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Moose Madness, A Jazz Concert, Art & Music

david-johson-moose

David Johnson caught the attention of this bull moose — briefly. Johnson said  it quickly turned back to watching a nearby female.

 

Moose Madness!

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Grand Marais will be totally focused on this end-of-fall festival Oct. 21-23 with a huge number of activities, events and contests throughout the weekend.

There’s a Moose Coloring Contest, a Moose Cartoon Contest, a Moose Medallion Hunt and, one of my favorites: a Moose Poetry Contest.

Here’s a great haiku from last year:

Calves are small in spring

And become very tall in fall.

They mate on a date.

Clayton Flaten, 10

All the shops will have special moosey contests, too, including a challenge to find all the books in the new mural on the outside wall of Birchbark Books, and a challenge to check all the moose you see off a list at Sivertson Gallery. Moose Bucks can be accumulated at shops all over the city with prize drawings at the end of the festival. And The Lake Superior Zoomobile will be at East Bay Suites on Saturday, with everything from bunnies to bugs.

This is also the weekend for the Sawtooth Mountain Challenge, a bike race on Pincushion Mountain and a family weekend at North House Folk School with a Contra Dance at 7 p.m. on Friday night and free interactive craft demonstrations all day on Saturday. Short, family friendly courses and workshops will be on-going as well.

And there’s art.

On Friday, the Grand Marais Art Colony will hold a free watercolor resist painting event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. No pre-registration is required. Free. On Saturday from 1-4 p.m., the print studio at the Art Colony is open for families who want to try their hand at printmaking and there will be a glass bauble workshop in the glass studio. Pre-registration for the glass workshop is requested. $5 donation. Call 387-2737 for more info.

Kah-Nee-Tah Gallery in Lutsen has a number of demonstrations planned for the weekend. On Friday, Mary MacDonald will demonstrate weaving from noon to 4 p.m. On Saturday, Linda Bauer will give a spinning demonstration at 1 p.m. and on Sunday, “Moose Whisperer” Nace Hagemann will be showing his latest collection of moose photos at the gallery from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

"Bull moose in rut" by Nace Hagemann.

“Bull moose in rut” by Nace Hagemann.

And, finally, you can get into your car to look for moose. There’s a handy map of Moose Quest Routes in the Moose News, which can be found at the Grand Marais Visitor Center, which is Moose Central for this weekend. For more info on all the moosey events this weekend, click here.

There are other events in Grand Marais this weekend, too.

The North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum will hold its 7th annual Storytelling Dinner at Lutsen Resort on Friday evening. Storytelling guests this year are Georgie Dunn, who photographed decline of commerical fishing brought on by the loss of lake trout to the  sea lamprey. Beaver Bay commerical fisherman Clint Maxwell will also be a guest. For more info, call 663-7050 or visit www.commercialfishingmuseum.org

And on Saturday, the Blue Sky Jazz Ensemble and four guest musicians will perform “All Our Own Jazz” at Bethlehem Lutheran Church at 7 p.m. Guests include Max Bichel, Philis Anderson, Kathy Bolstad and Barb LaVigne.

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The Sky Blue Jazz Ensemble is (from left) Brett Jones, Mike DeBevec, Erik Hahn, Karina Roth and Mike Roth.

The  Sky Blue Jazz Ensemble has performed and taught throughout Northeast Minnesota over the past seven years and collected a large, enthusiastic following of music lovers. This latest project, “All Our Own Jazz,” facilitates a creative collaboration of local musicians who would otherwise not have the opportunity to play together, using original jazz compositions as the medium. Eight of the compositions were written by Mike Debevec specifically for the event’s guest artists. This will be the debut performance of these new works. The concert is sponsored by the North Shore Music Association. Tickets are $15 adults, free for youth 18 and under. Tickets available in the lobby at 6 p.m.

Making bowls for the Empty Bowls fundraiser, which is at Bethlehem Lutheran Church this year on Nov. 10, continues next week with “Make a Glass Bowl” at the Grand Marais Art Colony on Tuesday, Oct. 25 and Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m. Pre-registration required. Call 387-2737 to register.

