine for your Sunday by Susanne von Schroeder.
Two Harbors by Adam Malmanger.
Golden morning by Doug Cottrell.
Frosty Window by Layne Kennedy.
A breathtaking moment by Andy Keith.
A Grouse in the Sax Zim Bog, file photo by Jeffrey Doty.
Have a good weekend, everyone!
FYI: We are so happy to be able to bring you NorthShore ArtScene every week. If you enjoy it, please donate today. It makes all the difference.
Thank you!
We are grateful for the help and support from Jeremy Lopez for his Live Music schedule and tech support , and Yvonne Mills for her great proofreading. Thank you, both! And to Visit Cook County for its outstanding Events Calendar.
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