North Shore Arts Scene

November bull. Photograph by Thomas Spence.

Some call this the Shoulder Season on the North Shore, when things really slow down, but if the event schedule for this weekend is any indication, there’s more than enough to keep everyone busy.

First up is the North Shore Readers & Writers Festival. Organized by the Grand Marais Art Colony, this 4-day biennial event celebrates and fosters the literary arts through a series of workshops, presentations, author talks, panel discussions and a book fair.

The North Shore Readers and Writers Festival is Nov.7-10 in a variety of locations in Grand Marais.

It is too late to register for the classes and workshops, but it is still possible to register and attend several free public events, including the opening reception on Thursday at the Grand Marais Art Colony from 4:30-5;30 p.m. Following the reception, Leif Enger will give a keynote address at the Grand Marais Public Library at 7 p.m.  It is open to the public.

One of the highlights of the festival is a presentation on writing with humor by authors Sally Franson, Lorna Landvik, and Julie Schumacher. The event will be held at the Grand Marais Public Library at 7 p.m. Friday. For a sneak preview, listen to WTIP’s The Roadhouse on Friday starting at 5 p.m.

Author and humorist Lorna Landvik will give a presentation at the Grand Marais Public Library with Sally Franson and Julie Schumacher pn Friday and a talk at Voyageur’s Brewing on Saturday.

Landvik, a favorite at the past festivasl, will also give a presentation entitled “Literature, Laughs and Lorna: at Voyageur’s Brewing at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Another public event that shouldn’t be missed is a presentation by poet, Michael Bazzett. who will give an author talk at Studio 21, the Art Colony’s new space that used to be the North Shore Pharmacy on Highway 61..

Poet Michael Bazzett will give a talk at Studio 21, the Art Colony’s new space in the old Pharmacy Building, at 5 p.m. on Friday

The talk is from 5-6:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8,  and is entitled “Our Lands Are Not So Different.”  Bazzett’s recently published verse translation of the Mayan creation epic, The Popol Vuh (Milkweed, 2018) was named “one of 2018’s 10 best books of poetry” by the New York Times. The event is free and sponsored by the Grand Marais Library Friends.

There are a number of author talks scheduled over the 4-day festival, including a panel of North Shore writers. Rush tickets are available at the door of each event which will be held at Studio 21.  To see the complete schedule, click here.

Also this weekend, the Johnson Heritage Post opens a new exhibit of photographs by members of the Frozen Photographers, a closed Facebook group started by photographer Jamie Rabold several years ago. Some of the requirements to be a member of the group include:”You MUST from time to time risk FROSTBITE or at least GET COLD sometimes to get your shot. Ok, so we all get a little cold BUT if you want the shot sometimes you have to freeze your digits.”

This show will feature more than bone-chilling images, though. It’s called “Changing Seasons,” and will exhibit a great mix of photographs from a selection of these talented photographers.

“Compression Highway” by Jamie Rabold is one of the images that will be in the Frozen Photographer’s exhibit that opens at the Johnson Heritage Post on Friday. The reception is from 5-7 p.m.

The opening reception is from 5-7 p.m. on Friday. The exhibit continues through Dec. 1. The Heritage Post is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and from 1-4 p.m. Sunday.

Also this week, the Grand Marais Playhouse presents the annual Community Youth Play at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. This year, they will present the  musical, “Disney’s Little Mermaid.

The cast and crew of Disney’s Little Mermaid, presented by the Grand Marais Playhouse at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. The play opens at 7 p.m. Thursday.

“Disney’s Little Mermaid” will open at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7 and finish its run Nov. 17. Performances are at 7 p.m Thursday though Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $12 adults, $5 Youth, $3 Children. Tickets are available online or at the door. For more info, visit grandmaraisplayhouse.com

And finally, this is the weekend of the Lake Superior Storm Festival, featuring a variety of activities and events all weekend.

On Friday, alocal craft fair and an equipment and fashion show will be held at Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply on Friday starting at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, a number of events will be held at Lutsen Resort, including the Wave Dash, starting at 10 a.m., and a poem and a remembrance ceremony on the anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald will be held at Artists’s Point with Jim Shinners on Sunday. Click here for details.

On Wednesday, Boreal Community Media will host “Dessert to the Max” at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts from 5-7 p.m. The public is invited to come enjoy home-baked sweet treats and learn about the local nonprofits in Cook County. The event is designed to recognize the good work the non-profit community does in Cook County on the eve of Give to the Max Day, Thursday, Nov. 14. Give to the Max Day is  the single most important fund-raising event of the year in Minnesota.

A coalition of non-profit organizations from around Cook County will be on hand to tell you about their missions and current projects and how they are trying to make a difference in Cook County.

The keynote speaker for the event will be Joan Gardner-Goodno, executive director of the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation. All invited. Free. To learn more about Give to the Max Day click here.

Upcoming:

 Empty Bowls 2019 will be held at St. John’s Catholic Church on Thursday, Nov. 14. There will be two seatings for the soup and bread dinner. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and dinner from 5-7 p.m. The soup and bread is provided by local restaurants and handcrafted bowls, made by community potters are available as well.

The Empty Bowls 2019 fundraiser to help feed the hungry in Cook County will be held at St. John’s Catholic Church in Grand Marais on Thursday, Nov. 14. Pictured above are a few community potters who made special bowls for the event.

Empty Bowls 2019 features a simple soup dinner with soup and bread provided by local restaurants and a sale of beautiful handcrafted bowls made at the Grand Marais Art Colony. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., with dinner from 5 – 7 p.m. After your soup meal, satisfy your sweet tooth with a delicious homemade treat from the bake sale and be sure to pick up an adorable microwave bowl cozy made by the Northwoods Fiber Guild. Proceeds from Empty Bowls are donated to organizations that help feed the hungry, including the Cook County Food Shelf. All invited. And this year, kids get in free!

FYI

David Huckfelt of The Pines will be WTIP’s The Roadhouse on Friday Night to  talk about the residency he did on Isle Royale, the music that resulted, and an event happening Nov. 21 at the Hook and Ladder in Mpls. with Park Sup. Phyllis Green. The Roadhouse airs from 5-7 p.m. on Fridays.

AND, there are lots of holiday fairs scheduled for the season. Check back next week for all the details.

 Music:

Here’s the music schedule for this week:

Thursday, Nov. 7:

• Terry V & Friends, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Poplar River Pub, 6 p.m.
• Plucked Up String Band, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 8:

• Portage, Grandma Rays, 6 p.m.
• Brothers in Arms, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.

 Saturday, Nov. 9:

• SisterTree with Eli Bentley, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.
• Evening Stars, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Plucked Up String Band, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 10:

• Briand Morrison. Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.

Open Stage with Joe Paulik and Pat Flack, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 11:

• Briand Morrison, Voyageur Brewing, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 12:

• Jim Miller, Lutsen Resort, 6 p.m.

Photographs:

We have a short potpourri of photographs for you this week. First, wildlife:

Breakfast of Champions by John Heino.

“Otters can’t wait for winter.” Thomas Spence photographed these sliding otter trails along a road that just had a smidgen of snow. It looked like they were having a great time,. He followed their trail along the road for more than 2 miles.

And some landscapes.

“Fall color along a stream” by Bryan Hansel.

Lake Superior and the Sawtooth Mountains by Paul Sundberg.

Getting the mail by Don Davison.

Partridge Falls by Travis Novitsky.

Here’s a beautiful abstract:

Autumn Color No. 1 by John Heino.

And the cold reality of our commercial fishermen:

Tending the herring nets in Big Bay, Hovland, by Lou Pignolet.

And finally, this beauty:

Early light in late autumn by Ken Harmon.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

It was a drop-my-leaves day for this tree. Photograph by Daniel Olson.

Daniel Olson’s photograph, above, says it all about this week on the North Shore. Fall has fallen, and winter’s on the way.

That also means there are some great things to do and see indoors this week.

The 29th annual Bluegrass Master’s Weekend kicks off at Lutsen Resort this weekend, a 3-day feast of bluegrass music sponsored by the North Shore Music Association. Look for lots of jamming in rooms scattered throughout the resort all weekend. It also features a whole day of workshops with master fiddler Dan Kelly on Saturday and a concert with Kelly and Michael & Jennifer McClain and the Banjocats on Saturday night in the Lutsen Resort Ballroom.

Master fiddler Dan Kelly is the featured musician at this year’s Bluegrass Master’s Weekend at Lutsen Resort.

Kelly, who won the Grand Masters Championship in Nashville at age 17, has toured with Alan Jackson, Clint Black, Faith Hill, Steve Wariner, and Lonestar. During that time, he performed at the Kennedy Center, the Grammy, CMA & ACM award shows, the Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman, Good Morning America, and at Carnegie Hall. He joined the Banjocats with Michael and Jennifer McClain in 2016.

He will be teaching fiddling workshops on a variety of topics all day on Saturday. Attendance is open to all and is $40 for the entire day. Participants can also choose to attend only segments, at $2 each/15 minutes.

Michael and Jennifer McClain and the Banjocats will be in concert with Kelly at 8 p.m. on Saturday night in the Lutsen Resort Ballroom. Tickets are available on-site. Note: To get a preview of the concert, listen to WTIP’s The Roadhouse on Friday night –Michael and Jennifer McClain will be interviewed and play a few songs during the first segment, which will air at 5 p.m.

Here’s a video of the McClains and the Banjocats performing.

 To find out the class schedule and more information, click here. The public is invited to bring their instruments and join in the jamming or, just drop by for a listen on Saturday.

Meanwhile, this Friday, Bluefin Grille is hosting the Fall Food & Wine Lovers Weekend Friday through Sunday. The event features wine tastings and multi-course dinners prepared by Timothy Fisher, executive chef at Loew’s Hotel in Minneapolis. To find out more and make reservations, call 663-6200.

Also on Friday, which is National Author’s Day, author Tim Cochrane will be at a book signing at the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino from 7-9 p.m. Cochrane has written “Gichi Bitobig, Grand Marais: Early Accounts of the Anishnaabeg and the North Shore Fur Trade,”“Minong–The Good Place: Ojibwe and Isle Royale,” and “A Good Boat Speaks for Itself.”

