Waterfall Season

Goosberry Falls, by Adam Malmanger.

Greetings from the North Shore, where we are in awe of the waterfall season this year. Rains and snowmelt have swollen the rivers, making waterfalls spectacular. There have been many stories this year about the excitement of watching waterfalls. Several people have mentioned that they regretted not bringing a raincoat when visiting the High Falls because they got soaked, there were so many water droplets in the air. A year to remember.

Here are a few of the photos we found:

The High falls by Tim Vahle.

Devil’s Kettle disappeared on the Brule on Saturday as rain and snowmelt filled the river. Photo by Jeremy Lopez.

The Cascade by Sierra Parsons

The Cascade before the rains by Gregory Israelson.

Beaver River by Roxanne Distad.

The Beaver River roars into Lake Superior by Nick J. Horvath.

After our heavy rain at Gooseberry by Ryan Tischer. Trails have been closed because of flooding.

Our beautiful country by Christian Dalbec.

Gooseberry by Rae Rae.

Gooseberry Falls by Kyle Arndt.

A hidden waterfall by Nathan Klok.

Kakabeka Falls by Chris Artist.

And art-making continues.

First up is the Art Counter Project at Joy and Company. This is a free art-making opportunity that is held every Thursday from  3-4:30 pm at the shop.

Make art at Joy and Company on Thursdays from 3-4:30 pm.

This week, participants will make Origami Victorian Puzzle Purses. All supplies will be provided as well as instructions. Open to all. Freewill donations are accepted to cover material costs.

Also on Thursday, jeweler Molly Sharp Voorhees will hold a book signing at the North House Folk School Craft Shop from 4:30-5:30 pm.

Molly Sharp Voorhees will have a book signing at North House on Thursday from 4:30-5:30 pm.

Molly Sharp Voorhees’  book, Drilled Pebble Jewelry: A Workbook.

Molly, who lives in North Carolina with her husband, David, who is a potter, has taught at North House Folk School. She began her journey in metalsmithing over 40 years ago in England, and has since refined her fabrication skills through extensive study with some of the leading jewelry instructors in the US. Drilled Pebble Jewelry – A Workbook shows how to create jewelry using natural pebbles, sea glass, shell, or ceramic shards, and features seventeen how-to projects, including step-by-step photographs.

The public is invited to the book signing.

Friday is busy.

Drury Lane Books will host a Full Moon Poetry Reading from 6-8 pm outside by the fire circle.

There will be a Full Moon Poetry Reading at Drury Lane Books on Friday from 6-8 pm.

Everyone is invited to participate in this open mic-style reading. Participants are invited to bring a poem or two to share and/or other short pieces. Everyone is welcome.

Also on Friday, Cook County resident, Dr. Muain Haseeb, will present Life in Palestine Before 1948 on May 1, at Cook County Higher Education, from 6-8 pm.

Life in Palestine before 1948, a presentation, will be held at Cook County Higher Education on Friday.

This is a free presentation on life, culture, history, and food in Palestine. Participants will experience an immersive visual journey into Palestine before 1948 – a world of vibrant cities, rich cultural traditions, and everyday life captured through photographs and videos.

Gifts of Palestinian olive oil, textiles, garments, homemade food, and delicious desserts will be featured.

The public is invited.

And the North Shore Music Association will present the band, Steam Machine, at two venues this weekend: North House Folk School on Friday for a concert, and the Hovland Town Hall for a concert and dance on Saturday.

Minnesota Public Radio and YourClassical Class Notes are visiting North House for the concert, which will be held in the Blue Building. It starts at 7 pm. Free.

 Steam Machine will perform at North House at 7 pm on Friday.

Steam Machine is a music and dance ensemble that performs old-time and bluegrass music, featuring fiddler AJ Srubas, guitarist Rina Rossi, and banjo player David Robinson. Their focus is primarily on instrumental old-time music from the Midwest.

