Carol Keskitalo took this beautiful shot of an early winter morning the other day. Enjoy!
The holiday season is well underway in Grand Marais this weekend. Look forward to the Holiday Art Underground Show, the Northwoods Fiber Guild’s Holiday Open House & Sale, and the Borealis Chorale and Orchestra’s Christmas Concert, to name a few. And, of course, there’s plenty of music.
First up is the Holiday Art Underground Sneak Peak at the Betsy Bowen Studio & Galleries on Friday night from 4-7:30 p.m. It’s the opening reception for the show and features live music with Rod & Caribou as well as refreshments and the chance to get a first look at the art.
Tom McCann puts the final touches on his painting, “Wisdom of the Dragon,” which will be at the Holiday Art Underground Show.
Kelly Dupre made a series of handprinted flags for the Holiday Underground show.
More than 30 local and regional artists exhibit in this show, which is always fun to see. Work includes woodcut and linoleum prints, paintings, photographs, fiber art, pottery, glass, jewelry and more. The gallery will be open for extended hours on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Holiday Art Underground Show continues through Dec. 23.
Saturday begins with the Northwoods Fiber Guild’s Holiday Open House and Sale at the Grand Marais Art Colony.
When the doors open at 9 a.m., visitors will find the Founders Hall packed with handcrafted scarves, shawls, mittens and sweaters, felted hats and bags, knit socks and handmade paper books — in short, all things fiber are featured at this event.
The Northwoods Fiber Guild’s Holiday Open House & Sale features a wide variety of handcrafted work.
The Holiday Open House and Sale runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and also features a hands-on craft activity for every age, demonstrations, a tree filled with handmade ornaments as well as lots of refreshments, including tasty holiday treats made by guild members. This is always a popular community event, and everyone is invited.
Across the street, the Congregational Church hosts Santa’s Workshop, where Scout elves will assist little shoppers in choosing and wrapping presents, before rejoining parents, who will have a true surprise under the Christmas tree. No gift in the child area costs more than $2. There will be a pancake breakfast at 7 a.m. Shopping is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All invited.
And a few blocks away, the Evangelical Free Church will hold a Craft Fair fr0m 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A Bistro-style lunch, which is a fundraiser for the church’s youth group, will be served from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
KIm Nelson is one of the vendors at the Evangelical Free Church Craft Fair on Saturday.
Vendors at the Craft Fair include Terry Lewis, John Moos, Hana Senty, Mary Jo Flack, Kim Nelson, Sharon Hendrickson, and Amanda VanHornweder Carlson.
On Saturday night, the Lutsen Fire Department hosts its annual Fireman’s Ball at Caribou Highlands, with music by the Evergreen Grass Band. Cocktail hour is at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m. in the village chalet at the resort. Contact James Coleman for tickets.
Then on Sunday and Monday, the Borealis Chorale and Orchestra will perform a Christmas Concert at 7 p.m. each night at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
Bill Beckstrand is the musical director for the Borealis Chorale and Orchestra.
The Christmas Concert is an honored holiday tradition in Grand Marais. The 75-member Chorale and Orchestra, directed by Bill Beckstrand, will perform seasonal works by celebrated composers. This year’s program includes selections from Benjamin Britton’s “Ceremony of Carols” and Handel’s “Messiah,” as well as orchestral pieces featuring harp and oboe. Guest artist Janell Lemire, harpist for the Duluth Superior Orchestra, the Lake Superior Orchestra, and the UMD Festival Orchestra, will be a featured performer. Highly recommended. Go early to get a good seat. Freewill donations accepted.
Also on Sunday, Dave and Amy Freeman will screen their film, “Bear Witness: A Year in the Wilderness,” at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 5 p.m.
Dave & Amy Freeman’s film, “Bear Witness” will be screened at the ACA on Sunday at 5 p.m.
The film captures the year the couple spent in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. They will be available for questions after the screening. All invited.
Also this weekend, guests on WTIP’s The Roadhouse include Duluth News-Tribune columnist Bob King, who wrote “Night Sky With the Naked Eye,” Scandinavian cookbook author Beatrice Ojakangas and the Plucked Up String Band. The show airs from 5-7 p.m. on Friday.