And the Paint-A-Bowl for Empty Bowls event will be held at the Art Colony on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Painted bowls await firing after the Paint-A-Bowl event last year. This year, the event will be held OCt. 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Grand Marais Art Colony.

Newly painted bowls await firing after the Paint-A-Bowl event last year. This year, the paint-a-bowl event will be held Saturday, Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Grand Marais Art Colony. All invited.

No pre-registration is required, although a $5 donation is requested. Community members are invited to stop by and paint a bowl to help the hungry.

And art lovers are invited to view the extraordinary exhibit of landscapes at the Johnson Heritage Post Gallery over the weekend. The exhibit, entitled “Plein Air 2016,” features 240 paintings created by artists who participated in the Grand Marais Art Colony’s Plein Air event earlier this fall.

"The Landing" by Greg Preslicka, is one of the paintings in the Plein Air 2016 exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post.

“The Landing” by Greg Preslicka, is one of the paintings in the Plein Air 2016 exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post.

The Heritage Post is open Wednesdays – Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sundays and Mondays, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Free admission.

And, if you’re in Thunder Bay over lunchtime, consider taking an Express Tour at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, which is on the campus of Confederation  College. The guided tours start at 12:30 p.m. (EDT) and are a great way to gain insight into current exhibits.

In the exhibit “The Unvarnished Truth” organized and circulated by the McMaster Museum of Art, the museum keeps hearing the question “Are they the real thing?” Yes, these are original artworks including one that is 500 years old, and a Vincent VanGogh.

Take an Express Tour of the Unvarnished Truth at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, through Oct. 27.

Take an Express Tour of the Unvarnished Truth at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery through Oct. 27.

The exhibition is a multidisciplinary, collaborative study that showcases the historical artworks along with the techniques used to analyze them. For more information on this fascinating exhibition, why not stop by for a lunchtime tour? It’s a pay-what-you-can event. Suggested donation, $5. The Express Tour for this exhibit continues through Oct. 27.

Upcoming

The 2016 Member Show & Sale opens at the Grand Marais Art Colony with a reception from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28. The exhibit runs through Nov. 20. This year’s theme is “Ode to the Ordinary.” Or, as the Art Colony puts it: “There is delight in a ritual as simple as a morning cup of coffee or seeing a favorite rock leaning on the windowsill. These things may serve as a reminder or provide peace and grounding. Ode to the Ordinary honors the beauty, humor, resiliance, and steadfastness of the everyday.” The Art Colony will hold its annual meeting in the Founders Hall at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 28. All members invited. (Note: Artwork for the Members Show is due Monday, Oct. 24.)

The Northern Lake County Arts Board will host Brian Miller and Randy Gosa in concert entitled “The Lost 40″ at the William Kelly High School Auditorium in Silver Bay Nov. 3. The musicians play historical Irish-inspired music of the Great Lakes Region. For tickets, visit www.northernlakecountyartsboard.tix.com
The North Shore Music Association’s 26th annual Bluegrass Masters Weekend will be at Lutsen Resort Nov. 4-6. This year’s featured instrument is guitar, and the featured performer and instructor will be Jim Hurst. Stay tuned for details. For more info, see www.northshoremusicassociation.com

Painting Up a Storm: Artist Kathy Fox Weinberg will hold a Lake Superior/Storm themed acrylic painting class in honor of Storm Fest  Kah-Nee-Tah Gallery Nov. 12 at 5 p.m. The cost is $25 per person and includes professional instruction, all supplies, wine and snacks. Reservations are required. Call the gallery at 387-2585 to make a reservation.

Opportunities

Artists are invited to apply for the Juried Artists-in-Residence program at the Grand Marais Art Colony. Two concurrent juried residencies are available in 2017, one in the Founders Hall Multi-use Studio and one in the Eco-Friendly Printmaking Studio. Juried residents are provided with two weeks of independent studio access, lodging, and a weekly stipend. Residents may choose to provide a community engagement component (optional) for an additional stipend. The deadline to apply is Dec. 9. For more info and to apply, click here.

In Other Art News:

 This is the last weekend to see Jim Ringquist’s exhibit of Cook County panoramas at the Cook County Courthouse.