In their Class Notes Concert, Steam Machine will perform a wide variety of old-time and bluegrass tunes. They will describe cultural uses of music from different time periods and places. Get ready to clap, stomp, hoot, holler, and maybe even learn a few dance steps.

Doors open at 6:30 pm, and music starts at 7 pm.

On Saturday, Steam Machine will be in Hovland at the Hovland Town Hall.

A Steam Machine concert and dance will be held in the Hovland Town Hall on Saturday.

This special event will be both a concert and a community dance, with a caller guiding participants through the steps—making it welcoming for dancers of all experience levels. Whether you’ve been dancing for years or have never set foot on the floor, all are encouraged to join in. For tickets, click here.

Also on Saturday, North House Folk School will hold its monthly Family Drop-In Crafts Day from 10 am to 4 pm.

The Family Drop-In Crafts event will be held at North House on Saturday.

This is a free event, and everyone is invited. This week, Britt Malec will be teaching how to make paper flowers.

Exhibits:

 The North Shore Artists League’s 7th Annual Member Show, “Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals,” continues at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery.

In this exhibit, regional artists explore the transition of the northern landscape. The collection features a diverse range of media, including oil and acrylic painting, photography, fiber arts, glass, and woodworking, reflecting the unique creative community of the Arrowhead Region and the North Shore of Lake Superior.

A few pieces from the Artists’ League show at the Heritage Post, 1.  

A few pieces from the Artists’ League show at the Heritage Post, 2.

A few pieces from the Artists’ League show at the Heritage Post, 3.

This is a fun and exciting exhibit. It runs through May 17.

The Heritage Post is open from 10 am to 4 pm Thursday through Saturday, and from 1-4 pm Sunday.

The Duluth Art Institute opened the Member Show last week, with works by member artists from the region.

One of the popular events at the opening is the People’s Choice Award. Here are the First and Second Place winners.

Green Heron, fabric collage, by Natalija Walbridge, received the People’s Choice Award at the Annual Member Show reception.

Psyche Revealed, pastel, by Ron Benson, took second place.

You can see the entire exhibit by pointing your phone at the icon below:

Point your phone at the icon above to see the show virtually.

The exhibit continues through July 10.

The Annual Student Exhibition at the Tweed Museum of Art celebrates the creative endeavors and artistic practices of UMD students.

The Student Exhibit at the Tweed is open through  May 9.

Students from any college, school, or department who have completed an art or design course are eligible to submit their work for consideration. This year’s exhibition was juried by two distinguished visiting artists, Mika Negishi Laidlaw and Jen White-Johnson.

Visitors to the exhibition will encounter animation, ceramics, digital art, drawing, graphic design, motion graphics, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video. The exhibit continues through May 9.

Several exhibits continue at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, including House Holding, a photographic/quilt memoir by Sophia Bartholomew.

House Holding with work by Sophia Bartholomew continues at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.
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House Holding is an installation, a series of large quilts that create a patchwork of photographs of Sophia’s childhood home. The exhibit continues through June 15.

 The Color of Sound, an exhibit of regional artists at Lizzard’s Art Gallery, continues through June.

Untitled, oil, by Scott Murphy, is one of the pieces in the Color of Sound exhibit.

An exhibit of Contemporary Nordic folk Art, including wood carvings by  Mike Loeffler,  has opened at the Walker Art Center.

Mike Loeffler’s bird bowls are on exhibit at the Walker Art Center.

View the traveling exhibition of contemporary Nordic folk art and cultural traditions from the American region, curated by the American-Scandinavian Foundation. This exhibition features stunning works by 24 artists from the Upper Midwest, including Tia Keobounpheng, Christine Novotny, John Frandy, Talon Cavender-Wilson, and more. This exhibition is also supported in part by the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation. Several works will be on view at Norway House’s Mondale Gallery.

FYI

 Sue Hennessy, the artistic and technical director of the Grand Marais Playhouse, announced that she will be retiring in 2027.