Tim Cochrane will be a book signing at the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1.

Books will be available for purchase, or fans can bring their own copies for Cochrane to sign.

Also on Friday, Greg Lecker, who was the featured artist at the Johnson Heritage Post earlier this year, will open a new exhibit in the Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park on Friday, with a reception from 7-9:30 p.m.

“Rain makes the difference,” by Greg Lecker. The painter opens an exhibit at Tettegouche State Park on Friday.

 The exhibit, entitled “Watershed,” explores themes of water and the Northwoods. At the reception, Lecker will give a brief discussion about his creative process, and Briand Morrison will play. Refreshments will be served. All invited.

On Saturday, the annual Paint-A-Bowl for Empty Bowls event will be held in the Founders Hall at the Grand Marais Art Colony from 1-3 p.m.

Paint-A-Bowl for Empty Bowls will be held at the Grand Marais Art Colony from 1-3 p.m. Saturday.

There will be lots of bowls to “paint” with colorful glazes. They’ll then  be fired and donated to the Empty Bowls event, which will be held Thursday, Nov. 14 at St. John’s Catholic Church. All are invited to try their hand at painting the bowls. There is a small $5 donation to cover material costs. Call the Art Colony for more info, or just show up.

Also on Saturday, the North Shore Winery will host the 4th annual Harvest Festival at the winery, featuring tours, live music, wine tasting and more. The event will be held from noon to 7 p.m.

Exhibits:

This is the last weekend to see “Wild Wonder: An Art Exhibit by Deb Kirkeeide and Kristen Palm at the Johnson Heritage Post.

This is the last weekend to see “Wild Wonder” at the Johnson Heritage Post.

The Heritage Post is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and from 1-4 p.m. Sunday.

Also in Grand Marais, Sivertson Gallery announced this week that the 2019 Cape Dorset Annual Print Collection has been released and is currently on view at the gallery.

“Floral Transformation” by Ningiukulu-Teevee, stonecut and stencil print, is on view at Sivertson Gallery.

The collection features original stonecuts, lithographs, and etchings from artists of the Far North. The gallery is one of the few U.S. host galleries to represent this yearly catalog of prints.

Members of the Northwoods Fiber Guild are exhibiting work at the Angry Trout.

This needle-felted painting by Melanie Mathieson is one of the works on exhibit at the Angry Trout.

There’s plenty of time to see the exhibit, too. The Angry Trout will be open until Nov. 24 this year.

Betsy Bowen has published a number of new books featuring her drawings, paintings and prints that are available at her studio gallery, 301 1st Ave. W. in Grand Marais.

Betsy Bowen has published a number of new books featuring her paintings, drawings and prints.

In Duluth, the Nordic Center, 23 N. Lake Ave., is featuring a new exhibit entitled “Swedish Folk Painting: A Midwest Revival.”

The Nordic Center in Duluth is exhibiting a modern take on Swedish folk painting through Nov. 9.

The exhibit features contemporary Swedish folk paintings by Judith Kjenstad, Pieper Fleck Bloomquist, and Alison Aune. The exhibit continues through Nov.9.

There are some great reviews for a new exhibit at the AICHO Galleries in Duluth at 202 W.2nd St. The exhibit features work by Rabbett Stickland and Pat Kruse entitled “Mniidoos and Wiigaas.”

Iskwaag Nibi The last waterhole. Creating a new world” by Rabbett Strickland is at the AICHO Galleries in Duluth.

The exhibit continues through December.

In Thunder Bay, the Thunder Art Gallery is currently exhibiting “Their Breath in Beads.”

“The Aftermath of Storms 2019″ by Melissa Twance is on view at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery in Thunder Bay.

 Upcoming:

The North Shore Readers and Writers Festival, a biennial event that locates, celebrates and fosters the literary arts and engagement with the written word, will be held Nov. 7-10. The festival is hosted by the Grand Marais Art Colony in partnership with Drury Lane Books and the Grand Marais Public Library.

At the festival, readers, writers and book professionals come together for four days filled with author talks, panel discussions, mini-classes and craft seminars. It is too late to register for classes, but it is still possible to register and attend several free public events including the opening reception at the Grand Marais Art Colony from 4:30-5;30 p.m. at the Grand Marais Art Colony.

Leif Enger will give the keynote address at the Grand Marais Public Library on Friday night. Free,  There are two local writers lunchtime reading panels, set for Friday and Saturday, as well as presentation by Lorna Landvik on Literature and Laughs at Voyaguer Brewing Co. at 7 p., Saturday, just to name a few events. Call the Grand Marais Art Colony at 387-2737 for details.

And poet Michael Bazzett will give an author talk at Studio 21, the Art Colony’s new space that used to be the North Shore Pharmacy. The talk is from 5-6:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8,  and is entitled “Our Lands Are Not So Different.”  Bazzett’s recently published verse translation of the Mayan creation epic, The Popol Vuh (Milkweed, 2018) was named “one of 2018’s 10 best books of poetry” by the New York Times. The event is free and sponsored by the Grand Marais Library Friends. All the other author talks will be held in Studio 21, as well.

Stay tuned for details next week. For more information about these and other events during the festival, check out the schedule here. 

Also next weekend. the Grand Marais Playhouse will present its annual Community Youth Play – the musical “Disney’s The Little Mermaid.”

Disney’s The Little Mermaid opens at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. Nov. 7.

The play will be performed at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts on two weekends,  opening on Thursday, Nov. 7. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 adults, $5 youth, $3 children.

And in Finland, visual and installation artist Catherine Meier will open an exhibit at the Clair Nelson Community Center, 6866 Cramer Road, from 4-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9.

Artist Catherine Meier will open an exhibit at the Clair Nelson Community Center Nov.9.

Meier’s visual arts exhibition explores drawing, animations, projections and open space. An artist talk will be at 6 p.m. All invited.

Music:

Here’s the music schedule for this week:

Thursday, Oct. 31:

• Terry Valdiva & Friends, Wunderbar, 6. p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & Friends, North Shore Winery, 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 1:

• Jon Miller & the Homerews, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 2:

• Brothers in Arms, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
• Bluegrass Master’s Weekend, Michael & Jennifer McClain Band with Dan Kelly, Lutsen Ballroom, Lutsen Resort, 8 p.m.
• Halloween Party, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
• Jon Miller & the Home-Brews, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 3:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.
• Open Stage with Joe Paulik and Pat Flack, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 4:

• Brothers in Arms, Voyageur Brewing, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 5:

• Roxann Berglund, Lutsen Resort, 6 p.m.

Photographs:

Let’s start with some of the wildlife photographs we found this week:

“I wonder where this goes,” by David Johnson.

Have you ever taken the time to look carefully at a pileated woodpecker’s beautiful job of carving into a tree? Photograph by Betty Hemstad.

I surprised these baby bears by Jamie Rabold.

Loons raised a duckling on Long Lake in Wisconsin this summer, and it rode on its parents back until it was almost full grown. Watchers wondered if it would sink its parent. Photograph by Linda Grenzer.

Porcupine by Jeffrey Doty.

Eagles get thirsty too, by Thomas Demma.

Here’s a photograph of some of the last fall colors.

Sumac adieu by John Heino.

 Waves during the last storm:

Waves by Paul Sundberg. He wrote that he got very wet taking this photograph. Nothing stops getting wet when it’s blowing 60 mph, he said.

Calm, after the storm:

Clouds by Therese Misgen.

Raindrop portrait:

Oak leaf raindrops by Mark Attridge.

And portraits of color:

Wish you were here by Mary Amerman.

Searching for birds takes you to the prettiest places by Kjersti Vick.

And finally, this beauty:

Early snows by Thomas Spence.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

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The raw power of Gitche Gumee by John Keefover.

Lake Superior was definitely whipped into a frenzy this week as 60 mph winds blew across her waters. The next day, the Big Lake was as calm as a millpond and crispy leaves littered the ground. Fall — on the North Shore.

We start this week with WTIP Community Radio’s Fearless Radio Fall Membership Drive.  The independent, community owned radio station can be found at 90.7 FM or streamed at WTIP.org.

Staci Drouillard, WTIP’s Development Director, on-air during the membership drive.

The membership drive, which started on Wednesday, features live music in the radio station’s studios, as well as creative programing and lots of fun. The station also invites listeners to visit the station to meet the staff and have a snack. Check out the Music Schedule below for who will be performing when, live, this week. And enjoy.

The Grand Marais Art Colony launches its Studio 21 Open House and Ideation Sessions for the new space at  21 W. Hwy 61 in Grand Marais today,  Thursday, Oct. 24 from noon to 2 p.m.

The Grand Marais Art Colony will hold an Open House and Ideation session on Thursday, Oct. 24 from noon to 12 p.m. at Studio 21 on Hwy. 61. Other sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, )ct. 26, and Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 4-6 p.m.

At the Open House, participants will learn more about the Art Colony’s mission and artistic direction. They will also have the chance to draw their own ideas about how the space could be used on gridded floor-plans.

Open House/Ideation sessions will also be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 26, and Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 4-6 p.m. All invited.

Also on Thursday, for a little levity in this change of seasons, check out the North American Comedy Brewery Tour at Voyageur Brewing Co., which will be held from 8-9:30 p.m. this Thursday, The Comedy Tour, which headlines Casey Flesch, brings talented North American comedians to local breweries across the United States to support local breweries. A portion of all proceeds go toward animal welfare organizations. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. For more info, click here.

On Friday, North House Folk School will host a Pop-up Basket Market from 3-5 p.m. and an evening presentation by Greg Johnson, a basketmaker and cultural educator.

North House Folk School will host a Pop-UP Basket Market from 3-5 p.m. Friday. Pictured are pine needle baskets.

The Pop-Up Basket Market will feature work by the instructors teaching this week at North House and include everything from birchbark to sweetgrass baskets. All invited.

On Friday night at 7 p.m., basketmaker Greg Johnson will give a presentation in the Blue Building entitled “The Four Seasons of the Ojibwe Harvest.”

Winter bark folded baskets crafted by Greg Johnson, who will give a presentation at North House Folk School at 7 p.m. Friday.

His presentation will focus on the significance of a seasonal lifestyle in Ojibwe culture through the context of basketry. All invited. Free.