Briand Morrison and Sam Miltich will play together at the Amazing Grace Cafe in Duluth on Saturday from 6-8 p.m.

Jim Sannerud is putting the final touches on chairs he is creating for his dinner setting exhibit, “At the Table.” Sannerud is a 2016 recipient of an Artist Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. The grant allows him to build a dinner setting that is inspired by his visit last year to his ancestors’ farm “Gardsjord” in Rauland, Norway. He works in his studio space at Betsy Bowen’s Studio & Galleries.

Chairs by Jim Sannerud.

Chairs by Jim Sannerud.

Here’s the music for this weekend:

Thursday, Oct. 20:

  • Gordon Thorne & Chris Gillis, Gunflint Tavern, 7-10 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 21:

  • Gene LaFond & Amy Grillo, Voyageur Brewing Co., 4 p.m.
  • Michael Monroe, Bluefin Grille, 8 p.m.
  • Bug Dope, Gunflint Tavern, 8 p.m.
  • The Pete K Group, Grand Ray’s, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 22:

  • Matt Ray, Voyageur Brewing Co., 4 p.m.
  • Josef Deithelm Oktoberfest, Voyageur Brewing Co., 4 p.m.
  • Josef Diethelm Oktoberfest Celebration, Cascade Lodge, 6:30 p.m.
  • Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert, 7 p.m.
  • Eric Frost, Lutsen Resort Lobby, 7 p.m.
  • Sky Blue Jazz Ensemble, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 7 p.m.
  • The Pete K Group, Grandma Ray’s, 9 p.m.
  • Timmy Haus, Papa Charlie’s, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 23:

  • Brothers in Arms, Gunflint Tavern, 8 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 24:

  • Boyd Bump Blomberg, Bluefin Grille, 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 26:

  • Gordon Thorne & Jim Olschmidt, Bluefin Grille, 8 p.m.

The rut has started in the Northwoods and bull moose are out there. So are photographers. Here are a few of the images we found. First up, the artist’s take.

Tom Christiansen's painted moose. It's small, only 2-feet tall. It can be found at his gallery: Last Chance in Lutsen.

Tom Christiansen’s painted moose. It’s only 2-feet tall. It can be found at his gallery: Last Chance Gallery in Lutsen.

 

Paul Sundberg took this photograph of a handsome bull moose the other day.

Paul Sundberg took this photograph of a handsome bull moose the other day.

 

Thomas Spence took this shot... it looks like this particular moose likes to have its picture taken.

Thomas Spence took this shot… it looks like this particular moose likes to have its picture taken.

We found some other great wildlife shots this week, too. Here are images from Michael Furtman.

American Coot, out for a walk by Michael Furtman.

American Coot, out for a walk by Michael Furtman.

 

Red Fox taking a nap by Michael Furtman.

Red Fox taking a nap by Michael Furtman.

 

This shot was of a Bald Eagle pair was taken in Michigan.

Photo by Brian Garwick, taken in Farwell, Mich.

Photo by Brian Garwick, taken in Farwell, Mich.

The Northern Lights were crackling last week, too. Here are two great images.

Photo by Steve Ortman.

Photo by Steve Ortman.

 

High Falls at Grand Portage by Jim Schnortz.

High Falls at Grand Portage by Jim Schnortz.

We found a few interesting night shots, too.

Photo by Breanda Lapos Loeb.

Photo by Breanda Lapos Loeb.

 

"My luckiest shot" by Michael Thompson.

“My luckiest shot” by Michael Thompson.

And Fall, in all its glory, has been well documented. Here are some examples.

Paul Pluskwik: Fall Landscape.

Paul Pluskwik: Fall Landscape.

 

Golden Hour by Thomas Spence.

Golden Hour by Thomas Spence.

 

Fall in Duluth by Katy Hawley.

Fall in Duluth by Katy Hawley.

 

Photo by Jamie Rabold.

Photo by Jamie Rabold.

And finally, this sweet shot by Mary Amerman.

Fall reflections by Mary Amerman.

Fall reflections by Mary Amerman.

Enjoy your weekend. Maybe you’ll even see a moose!

 

 

 

 

 

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