Sue Hennessy to retire. Listen to the interview here.  Portrait by Jan Attridge.

She served at the Playhouse for 25 years. She will retire after the Spring 2027  production. Click here to learn more.

John Franz, beloved artist and art educator in Grand Marais, passed away on April 19 in Minneapolis. He was 91.

John Franz works on a painting during a Plein Air competition in Grand Marais.

“Winter Stream,” watercolor, by John Franz.

Franz was the co-founder of the Ceramics Studio at the Grand Marais Art Colony.

“John will be remembered for his kindness and artistic curiosity, his enthusiasm for teaching and mentoring young artists, and his countless friendships nurtured through a shared passion for nature and being outside painting it.” (Allison Eklund, Outdoor painters of Minnesota.)

 A memorial service will be held at St. John’s Catholic Church in Grand Marais on  Tuesday, May 5, at 11 am.

 Artists at Work:

Untitled, watercolor, by Philippa Nikulinsky.

Cello Bear, by Scott Murphy.

Untitled, acrylic, by John Franz.

Prairie Palace, oil, by Christine Code.

 

Where colors meet calm, watercolor, artist unknown.

Sketching by Tim Vahle.

In Thunder Bay, artists unknown, by Chris Artist.

The wild silence, linocut and silkscreen,2022, by Angela Harding.

Hydrangea from my Garden by Sue Pavlatos.

Giving Myself Permission, Following the Spirit, Episode 5

 Filmed by Patrick Knight

Online Music:

Music Selections by Phil Oswald

Live Music:

Photographs:

Here is a selection of photographs we found today:

Wildlife:

The stretch, 1, by Chris Artist.

The stretch, 2, by Chris Artist.

It’s been a tough winter for moose by Elm Street Photography.

Florida alligator by Chris Gillette.

Early morning Sandhill Cranes by David Johnson.

Male and Female Blue-winged Teal by David Johnson.

The Grand Portage buffalo herd has had six babies so far this spring by Gichi Onigaming Bizhikiwag.

Hanging Out by Paul Ostrum.

Skim Ice Teal: Male Green-winged Teal, and Male Blue-winged Teal by David Johnson.

Common Merganser by Chris Artist.

Young female lion Nakuru Nat’l Park in Kenya by Layne Kennedy.

Stephen the crane is back by Paul Ostrum.

Leucistic Junco by Paul Sundberg.

Hooded Merganser by Alec Johnson.

Snow Bunting by Paul Sundberg.

Coppery-Tailed Trogon, Arizona,, by Jill Lavro Beim.

Displaying Ruffed Grouse by Paul Sundberg.

Fly By, by Paul Ostrum.

Mourning Doves taking a break by David Johnson.

Oh no, you don’t, by John Gregor.

Potpourri:

Agates turn up in the most unexpected places. Photo by Kari Carter.

Chequamegon Bay this week, courtesy of the Apostle Islands group.

Clouds over Hartley Pond in Duluth by Sam Cook.

Lupines on the Portuguese El Camino route by Austin Indritz.

Good Harbor Bay by M.J. Humphrey.

Sakura today, cherry blossoms by Siffy Tokildson.

Landscapes, Skyscapes, Waterscapes: 

Roadside Pothole by M. Crowley, Life in the Northwoods.

A High Falls moment by Thomas Spence.

A cloud ‘gator rushes in as lightning flashes over Lake Superior by Layne Kennedy.

Aurora and a meteor ready to hit Lake Superior by David Johnson.

Those Cedar trees make this epic by Matthew Pastick.

A moment in time by Bryan Hansel.

A moment to remember, courtesy of the Apostle Islands group.

A New Beginning by Matthew Pastick.

Finding treasure in a flooding river by Chris Artist.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

PS: Contributing to NorthShore ArtScene today will go a long way toward assuring it arrives in your inbox every week. Just click on the link below to show your support. And Thank You!

A big Thank You! to 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.