Also this weekend, Gunflint Lodge, in collaboration with the Grand Marais Playhouse, will host a Murder Mystery Weekend. The play starts on Friday night and segments continue through Sunday until the mystery is solved. For more info and to reserve a cabin, click here.

If you are planning to be in the Twin Ports on Friday, you are in for a treat. There are two community wide art events that evening: The Downtown Duluth Arts Walk from 5-8 p.m. and, across the bridge in Superior, Wis., the kickoff for the Goin’ Postal Art and Music Festival.

The Downtown Duluth Arts Walk features everything from gallery openings, artist studio tours, live music. cultural center events and more in the downtown area. The list of participating artists and venues is impressive.

Among the many featured artists is Aaron Kloss, who has just opened a studio on the 3rd floor of the recently renovated Old City Hall Building at 132 E. Superior St. Kloss’ work can be seen at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais.

Detail of painting by Aaron Kloss. He has a new studio in the Old City Hall in Duluth. Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais carries his work.

The public is invited to see the studio, as well as other guest artists located there. To find out more and see all the openings and events, click here.

In Superior,Wis., there will be art and music at six locations to celebrate North End Days, including a Frozen Photographers show at the VIP and the  Goin Postal Fall Art Show, featuring work by more than 20 artists.

In Grand Marais on Saturday, author and historian, Tim Cochrane, will give a presentation at the Johnson Heritage Post at 4 p.m. Entitled “The Linklaters: People of the Canoe Country.” The talk will feature photographs and focus on how the Linklaters managed to thrive and become notable in a world increasingly difficult for the Ojibwe.

Tim Cochrane will give a presentation on the Linklaters at the Johnson Heritage Post at 4 p.m. Saturday.

The event is free and open to the public.

Also on Saturday, the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino will hold a dance/concert and Halloween Costume Contest with the Westside Band of St. Paul starting at 9 p.m. Free. Must be 21 or older to attend.

On Thursday, Oct. 31, the Johnson Heritage Post will be open from 3-6 p.m. for a little Trick or Treating.

The Johnson Heritage Post will host a little Trick or Treating for kids from 3-6 p.m. on Oct. 31.

The gallery will be open for extended hours that day, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Exhibits:

This is also a great time to see the exhibit, “Wild Wonder,” by painters Deb Kirkeeide and Kristin Palm at the Johnson Heritage Post. 

Snowy owl by Deb Kierkeeide is one of the paintings currently on view at the Johnson Heritage Post.

The exhibit continues through Nov. 3. The winter gallery hours are from 10 a.m. Thursday through Saturday and from 1-4 p.m. Sunday.

The Art in Conflict exhibit continues at the Tweed Museum of Art. Curated by the Museum of Russian Art,  the Soviet-era exhibition covers the period from Stalin’s death in 1953 until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

‘Harvest” by Tamara Khitrova. (1955), is one of the paintings in The Art of Conflict exhibit at the Tweed Museum of Art.

 The Duluth Art Institute is featuring a number of different exhibits this month, including the Minnesota Black Fine Art Show.

“Breaking Free, ” photograph, by Ivy Vaino, is at the Duluth Art Institute.

Established and emerging Minnesota artists of African descent exhibit their work in this juried traveling show.Work on view includes fiber, mixed media, photography, graphic design and painting. It continues at the Art Institute through Jan. 2.

This is the last weekend to see “Displacement: Karen Cornelius and Peter Tittenberger” at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery in Thunder Bay. The exhibition features two reflections on childhood histories of displacement and the plight of displaced peoples as seen through the mediums of sculpture and printmaking.

Pink Sweater Pink by Karen Cornelius is one of the pieces in the exhibit at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.

The exhibit closes Oct. 29.

 Upcoming:

 The North Shore Music Association hosts the 29th Annual Bluegrass Masters Weekend at Lutsen Resort Nov. 1-3, with workshops by master fiddler Dan Kelly, jamming all weekend, and a Saturday night concert by the Michael & Jennifer McClain Band, featuring Dan Kelly.

North Shore Music Association’s Bluegrass Masters Weekend is Nov. 1-3 at the Lutsen Resort, and features a concert by Michael & Jennifer McClain Band, featuring master fiddler Dan Kelly.

Fiddle workshops with Kelly will be held on Saturday, Nov. 2. For more information about the classes and the event, click here. And stay tuned for details.

Plein air painter Greg Lecker opens an exhibit in the Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park on Nov. 1 with an opening reception from 7-8:30 p.m.

Cascade Pools by Greg Lecker. He will open a show at Tettegouche State Park Nov. 1.

The North Shore Readers and Writer’s Festival, hosted by the Grand Marais Art Colony, is Nov. 7-10.

The North Shore Readers and Writers Festival is Nov. 7-10.

The festival features 50 individual sessions with poets and writers, as well as publishers. Registration for the workshops and classes closes at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25. Call 387-2737 for more info, or see the link below.

Just to give you a taste of what’s planned: Author Leif Enger will present the keynote address as well as hold a craft seminar. Faith Sullivan, Beth Dooley, Sheila O’Connor and more will teach writing classes; learn literary craft from esteemed writers like poet David Mura and Mary Moore Easter as well as  local writers and publishers. There will also be author talks with Matt Goldman, Shannon Gibney, to name a few.

To see the complete schedule and register for classes, click here. 

Music:

 Here’s the music schedule for this week:

Thursday, Oct. 24:

• Terry V’s Patio Party, Wunderbar, 5 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & Friends, North Shore Winery, 6 p.m.
• Jazz Quattro, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.
• Live at WTIP, Kenna Rose, WTIP Community Radio, 8 p.m.
• Live at WTIP, Gordon Thorne, WTIP Community Radio, 10 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 25:

• Live at WTIP, Eli Bentley, WTIP Community Radio, 1 p.m.
• Live at WTIP, Colleen Myhre, WTIP Community Radio, 4 p.m.
• Live at WTIP, Gene LaFond and Amy Grillo, WTIP Community Radio, 6 p.m.
• Colleen Myhre, Gun Flint Tavern, 6 p.m.
• Portage, Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
• Briand Morrison, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 26:

• Live at WTIP, Big Tree, WTIP Community Radio, 2 p.m.
• Colleen Myhre, Gun Flint Tavern, 6 p.m.
• Big Tree, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Common Ground, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• North Shore Community Swing Band, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• The Cruisers, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
• Westside Band, Grand Portage Lodge & Casino, 9 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 27:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.
• Open Stage with Joe Paulik and Pat Flack, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.
• Live at WTIP, Portage, WTIP Community Radio, 7 p.m.
• Vessel, Gunflint Tavern, 7 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 28:

• North Country Fair, Voyageur Brewing, 5 p.m.

Photographs:

 It was a good week for photographs. Let’s start with wildlife:

This otter at the Angry Trout didn’t get any chips with their fish. Photo by Kristin Bergstrom Gibbs.

Here’s an interesting shot. Apparently possums love eating ticks. The trail cam was not in Cook County.

Possum eating ticks off a deer’s head. Trail cam photo by Layne Darby St. Julien.

The photo below was taken by Thomas Demma at the DNR eagle nest site near St. Paul, as a pair of eagles begin building their nest for next year.

A little help from your friends. Photography by Thomas Demma.

 Here are a few great plant photographs.

Frosty mornings by Beth Drost.

Blueberries by Tom Fiero.

Paul Sundberg shows how sunlight on leaves can affect their changing colors in the fall with these two photos.

A smaller leaf covers an oak leaf, by Paul Sundberg.

The same leaf, showing how the shade affects its color.

And a sweet mushroom photograph.

A beauteous mushroom. Photograph by Christian Dalbec.

As can be expected, we found a lot of storm photos this week. Here’s a selection.

First, one wave.

A salt-water free Lake Superior by Tony Wilder.

And then, more waves …

Gale winds by Kristofer Bowman.

And then …

October gales by Dawn LaPointe and Gary Fiedler.

The storm and Split Rock Lighthouse by Dawn LaPointe and Gary Fiedler.

Rocking the October in black a white Mother Superior was mad as a wet hen, by Matthew Pastick.

October storm at Tettegouche. Photograph by Tone Coughlin, courtesy Destination Duluth.

The calm after the storm:

After the fall storm, we got a treat yesterday by David Johnson.

And finally, this:

The photographer, Tony Wilder, calls this “On the lookout,” but we want to call it “Peek-a-boo.” 

Have a good weekend, everyone!

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A fall bull snacking on twigs and leaves in the Superior National Forest by Thomas Spence.

Greetings from Grand Marais, where the summer season is about to officially end with a great community festival: Moose Madness Weekend.

This community wide event is a family focused celebration of all things moose and encourages families to unplug and just have a good time. Throughout the weekend, there are events for everyone. Activities range from the athletic to the artistic as well as fun competitions, and, of course, the big Hunt for the Moose Medallion.

Find out all about the events during Moose Madness weekend in the Moose News & Tribune, available in shops and online.

Shops and venues all over town will offer everything from games, a moose coloring contest, a scavanger hunt as well as a Raccoon Masquerade Ball, sponsored by The Big Lake. There will be a number of other activities too, including a family contra dance at North House Folk School on Friday night, live music by the Bazillions at Moose Central, (Grandma Ray’s), a number of art activities at the Grand Marais Art Colony as well as chance to decorate your own caramel apple at Gunflint Mercantile, to name a few.

There’s also a haiku and limerick contest, sponsored by Northern Wilds. Here’s one of the winners of the haiku contest last year:

Through the snowy lands

And between the knotty trees

Trots the great moose king.

By Maxwell Kaung, age 11.

On Friday and Saturday, there are lots of Moose Madness activities. Here are a few hands-on opportunities: On Friday, Minnesota authors and illustrators Trisha Speed Shaskan and Stephen Shaskan will present a two-hour workshop at the Grand Marais Library entitled “Create Your Own Comic Book Character.” The workshop starts at 3:30 p.m. Also, Grand Marais Pottery and the Maker’s Market will hold a paint-a-moose event all day on Friday. Participants can paint a clay moose and it will be fired and ready for pick-up on Sunday. These are just a few of the activities offered over the weekend.