Knife River will celebrate the holiday season again this year with Julebyan or Christmas village. Sponsored by the Knife River Recreation Council, the village features fun events for the family, food, crafts and Christmas festivities.
Julebyen will be held in Knife River on Saturday and Sunday.
Julebyen (pronounced YOOL-eh-BE-en) will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. For more info, click here.
In Duluth, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” a production of the Duluth Playhouse, opens at the Depot Dec. 1 and runs through Dec. 18. For tickets to this holiday production, visit www.duluthplayhouse.org.
The Tweed Museum of Art is exhibiting selections from its Permanent Collection, including work by Jim Denomie.
“A Beautiful Hero” by Jim Denomie.
Denomie had a one-man show at the Johnson Heritage Post a few years ago.
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery opens an exhibit by Elizabeth Buset entitled “Swine” Friday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. (EST) with an artist talk set for early February.
“Marxist Pig,” oil, by Elizabeth Buset.
Nadia Kurd, who curated the show, writes: “In her solo exhibition, artist Elizabeth Buset examines the symbolic meaning of (swine) and the social implications of consumerist culture in North America. (Her) large-scale realist paintings and installation challenges the viewer to consider their lifestyles and daily habits that, much like the subject matter, can often be contradictory and sometimes self-defeating. For Buset, the exhibition presents an uncomfortable “acknowledgement of guilt and melancholy that ensues. It is the realization that my personal legacy will not be the art I make, but the garbage I generate and the resources I knowingly deplete.” The discomfort presented in the exhibition not only lingers throughout, but fundamentally compels audiences to question and rethink their everyday actions.” The exhibition continues through March 5.
Upcoming
Kah-Nee-Tah Gallery will celebrate its Two-Year Anniversary/Holiday Party from 3-7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10. Refreshments will be served and Gordon Thorne will play. All invited.
The Minnesota Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” will be performed at the DECC in Duluth at 7 p.m. Dec. 9-10 and at 3 p.m. Dec. 11. For tickets, see www.tix.com.
The Minnesota Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” will be performed at the DECC next weekend.
Layne Kennedy will hold his 9th Annual College Bowl sale Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to noon at 4209 Garfield Ave. He will be featuring his hand-turned bowls.
This bowl by Layne Kennedy was crafted from birch found on the Gunflint Trail.
For more info about the sale, contact Kennedy at lk@laynekennedy.com
The Grand Marais Playhouse is holding the Curry Cook-Off and Broadway Musical Showcase again this year. The event is a fundraiser for the Playhouse and will be held Dec. 17. If you would like to contribute a curry dish or sing a Broadway musical number, contact the Playhouse at (218) 387-1284 or playhouse@boreal.org The Playhouse is also looking musicians to accompany the singers, and dance numbers are welcome.
In Other Art News:
Both Neil Sherman and Betsy Bowen will be exhibiting their work in St. Paul this weekend.
Sherman will have paintings in an exhibit at the Grand Hill Gallery, 333 Grand Ave., as part of the exhibit entitled “Selected Works.” Richard Abrahamson and Joshua Cunningham will also be exhibiting work. The opening reception is at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1.
“Summer on Rose Lake” by Neil Sherman.
Bowen will be exhibiting her woodcuts, books and cards at the Grand Hand Gallery, 619 Grand Ave., in St. Paul Dec. 2-3.
Betsy Bowen will show her work at the Grand Hand Gallery this weekend.
Sivertson Gallery has received new work by collage artist Michael Sweere.
“Along the Cascade Trail,” collage, by Michael Sweere.
Here’s the music for this week:
Thursday, Dec. 1:
- Boyd Blomberg, Poplar River Pub, 6 p.m.
- Lovesick and Lonesome, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 2:
- Gordon Thorne, Bluefin Grille, 4 p.m.
- Jim Miller, Bluefin Grille, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 2:
- Gene Lafond and Amy Grillo, Voyageur Brewing Co., 4 p.m.
- Plucked Up String Band, Lutsen Resort Lobby, 7 p.m.
- SplinterTones, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 4:
- Borealis Chorale and Orchestra Annual Christmas Concert, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 7 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 5:
- Borealis Chorale and Orchestra Annual Christmas Concert, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 6:
- Pete Kavanaugh, Poplar River Pub, 6 p.m.
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