To find out all the details, and to take a look at the Moose News & Tribune, click here.

There’s lots going on in the county this weekend as well. On Thursday, Oct. 17, Tim Ramey will give a presentation on the history of Naniboujou Lodge at 7 p.m. at Cook County Higher Education.

Tim Ramey will give a presentation about the history of Naniboujou Lodge at Cook County Higher Education at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The historic lodge, with its stunning artwork, was purchased by Tim and his wife Nancy in 1985. They have owned and operated it to the present. Tim will talk about its history and tell stories about his family running the lodge these many years. The event is free, but a $5 donation would be appreciated. Open to all.

On Friday, Bill Hansen, who is currently serving as a volunteer in the Peace Corps in Uganda, will talk about his experiences there on WTIP’s The Roadhouse.

Bill Hansen, who is currently a volunteer for the Peace Corps in Uganda, will talk about his experiences there on WTIP’s The Roadhouse on Friday at 5:45 p.m.

The Roadhouse airs from 5-7 p.m. Hansen will be interviewed about 5:45 p.m.

If you’re’ in Duluth on Friday night, check out all the activities during the Downtown Duluth Arts Walk. The event features open studios, live music, art openings, exhibits and more.

“Rights of the Child ” by Moira Villiard, acrylic. Villaird is exhibiting her work at the Zeitgeist Arts Cafe in downtown Duluth.

On Saturday, the Cook County Market starts the day at the Cook County Senior Center’s parking lot at 9 a.m.

Glass artists Terry Lord Lewis is one of the artisans showing at the Cook County Market on Saturday.

The market opens at 9 a.m. and features a variety of work by local artists and artisans. It is open until 1 p.m. This is the last market of the 2019 season. All welcome.

Also on Saturday, the Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center will hold an Open House from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with speakers and family activities, including bird banding demos. All invited. Refreshments will be served.

And the First annual Grand Marais Apple Festival will be held on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in a variety of places. Participants can enjoy a full day of apple picking, caramel apples, cider pressing demonstrations, bee keeping, tree care, and more.

The First annual Grand Marais Apple Festival will be held on Saturday featuring farm tours, cider-making, presentations and an apple stand. Many activities will be at the Cook County Community Center.

There will be an apple stand and presentations at the Cook County Community Center and apple cider making at Great Expectations School. Self-guided farm tours will also be held. Visit the Cook County Community Center to learn more.

Also, photographer Travis Novitsky will give a presentation at Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center on the Gunflint Trail at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The title of his presentation is “Listening to the Northern Lights.” The presentation is free. Chik-Wauk closes for the season on Sunday, Oct. 2o.

On Sunday, the Grand Marais Art Colony will hold two sessions of Make-A-Bowl for Empty Bowls in the ceramic studio at the Art Colony at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The final sessions for Make-A-Bowl for Empty Bowls 2019 will be held on Monday at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The final sessions for Make-A-Bowl for Empty Bowl 2019 will be held at the Grand Marais Art Colony on Sunday and Monday. Instruction will be provided. To sign up, call 387-2737.

All invited. Instruction is provided. For more information and to sign up, call the Art Colony at 387-2737.

And to cap off the week, the Annual Fall Gala to celebrate Cook County’s momentum in the areas of tourism, community and economic development will be held at Papa Charlie’s starting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The awards ceremony starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20. For reservations, click here.

Exhibits:

“Wild Wonder,” an exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post featuring the work of Minnesota artists Deb Kirkeeide and Kristen Palm has opened at the gallery.

This painting by Kristen Palm is in the “Wild Wonde”r exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post.

The exhibit runs through Nov. 3. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and from 1-4 p.m. Sunday.

The North Shore Hospital has just opened a new exhibit in its corridors featuring the paintings of Joel Lewis and Lisa Perrin-Kosmo.

“Fanny and Dancer,” painting by Joel Lewis, is currently on view at the North Shore Hospital.

Both artists are exhibiting large format paintings as well as other work. The exhibit continues through December. The public is invited to see the exhibit.

Betsy Bowen’s show, “Rare Works from the Archives,” continues at her gallery, Betsy Bowen Gallery and Studios, 301 1st Ave. W. in Grand Marais.

Sketches from life, one of the pieces in Betsy Bowen’s exhibit, Rare Works from the Archives.

The exhibit features framed prints and drawings as well as other works.

The Tweed Museum of Art at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, has just mounted a new exhibit of stunning Gashkibidaaganag or bandolier bags in the Nelson Display Case of Native Art.

Bandolier bag, artist unknown, possibly Ojibwe, one of the items on exhibit at the Tweed Museum of Art.

The exhibit continues through Spring 2020.

The Duluth Art Institute is exhibiting works at City Hall in Duluth.

Three works on display at City Hall in Duluth, shown from upper to lower: -Derek, “Minnesota-Twins”; Adam Demenge, “Bird” and -Kris-Blanchard, “Color Canvas 1.”

The Prøve Collective in Duluth, is featuring an exhibition of new large-scale canvases by painter Bob Pokorney.

The Prøve Collective is exhibiting large-scale paintings by Bob Pokorney.

In Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery is featuring a number of exhibits, including a retrospective of Leo Yerxa’s work entitled Unfold Time.

Upcoming:

The Grand Marais Art Colony will host three “Ideation Open House Events” in its new space on Hwy. 61 in the old pharmacy building to encourage the public to view the spaces and floor plan and offer their input and ideas to the Art Colony. The event will be held from noon to 2 p.m.on Thursday, Oct. 26; from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 26 and from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29  The public is invited.

Gunflint Lodge will hold a Murder Mystery Weekend with the Grand Marais Playhouse starting on Friday, Oct. 25. For more info and tickets, see www.gunflint.com.

The North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum in Tofte will host the 10th annual Storytelling Dinner at Surfside Resort on Saturday, Oct. 26. The guest speaker will be Eric Brisson who will give a presentation entitled “Carrying On the Family Fishing Tradition.” For more information and tickets, call the museum at 218-663-7050 or click here.

The Northern Lake County Arts Board will sponsor its 5th Piatigorsky Foundation Classic Music Concert on Saturday, Oct. 26, at the William Kelley High School Auditorium in Silver Bay.

 The Bluegrass Masters Weekend, sponsored by the North Shore Music Association, will be at the Lutsen Resort Nov. 1-3. The featured artist is master fiddler Dan Kelly, who will hold workshops during the event. He will be in concert on Saturday, Nov. 2 with Michael & Jennifer McClain & the Banjocats. Stay tuned for details.

Artist News:

Tim Young’s book, “My Hands Paint,” published last year, is in its second printing.

“My Hand Paints” by Tim Young is available at Joy & Co.

The book is available at Joy & Co.

Music:

Here’s the music schedule for this week:

Thursday, Oct. 17:

• Terry V’s Patio Party, Wunderbar, 5 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & the Free Range Evangeilical Secularists, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.
• Kilborn Quartet, North Shore Winery, 7 p.m.
• Pete K, Bluefin Grille, 8 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 18:

• Jon Kallberg, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Rootz Within, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 19:

• Gordon Thorne, Lutsen Thorne, 7 p.m.
• Plucked Up String Band, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
• Rootz Within, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.
• Dance Party with DJ Beavstar, Papa Charlie’s, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 20:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille & Tap Room, 10 a.m.
• Open Stage with Joe Paulik and Pat Flack, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.
• Volk, Gun Flint Tavern, 7:30 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 21

• Andrew Griswold, Voyageur Brewing, 5 p.m.

Photographs:

We found lots of photographs this week. Here’s a selection:

First, wildlife:

Windy tree tops in Grand Portage State Park by Tony Wilder.

A lucky encounter in Cook County by Mark Ellis.

Flight of the Northern Harrier by John Heino.

Otters in Yellowstone by Heidi Pinkerton.

Chilly mornings have you poking your head out of bed: cow moose in the Superior National forest by Ryan Pennesi,

It really snowed in parts of Cook County this week. Here are some photos:

It snowed in October! by Judi Barsness.

Skiing in leaf fall by Kjersti Vick.

And after it snowed, the wind came up.

The waves of Gitchi Gumi are powerful and beautiful today by Dusty Nelms.

It got pretty wild for awhile there.

October storm by Paul Sundberg.

Grand Marais Oct. 12 by Shane Mossman.

After the storms passed:

Happy Sunday on Artist’s Point by Bryan Hansel.

Hunter’s Moon by Paul Sundberg.

All-spectrum Minnesota by Lane Pelovsky.

We found some great photos from out of state, too.

Upper Tehquamenon Falls, UP, Mich., by John Gregor.

Tibbett Falls by Sandra Updike.

And, to change the mood completely … We found this photo on the Norwegian Landscapes site.

Possible caption: “Hmmmm. Maybe not.”  Photo posted on Norwegian Landscapes web site.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

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Old rustic cabin on the backroads near Grand Portage by Aldo Abelleira.

Fall colors are peaking in Cook County this weekend, with an emphasis on gorgeous yellows and oranges. Check out our photo collection this week for all the details.

Meanwhile, fall events continue on the North Shore.

First up, Thursday is the final day of the Local Food Market for the season. The market features locally grown vegetables, wood-fired artisan breads, fresh flowers, snacks and more.

This is the final week for the Local Food Market this season and there will be lots to choose from.

The market is held from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the parking lot at the Cook County Community Center. If it’s raining, the market will be held in the 4-H Log Building.

There’s lots happening on Friday including the opening reception for a new exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post as well as a concert at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts.

“Wild Wonder,” an exhibit by artists Deb Kirkeeide and Kristen Palm opens at the Johnson Heritage Post with a reception from 5-7 p.m.

The exhibit “Wild Wonder”with paintings by Deb Kirkeeide and Kristen Palm opens with a reception at the Johnson Heritage Post on Friday, Oct. 11 from 5-7 p.m.

Both are Minnesota artists. Deb Kirkeeide paints in oil, and is inspired by nature, especially birds. Kristen Palm paints large abstract acrylic landscapes, inspired by the Northwoods. The reception on Friday is open to all. The exhibit continues through Nov. 3. Fall Hours: The Heritage Post is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and from 1-4 p.m. Sunday

Also on tap for Friday is a performance by renowned musician and humanitarian Samite Mulondo entitled “Lessons of Humanity: What My Grandfather Taught Me”  at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. The solo show features his stories, music, and visuals illustrating the resilience of the human spirit and the fundamental truth that “We are all the same.”

Taught traditional flute as a child by his grandfather in Uganda, Samite Mulondo went on to study western flute and is now known internationally as an acclaimed flutist and humanitarian.

Below is a video of him performing “Resiliance.”

Samite has released 10 internationally distributed CDs and has scored and appeared in films including “Song of the Refugee,” a documentary of his life (PBS, 1998), and “Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai,” featuring Samite’s original score (PBS, 2009). In 2002, Samite founded Musicians for World Harmony, an organization that enables global musicians to promote peace, understanding, and harmony among people.

Tickets are $15 adults, $5 youth. They can be purchased online at www.aca.tix.com or at the door.

On the Gunflint Trail on Friday night, David Battistel, a Canadian history teacher and instructional leader from Thunder Bay, Ontario, will give a talk entitled “Gunflint & Lake Superior Railroad: Logging the Boundary Waters” at 5:30 p.m. at the Cross River Lodge. Battistel has been researching and writing about the history of the Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway for years, as well as the associated ventures of mining for silver and iron ore as well as logging. The Cross River Lodge is 46 miles up the Gunflint Trail off of County Road. 46. All invited.

Also on Friday night, the band, Easy Riders, will be guests on WTIP’s The Roadhouse where they will talk about their music and play a few songs. The program airs from 5-7 p.m.

The Cook County Market, which features arts and crafts by local vendors, is cancelled this Saturday, Oct. 12. The last market of the season will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19 in the Senior Center parking lot.

There’s lots of live music on Saturday, though. (See the Music Schedule below.)

On Sunday, the first sessions of Make-A-Bowl for Empty Bowls begin.

The first sessions of Make-A-Bowl for Empty Bowls will be held this weekend, on Sunday and Monday. Call the Grand Marais Art Colony to sign up at 387-2737.

Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger and was created by The Imagine Render Group almost 30 years ago. Guests are invited to a simple meal of soup and bread. The money raised is donated to organizations working to end hunger and food insecurity in their area.

Here in Cook County, the Empty Bowls fundraiser will be held Nov. 14 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Grand Marais with seatings for lunch and dinner.

For the event, community participants as well as local potters and school students make a variety of handmade bowls which are available at the fundraiser.  The sessions to make the bowls will be held in the clay studio at the Grand Marais Art Colony on Sunday and Monday, Oct. 13-14 and Oct. 20-21. Instruction is provided!  Call the Art Colony at 387-2737 for more information and to sign up.

Also on Sunday, Drury Lane Books will hold a Full Moon Reading around the campfire overlooking Lake Superior with poet Ruth Pszwaro.

Ruth Pszwaro with read from her poetry at a Full Moon Reading at Drury Lane Books on Sunday.

Pszwaro will read her poetry from the chapbook, “Liminal Space,” as well as more recent writings. If the weather is poor, the reading will be held inside. Open to all. Free.

On Tuesday, Oct. 15, Naniboujou Lodge will host an Afternoon Tea Fundraiser entitled “God Save the Queens: A Reprise,” featuring guest speaker Karen Halbersleben.

Halbersleben will discuss how six women have been crowned Queen Regnant of England since 1066, ruling for a combined 198 years of turmoil and triumph. She will consider how their gender influenced their years on the throne and seek to understand what is unique about a nation that sings with pride “God Save the Queen.”

The event, which is a fundraiser for Cook County Higher Education,  also features a silent auction, as well as a traditional British tea. This is a semi-formal event, so participants are encouraged to wear hats. There is also a collection of hats for rent. Tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door. To register, click here.

 Exhibits:

Betsy Bowen’s exhibit, “Rare Works from the Archives” continues at the Betsy Bowen Gallery & Studios, 301 1st Ave. W.

A hand-colored production original from Betsy Bowen’s book, “Great Wolf and the Good Woodsman” is one of the rare works at the Betsy Bowen Gallery & Studios.

The gallery is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 20.

Tom McCann has installed a series of his landscape paintings in the courtyard of the Cook County Courthouse.

The paintings will be on exhibit for three months. The public is invited to see them.

In Duluth, indigenous artists Pat Kruse and Rabett Before Horses Stickland are exhibiting paintings and birchbark creations at the Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center, 202 W. 2nd St.

Rabett Strickland and Pat Kruse open an exhibit in Duluth on Friday.

The opening reception will be held Oct. 11 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.. The exhibit continues through the end of October.

The Tweed Museum of Art is exhibiting a series of works collected by the Russian Museum of Art entitled “Art in Conflict,” featuring artists working in Russia during the Soviet Era.

One of the pieces from “Art in Conflict: An Exhibition by the Russian Museum of Art”at the Tweed Museum of Art. It is a detail of a poster triptych by Vladimir Fekliaev entitled “Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of Yu. A. Gagarin’s Spaceflight in the Vostok Spacecraft on April 12, 1961.”

In Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery is currently exhibiting “Their Breath in Beads,” a series of bead works by 10 regional artists.

(detail) Portraits of my relations by Dawn Driver.

Upcoming:

Moose Madness weekend is next weekend in Grand Marais with activities, fun and games for every age. Activities range from the athletic to the artistic during the entire weekend, including the ever-popular Moose Medallion Hunt.

The Moose News & Tribune, which can be found inserted into the Northern Wilds magazine, as well as at  local venues, includes all the details of events over the weekend.

Find out all about the events during Moose Madness weekend in the Moose News & Tribune.

For more details click here.

The First annual Grand Marais Apple Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on  Saturday, Oct. 19.

The First annual Grand Marais Apple Festival will be held Saturday, Oct. 19.

The all-day event includes apple orchard tours, apple picking, cider pressing demonstrations, an apple stand market as well as a variety of presentations at the Cook County Community Center. For more information and schedule of events, click here.

Opportunities:

 Volunteers are needed for the Grand Marais Art Colony‘s Readers & Writers Festival Nov.7-10. There are a wide variety of positions available. For more information and to sign up, click here, or call the Art Colony at 387-2737.

Music:

 Thursday, Oct. 9:

• Terry Valdiva & Friends, Wunderbar, 5 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & Friends, North Shore Winery, 7 p.m.
• Plucked Up String Band, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.
• Easy Riders, Grandma Ray’s, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 11:

• Portage, Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
• Fred Anderson, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Samite–Lessons of Humanity: What My Grandfather Taught Me, Samite Mulondo, Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 7 p.m.
• Easy Riders, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 12:

• Gene Lafond & Amy Grillo, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert, rural Grand Marais, 7 p.m., www.michaelmonroemusic.com
• Easy Riders, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.
• Timmy Haus, Papa Charlie’s, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 13:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.
• Open Stage with Joe Paulik, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.
• Andrew Huber, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.

 Photographs:

We found lots of interesting photos this week.  Let’s start with wildlife, featuring photographs taken by local and regional photographers outside the county.

Photographing grizzlies along the Continental Divide (Yellowstone National Park) by Heidi Pinkerton.

Eye-to-eye, Grand Teton National Park by John Heino,

Back away from the berries and nobody gets hurt–Black Bear, Grand Teton National Park.

And with all the rains, photographers found fantastic waterfalls.

Bond Falls, Michigan, by Karla Sundberg.

Bond Falls by Paul Sundberg.

Kakabeka Falls, Thunder Bay, Ontario by Lin Salisbury.

Fall River waterfalls by Layne Kennedy.

Fall color rages over the Temperance River. Dang, the yellows are good this year.

One Northern Lights photograph:

A little touch of the aurora borealis by Thomas Spence.

A river stream:

Seven Bridges Road in Duluth by Judy Gray.

Two Split Rock Lighthouse photographs:

The colors of Lake Superior area always something amazing by Matthew Pastick.

Split Rock Lighthouse with fog ring by Randy Quast.

Lake Superior:

Sunrise at Hollow Rock by John Keefover.

The road to cold by Nick Horvath.

I love fall by Jon Wood.

Too close for comfort by Martin Ramirez.

And fall colors:

Bean and Bear Overlook today, Silver Bay by Vasanth Rajkumar.

Beautiful fall by Donna Price.

Reflection: Pond in the Woods by Roxanne Distad.

Stewart Creek and the fall foliage showing off by Donald Jay Olson.

At Split Rock by Vasanth Rajkumar.

Slow pan — poplar trees by Layne Kennedy.

Been wanting to compress these hills for years … near Port Wing, Wis. by Jamie Rabold.

And finally, Grand Marais.

Fall in Grand Marais by Sierra Parsons.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Fall on the North Shore. Photo courtesy of the Lake Superior Trading Post

This is the final week of the Art Along  the Lake: Fall Studio Tour in Cook County with studios and galleries open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day through Sunday, Oct. 6.

The Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour continues through Sunday, Oct. 6. Look for this sign along Hwy 61 and the Gunflint Trails for participating studios and galleries..

This year, there are more than 20 participating studios/galleries with more than 50 artists represented. Look for ceramics, prints, woodturning and woodcraft, paintings in oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel and beads, glass, woodcuts, fiber art and more.

The 10-day event also offers a wide variety of demonstrations, hands-on activities and presentations every day. For example, this Saturday, there will be demonstrations of silver jewelry scrollwork, printing, throwing on a pottery wheel, weaving, wood turning, laser welding, jewelry making, dry-point printmaking, woodcut printing, watercolor painting, raku firing, a cast bronze pour, And that’s only on Saturday! To see the complete schedule of events, maps, participating artists and more,  click here,

The county is hopping with lots of other things to do this week as well.

First up is the Thursday Local Food Market, which is in its final weeks, closing Oct. 17. But, as anyone who gardens in Cook County knows, now is the time to get those tomatoes and most other vegetables.

Melinda Spinler and the other growers will have lots of tomatoes at the Local Food Market this week.

Look for everything from broccoli to peppers, beans to garlic, as well as artisan sourdough breads, fresh flowers and more. The Market is held from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Cook County Community Center parking lot, in the 4-H Log Building if there is inclement weather.

Also on Thursday, Lin Salisbury will be interviewing two Minnesota authors on her monthly program on WTIP Community Radio, “Superior Reads.” She will interview William Kent Krueger about his new book “This Tender Land”  in the first half of the show, which begins at 7 p.m. In the second half of the program, Salisbury will interview Geoff Herback who will be part of the Grand Marais Art Colony’s North Shore Readers and Writers Festival, happening Nov. 7 – 10.

On Friday, a new exhibit opens at Tettegouche State Park featuring the photography of Benjamin Olson.

“Nap Time” by Benjamin Olson is one of the photographs that will be featured in the new exhibit at Tettegouche State Park. The opening reception is Friday.

The opening reception will be held in the Great Hall at Tettegouche from 7-8:30 p.m. Olson’s photographs will be on exhibit through Oct. 30.

Saturday will be busy.

It starts out with the vendors at the Cook County Market, who set up their tents in the parking lot of the Senior Center by 9 a.m.. The Market features a wide variety of arts and crafts, including pottery, woodworking, Lake Superior stones, fused glass, weaving and more. The Market runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. All welcome.

At Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, Duluth raku artists Richard Gruchalla and Carrin Rosetti, will set up a raku kiln and a tea-bowl glazing area to welcome the public to their annual fall event: Do You Raku? We Do!  Participants can purchase a tea bowl for $20, glaze it themselves, and then watch it being fired in the raku kiln.

The raku event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All pieces will be fired by 5:30 p.m. and can be taken home. No registration is necessary. All welcome.

Also on Saturday, herbalist Gigi Stafne, will be at the Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center from 1-2:30 to give a presentation and plant walk entitled “Boreal Botanicals: Medicinal Trees, Plants and Fungi of the North Shore.” Participants will have the opportunity to explore the woods for some of the medicinals, guided by Stafne. The event is free.

Herbalist Gigi Stafne is the instructor in residence at North House Folk School this month. She will be giving an plant walk at Sugarloaf Cove on Saturday.

The herbalist is the Instructor in Residence at North House Folk School this month and will be active in the community in a variety of events. To see her complete schedule, click here.

On Saturday night, Drury Lane Books will host poet Sharon Chmielarz for a Writer’s Salon at 5 p.m. at the bookstore.

Poet Sharon Chmielarz will be featured at a Writer’s Salon at Drury Lane Books at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Sharon will read from her new poetry collection, “The J Horoscope: Poems,” take questions from the audience, and sign books.

Exhibits:

 This is the last weekend to see the Plein Air Grand Marais 2019 exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post. More than 70 local and regional plein air painters spent a week painting Cook County, and their work is pretty spectacular. More than 300 paintings were hung for the show.

Bob Upton receive the Best of Show award at the Plein Air competition with this painting. Photo courtesy of Don Davison.

The exhibit continues through Sunday, Oct. 6 and is highly recommended.

In Duluth, the Tweed Museum of Art has opened a new exhibit entitled Art in Conflict, and features Russian artists working during the Soviet-era.

“Nets at the Coast” by Daniel Cherkes, one of the works in the Tweed’s Art in Conflict exhibit.

The Tweed will host an opening reception for the exhibit on Oct. 10.

Lizzard’s Gallery in Duluth has a new selection of Scott Murphy paintings, including “Tornado,” below.

“Tornado” by Scott Murphy.

Kudos:

Staci Drouillard’s long-awaited book, “Walking the Old Road: A People’s History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe,” will be released Dec. 5.

Stacy Drouillard’s book, “Walking the Old Road,” is out with a book launch scheduled for Drury Lane Books Dec. 5.

The book, which was published by the University of Minnesota Press, will be officially launched at Drury Lane Books Dec. 5. Stay tuned.

 Music:

 Here’s the music schedule for this week:

Thursday, Oct. 3:

• Terry V’s Patio Party, Wunderb ar, 5 p.m.
• Lazy Lightning 420, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & Friends, North Shore Wintery, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 4:

• Don Juan Trio, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Plucked Up String Band, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Bug Lite, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 5:

• Billy Johnson, North Shore Winery, 3 p.m.
• Common Ground, Cascade Lodge Pub, 6 p.m.
• O’Green, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Gene Lafond & Amy Grillo, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Sheri O’Meara, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Bug Lite, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.
• Dance Party with DJ Beavstar, Papa Charlie’s, 9:30 pm

Sunday, Oct. 6:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.
• Open Stage with Joe Paulik and Pat Flack, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.
• Billy Johnson, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 7:

• Billy Johnson, Voyageur Brewing Co., 5 p.m.

Photographs:

 Here are a few of the photographs we found this week:

Layne Kennedy captured this moment in the life of a loon. He writes:” It’s pretty embarrassing when the loons were catching bigger smallmouth bass than we were.”

We found beautiful photographs of fall.

Autumn mosses by Kristofer Bowman.

Fall colors are starting to decorate Split Rock Lighthouse.

Autumn by Jamie Rabold.

On the hunt by Jeremy Church.

The golden leaf: Finland forest by Jan Swart.

The hunt for red October has begun by Matthew Pastick.

Lake of the Clouds by John Gregor.

Tettegouche State Park at sunset by Tischer Photography,

Overcast skies are best for fall color by Thomas Spence.

Fall sunrise by Christian Dalbec.

And then these beauties:

Hollow Rock today by Erik Rasmussen.

Glorious tumult by Kristofer Bowman.

What a day! by Annie Possis.

And finally, this homage to the Boundary Waters.

 Photograph by Jean Fitts Cochrane,

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Fall colors have arrived early this year by Judi Barsness.

The North Shore color show is at its peak this weekend, a suitable Hooray! for the opening of the Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour.

The tour, which features open studios in 22 home studios and galleries along Hwy 61 and the Gunflint Trail, runs from Friday, Sept. 26 through Sunday, Oct. 6. All studios will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and will feature new work, guest artists, demonstrations, refreshments and a chance to meet with and talk to the artists.

The Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour starts on Friday and runs through Sunday, Oct. 6. Look for this sign along Hwy 61 for the artists’ studios.

The studio stops include: Jason Trebs, Schroeder, potter, Mary Jane Huggins, Tall Tale Shop; Tofte, fiber, Greg Mueller, Lutsen, sculpture; Steve Hahn,  JNS Gallery, Lutsen; Maggie Anderson, Clay Phoenix Ceramics, Lutsen; Kathy Weinberg, KFox Studio, Lutsen; Sharon and Steve Frykman, Art of the Elements gallery, rural Grand Marais,

In Grand Marais, visit North House Folk School; Grand Marais Art Colony; Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery; Yellow Bird Fine Art; Betsy Bowen Studio; The Big Lake; Upstate MN; Joy & Co. and Sivertson Gallery.

  Nancy Hemstad Seaton, glass. studio at Hungry Jack Outfitters on the Gunflint Trail.

In Hovland, Jo Wood, beadpainting; Neil Sherman, plein air painter; Dan & Lee Ross, ceramics, monoprints, glass and Lou Pignolet, turned wooden bowls.

It’s impossible to show images of what everyone is making, but here’s a short selection. Look for more next week.

Jason Trebs, whose studio is in rural Schroeder, posted this photo of a kiln-load of pottery that will be featured on the tour.

Glass artist Sharon Frykman, is working on a series of glass pieces for the North Shore Hospital. This piece will be on display. Her gallery, Art of the Elements gallery, is in rural Grand Marais.

Betsy Bowen has been digging into her archives and is exhibiting the cream of the crop during the Fall Studio Tour. She is calling it “Rare Works from the Archives” or “Rare Treasures” and it features a variety pack of woodcuts, drawings and more. The opening reception for the exhibit is from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26 at the studio, 301 1st Ave. W. in Grand Marais All invited. Refreshments will be served. The show will continue through October.

A woodcut from the book, Once A Barn A Time” by Betsy Bowen.

A few other highlights of the Fall Studio Tour:

Kwee-moo-0o-oo, The Great Diver by Anna Marie Pavlik is one of the paintings at Yellow Bird Fine Arts in Grand Marais, one of the stops in the Fall Studio Tour.

Sivertson Gallery, one of the stops on the Fall Studio Tour, is featuring fall colors on the sidewalk and a painting by Howard Sivertson, “Larch Creek,” in the front window.

Plein Air Painter Neil Sherman has his studio in Hovland and he exhibits his work on the outside walls of the cabin.

Woodturner Lou Pignolet makes beautiful hand turned bowls in his Hovland Studio, with demonstrations every day.

There’s a lot more information about all the studios and events during the 10-day tour on the VisitCookCounty web site. Click here to see maps, daily demonstration schedules and more.  And stay tuned for more photos next week.

Also this weekend, Voyageur Brewing Co. is holding Oktoberfest, featuring two bands, Polkarioty and the Singing Slovenes as well as games, contests, a special Oktoberfest beer and more. The event honors fall but also is a fundraiser fo the Cook County Community Fund, which supports local non-profits. To find out more and see the schedule of events, click here.

Saturday kicks off at the Cook County Market, featuring a variety of local artists and artisans in booths in the Senior Center parking lot.

The Cook County Market is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the Senior Center parking lot, including woodwork by Papa’s Hands.

Work includes weaving, woodwork, Lake Superior rocks, pottery, fiber art and more.

Also on Saturday, Lunafest, the traveling film festival, first brought to Cook County by the Violence Prevention Center in 2011, featuring short films made by women, for all who care about the universal issues. These short dramas, comedies, and documentaries will tug at your heartstrings, make you smile, make you think and at the same time support the services and programs of the Violence Prevention Center.

Lunafest, a series of short films about and for women, will be at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. Saturday. The event is a fundraiser for the Violence Prevention Center.

The films will be screened at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 28.When: Saturday, Sept. 28. Tickets at the door: $20 adults, $10 students. For more information, call the Violence Prevention Center at 387-1262.

The Grand Marais Public Library will hold two public events next week. On Monday, Sept. 30,, author Allen Eskens will give a prevention entitled “I’m not supposed to be here: my implausible journey to becoming a writer” at 1 p.m. On Wednesday, the 321 Art Studio will present a free workshop on Autumn Landscape Painting at 10:30 a.m. Open to adults and older children. For more info, call the library at 387-1140.

Exhibits:

The spectacular Grand Marais Plein Air 2019 continues at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery through Oct. 6. In all, 75 juried painters painted Lake Superior and Cook County over a week’s period, and their work is highlighted in this great exhibit.

One of the award-winning paintings currently on view at the Johnson Heritage Post.

 The Heritage Post is closed on Tuesdays. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday. Free.

In Duluth, the Tweed Museum of Art has just opened a new exhibit entitled “Art in Conflict,” an exhibition from the Russian Museum of Art featuring works by artists during the Soviet era.

This print by Alexander Shnurov features prints of Lenin combined as in children’s art, a powerful comment on Soviet-era politics.

Upcoming:

Here’s a fall event everyone looks forward to: Sivertson Gallery‘s “Do You Raku? We Do …” featuring Duluth raku artists Richard Gruchalla and Carrin Rosetti. The duo offers the public a chance to glaze a tea bowl and then watch it being fired in a raku kiln set up behind the gallery. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5.

Registrations are still being taken for the Grand Marais Art Colony‘s North Shore Readers and Writer’s Festival,  Nov. 7-10. For more info about the classes, events and workshops, click here.

Music:

Here’s the music schedule for this weekend:

Thursday, Sept. 26:

• Polkarioty, Voyageur Brewing, 5 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Lutsen Resort, music by the campfire, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 27:

• Polkarioty, Voyageur Brewing,  5 p.m.
• Portage Band, Grandma Ray’s. 6 p.m.
• Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert, rural Grand Marais, 7 p.m., www.michaelmonroemusic.com
• Colleen Myhre, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 28:

• The Singing Slovenes, Voyageur Brewing Co., 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.
• Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert., rural Grand Marais, 7 p.m.
• www.michaelmonroemusic.com
• Tim Fast, Lutsen Resort, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Christopher David Hanson Band, Grandma Ray’s. 8 p.m.
• Colleen Myhre, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 29:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.
• The Singing Slovenes, Voyageur Brewing, 1 p.m.
• Open Stage with Joe Paulik & Pat Flack, 6 p.m. Wunderbar
• Bug Dope, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 30:

• Matthew Griswold, Voyageur Brewing, 5 p.m.

Photographs:

 Need it be said that we found lots of fall color photographs this week? But we also found beautiful mushroom photographs. It’s been very wet this fall, and the mushrooms are definitely taking advantage of the moisture. Take a look:

Honey Mushrooms by Sparky Stensaas.

Amanita mushrooms at Split Rock campground by Vasanth Rajkumar.

Such a perfect looking mushroom by Jeffrey Doty.

A mushroom breakfast?

You don’t see this very often. This mushroom looks like a fried egg by Nancy Carlson.

Tommy Gee saw the “fried egg mushroom,” above and posted this:

This one looks like a pancake. We just need a mushroom that looks like bacon to have breakfast. Photo by Tommy Gee.

Duluth photographer Bruce Ojard was stunned to see pheasants trotting around his yard in Duluth. There were three: a male and two females. Here’s one of the images he captured.

A local pheasant seems fascinated by Our Lady of the Lake fountain in Duluth by Bruce Ojard.

The rut has started in the Northwoods, and moose can be seen.

Cook County roadblock by Thomas Spence.

Photographers Paul Sundberg and Travis Novitsky went out together to call in bulls and take photos on a foggy morning recently. They had good luck and both write about the encounters on their blogs as well as exhibit the photos they took that day. See Paul Sundberg’s here, and Travis Novitsky’s here.

Paul Sundberg calling in a bull moose. Photo by Paul Sundberg.

Success! A moose appears. Photo by Travis Novitsky.

A moose close-up by Travis Novitsky.

We found a variety of fall color photographs this week:

A time for hiking by Kjersti Vick.

Rain’s song by Ravenswood Imagery.

Taking the long way home at Honeymoon Trail by Danielle Fortin,

All in a row: Fall Colors by Jan Swart.

Grounded amidst the flow by Dawn LaPoint and Gary Fielder.

And here are some wonderful landscapes.

The guardians by Tommy Gee.

Just lightning by Jamie Rabold.

Good morning from the harbor on a foggy morning by Gwen Danfelt.

And finally, this beauty:

Today’s view in Duluth by Dustin Lavigne.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Forest on fire by Thomas Spence.

The color season in Cook County is starting. The maple trees are showing off their spectacular reds, and oranges and yellows are rampant as well. Meteorologists say we’re going to have a great year for colors, and so far, they’re absolutely right. FYI: Maps of the best roads and trails to enjoy fall colors can be found at the VisitCook County office in Grand Marais,

The town itself has its fair share of maple trees and streets and yards will all be decked out in fall colors this week. There’s lots to do as well.

First up is the Try-It Wood-Fired Baking sessions at North House Folk School. There are two sessions on Thursday, Sept. 19: 1-3 p.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m. These are the last sessions of the Try-It Wood-Fire Baking series for the season. Participants will get to bake a Carta di Musica and a focaccia, while learning about the history and science of bread baking. The cost is $20/person or $30 for an adult/child pair.  Minimum age: 8 with adult. Call for reservations at 387-9762.

Also on Thursday, the Local Food Market continues in the parking lot at the Cook County Community Center. If it is raining, the market will be held in  the 4-H Log Building.

The Local Food Market offers a wide variety of locally grown vegetables at the Community Center from 4:30-6 p.m. Thursday. Market will be held in the 4-H Log Building if it rains.

It runs from 4:30-6 p.m. This week, look for tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, broccoli, kale, chard, onions, potatoes and more. Melinda Spinler will be doing a demo on horseradish. All invited.

Also on Thursday, the Writer’s Guild, open to everyone who writes anything, will be held at the Wunderbar from 6-7:30 p.m. Open to all. Participants are asked to bring notebooks. Free.

On Friday, Voyageur Brewing Co. is holding a Star Party to celebrate Cook County’s dark skies. There will be night-sky films, starry jazz by Pippi Ardennia and telescopes on the deck. The party is from 7-9 p.m.

Saturday leads off with the Cook County Market, featuring work by local artists and artisans in booths set up in the Senior Center parking lot. Look for pottery and weaving, glass ornaments, woodworking, jewelry, herbals and more.

Colorful garden art by Papa’s Hands is one of the featured booths at the Cook County Market.

The Market runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and continues each Saturday through MEA weekend, weather permitting.

Also this weekend, North House is holding a series of Luffarslöjd classes starting on Friday. Luffarslöjd is an old-world craft that is part of the tradition of making beautiful and useful objects for everyday use from simple things. Farmers always had bits of wire hanging around, and hobos traveling across the country offered to make things in exchange for food or permission to spend the night in the barn. Leftover bits of wire were used to make items like whisks, trivets, or egg baskets, as well as more decorative items like candleholders or birds.

An example of Luffarslöjd, making decorative or useful things from bits of wire. North House will hold workshops in the techniques on Friday and Saturday.

Students in the workshops will learn how to make some of these things. Call North House at 387-9762 to register and for more information.

On the Gunflint Trail, Gunflint Lodge is offering fall color trail rides this weekend. Call 388-2294 for more info. Also, Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center is hosting ecologist Chel Anderson, who will give a presentation on Beavers and the Ecosystem at 2 p.m.

And here’s a great event: William Kent Krueger will be at Drury Lane Books on Saturday for a Writer’s Salon at 5 p.m.

William Kent Krueger will be at Drury Lane Books at 5 p.m. on Saturday to talk about his latest book.

He will talk about his latest book, “This Tender Land,” as well as read from it and discuss writing. All invited. Free.

On Wednesday, Compas teaching artists Siama Matuzungidi and Dallas Johnson will give a presentation about the Congo, with stories and music, at the Grand Marais Public Library.

Siama and Dallas Johnson will be at the Grand Marais Public Library on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m. to talk about and tell stories of life in Africa and the Congo. They will also sing and play traditional songs.

The presentation begins at 6 p.m. All invited. Free.

And Oktoberfest begins on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at Voyageur Brewing Co. and runs through Sunday with lots of music, games, tournaments and more. The event serves as a fundraiser for the Cook County Community Fund, which supports local non-profits.

Voyageur Brewing Co. celebrates Oktoberfest next week, a fundraiser for the Cook County Community Fund.

The band Polkarioty performs Wednesday through Friday with the Singing Slovenes scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. Click here for more info on what games will be played when.

Upcoming:

Betsy Bowen’s new show, “Rare Treasures” opens with a reception at the Betsy Bowen Gallery & Studios, 301 1st Ave. W. from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26. The exhibit features an incredible collection of her work from her personal archives.

“Isle Royale Neighbors,” woodcut print, by Betsy Bowen, is one of the pieces in her new exhibit, Rare Treasures. This particular print was created during an artist residency on Isle Royale.

Her gallery is one of the stops on the Art Along the Lake: Fall Studio Tour that begins Sept. 27.

The Art Along the Lake: Fall Studio Tour is the highlight of the fall color season, and begins on Friday, Sept. 27, and runs through Oct. 6. This 10-day studio tour features open houses and receptions from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in artist studios up and down Hwy. 61 and in Grand Marais, as well as a studio on the Gunflint Trail.

The Art Along the Lake: Fall Studio Tour, features 22 studios and galleries up and down Hwy. 61, and one up the Gunflint Trail from Sept. 27 through Oct. 6.

Look for everything from pottery to weaving, fused glass to mono prints, bead paintings, hand-made jewelry, wood carving and woodturning, plein air paintings and more. In short, it’s a cornucopia of art. The nice thing about the tour is that it lasts for 10 days, giving everyone plenty of time to experience and explore the artwork in Cook County and meet the artists here. Many of the studios and galleries will have special demonstrations and events, too. Check out all the events and locations here.

Here are a few examples: Look for more next week.

Lou Pignolet, a woodturner, has his studio in Hovland.

Nancy Seaton at Hungry Jack Outfitters on the Gunflint Trail, is a fused glass artist. These are her loon totems.

Bead painter Jo Wood has her studio in Hovland.

Potter Jason Trebs is on the Fall Studio Tour. His studio is located near Schroeder. He posted this photo of syrup pitchers lined up and ready for firing the other day.

Painter Kathy Fox Weinberg is one of the artists participating in the Fall Studio Tour. Her studio is located on Cascade Beach Road.

Dan & Lee Ross have their studio in Hovland. They will exhibit sculptures (stone and clay), monoprints and fused glass. This ceramic piece is entitled “Laurentian Divide.”

That is just a sampling of what’s on display during the Fall Studio Tour. Stay tuned for more photos next week. And check out VisitCookCounty for all the latest info on the tour.

Also. Jerry Riach, a printmaker who lives in Little Marais, which is near the Cook County line, will host an open studio during the Fall Studio Tour. His studio is located at Mailbox # 6452 at Milepost 65 in Little Marais. Riach’s work includes woodblocks, etchings, drypoints and collagraphs. He will do demonstrations on request.

February Moon, collagraph, by Jerry Riach.

His studio will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 28 through Oct. 6.

Exhibits:

For an extraordinary taste of the flavors in Cook County, visit the Johnson Heritage Post this week as it exhibits the work of 75 artists who participated in Grand Marais Plein Air this month. The exhibit opened to accolades Sept. 13 and continues through Oct. 6. Plein Air artist Bob Upton won the Grand Prize, but it was sold and whisked out of the gallery before we could get a photo of it. Since the artists are allowed to submit more than one painting, here’s a great example of the work Upton did during the week-long plein air event.

Clouds Breaking by Bob Upton is one of the paintings in the Grand Marais Plein Air exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post.

The plein air painters painted outdoors, and competed in a number of specific events, like the Quick Paint on Artist’s Point (complete a painting in two hours) and the Night Paint. Neil Sherman, who is one of the participating artists in the Fall Studio Tour, took second place in the Night Paint with this beauty.

Lawn Riders by Neil Sherman took second place in the Night Paint competition.

 The exhibit at the Heritage Post continues through Oct. 6. The gallery is closed on Tuesdays. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 1-4 p.m. Sundays.

In Duluth, the Duluth Art Institute held a gala opening for three new exhibits this week. The exhibits include “Jean: The inspiration behind the Birkenstein Arts Movement,” “Minnesota Black Fine Art Show” and “Claudia Faith: Family.”

Lord & Corba by Jean Birkenstein is at the Duluth Art Institute. The exhibit opened this week.

In Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery announced that this is the final week to see its exhibit of Northwest Coast masks.

The Northwest Coast mask exhibit at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery closes this weekend.

Lunafest 2019, a traveling film festival celebrating, showcasing and championing women in film, will be presented at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts on Friday, Sept. 28. The film festival is a fundraiser for the Violence Prevention Center and begins at 7 p.m. Tickets sold at the door are $20 for adults & $10 for students. Stay tuned for details.

The 29th annual Bluegrass Masters Weekend, sponsored by the North Shore Music Association, will be held Nov. 1-3 at Lutsen Resort. This year, the weekend is focused on the fiddle and will feature workshops with master fiddler Dan Kelly and a concert by Michael & Jennifer McClain & the Banjocats. For more info, visit www.northshoremusicassociation.com and stay tuned for details.

And last, but not least, the Grand Marais Art Colony‘s North Shore Readers and Writers Festival is Nov. 7-10  this year.

The Grand Marais Art Colony’s North Shore Readers and Writers Festival is Nov. 7-10.

The festival features a great selection of speakers, workshops, writers and books. Classes are filling fast.  For more info, click here.

Music:

Thursday, Sept. 19:

• Terry V’s Patio Party, Wunderbar, 5 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & Friends, Gun Flint Tavern, 6 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Music by the Campfire, Lutsen Resort, 6:30 p.m.
• Kilborn Quartet, North Shore Winery, 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 20:

•  Pippi Ardennia, jazz, Voyageur Brewing, 7 p.m.
• Space Monkey Mafia, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 21:

• Pete K, Cascade Restaurant, 6 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & Friends, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Mysterious Ways, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
• Space Monkey Mafia, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 22:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.
• Open Stage with Joe Paulik & Pat Flack, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.
• Timmy Haus, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 23:

• Billy Johnson, Voyageur Brewing, 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 25:

• Timmy Haus, Mogul’s Grille, 5 p.m.
• Polkarioty, Voyageur Brewing, 5 p.m.
• Jam Session, Gun Flint Tavern, 6 p.m.

Photographs:

 We found a lot of photographs this week. Here’s a selection:

First, wildlife:

Under the railroad bridge (Two Harbors) by Jan Swart.

Exploring a cone flower by Brett Freeman.

You never know what might be waiting for you around the next curve. Photo courtesy of the Gunflint Trail Association.

Painted Lady with a tattered wing by Maryl Skinner.

Mom looking on by Paul Sundberg.

There’s still a week of summer left but I’m ready for fall bull sessions by Thomas Spence.

And here are some plant photographs:

Pitcher plants in fall by Gary Arands.

Within you is everything that ever was and everything that will ever be by Christi Belcourt.

Tamarack cones by Paul Sundberg.

And fall colors:

Always take the road less traveled by Jan Swart

Above the treetops by David Johnson.

First Fall Colors, 7 Bridges Road, Duluth by @mwags1959

A painting from God by Matthew Pastick.

Maple Hill by Don Davison.

Here’s a beautiful waterfall:

Lower Cascade Falls by Paul Sundberg.

And fog:

Foggy Morning by Thomas Spence.

White swan in the mist by Roxanne Distad.

And sunsets:

At Loon Lake in Palo, MN by David Grinstead.

Bad camera but the colors are true by Deb Benedict.

Of waves and walls:

Pictured Rocks National Seashore by Christopher Dalbec.

And finally, this amazing photograph by Keith Crowley.

“Here’s an image that I don’t think I’ve ever posted before. It’s part of a series I captured several years ago.” Keith Crowley.

Have a good time this weekend, everyone!

If you enjoyed the blog this week, please consider donating to keep this volunteer effort alive and well. You can donate through PayPal with your credit card by clicking on the icon below, or mail a check to NorthShore ArtScene, P.O. Box 1232, Grand Marais, MN, 55604. And Thanks!

Beautiful Grand Marais by Roxann Berglund.

There’s lots to do in Grand Marais this week.

Let’s start with the Quick Paint at Artist’s Point from 3-5 p.m. on Thursday. The event is one of many during this year’s Plein Air Grand Marais, and it is also a public favorite. More than 75 artists will be set up on Artist’s Point on Thursday afternoon to paint a canvas in two hours, from 3-5 p.m. The public is definitely invited to come and see them work, and even ask a question or two. If the weather is nasty, call the Johnson Heritage Post at 387-2314.

More than 70 plein artists will be on Artist’s Point for the Quick Paint on Thursday from 3-5 p.m. The public is invited to come watch.

Plein air artists have been out all week painting Cook County for the annual Plein Air Grand Marais Competition and Exhibition. The competition, which is organized by the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota and sponsored by the Johnson Heritage Post, has featured a number of different mini-workshops this week, as well as opportunities to paint at specific locations in the county.

Bob Upton took second place in the main category last year for this painting of the Grand Marais harbor.

All will be revealed at the opening reception at the Johnson Heritage Post on Friday from 5-8 p.m.  Plein air painter Joshua Cunningham is the juror this year.

A wide variety of prizes and awards will be given out this year including $1,000 for 1st place in the main category. A number of prizes and/or awards will also be given to special category paintings, too, including the best painting of the golf course, the best painting up the Gunflint Trail, the best painting of an historic place, to name a few. The public is invited to attend this exciting opening. The Heritage Post exhibit continues through Oct. 6.  For more info about the event, click here.

Also on Thursday afternoon, the Local Food Market, which features fresh locally grown vegetables and fruit, as well as artisan breads, fresh flowers and more will be held at the Cook County Community Center from 4:30-6 p.m. If it is raining, the market will be held indoors in the 4-H Building.

The Local Food Market offers a wide variety of locally grown vegetables at the Community Center from 4:30-6 p.m. every Thursday through mid-October.

This weeks demonstration: How to make great dill pickles in a few minutes, without turning on your stove. The demo is at 5 p.m.

On Thursday night, the Grand Marais Art Colony will host “The Water Cycle: Artists Panel Discussion” at 7 p.m. at Cook County Higher Education. Four artists: Moira Bateman, fiber artist; Annie Hejny, painter;  Moheb Soliman, poet and performance artist and Nick Wroblewski, woodblock printmaker, have been working in the Art Colony studios for a week. exploring the concept of water and life on the shores of Lake Superior. They have also been looking at the nature of water and how it inspires, informs and challenges artistic endeavors.

Artists, from left, Moira Bateman, Annie Hejny, Moheb Soliman, and Nick Wroblewski have been artists in residence at the Grand Marais Art Colony, exploring the nature of water and how it inspires, informs and challenges artistic endeavors. They will discuss these ideas during a panel discussion at Cook County Higher Education at 7 p.m. Thursday. All invited.

The panel discussion is open to the public. All invited. It starts at 7 p.m.

On Friday, just to be clear, the Plein Air Grand Marais exhibit opens at the Johnson Heritage Post from 6-8 p.m.

Also on Friday night, the Detroit Lakes band Rootz Within will be guests on WTIP’s The Roadhouse, which airs from 5-7 p.m. They will talk about their music and play a few songs. The Rootz Within play at the Gun Flint Tavern this weekend.

This is also the weekend of Unplugged XVIII at North House Folk School. The event, which is Sept. 13-14 this year, features a great line-up of musicians for the concert on Saturday night, the Points North online auction, lots of great classes, as well as the Folk Artisan Marketplace.

Unplugged XVIII is this weekend at North House Folk School. The concert is under the big tent.

Woodworker Anders Lindberg of Gothenburg, Sweden is the international featured instructor this year and will teach two classes as well as give a demonstration on green woodworking on Saturday. A number of North House instructors will also give presentation about their craft. And there will be lots of music:  A community sing, jam sessions, a mini-course on singing in a choir with an opportunity to perform on-stage on Saturday and Kevin Kling, the host at Unplugged, will teach a storytelling class. Click here for more info.

One of the highlights of the weekend is the Folk Artisan Marketplace where crafters will display and sell their work. Baskets, felted goods, carved bowls, wooden spoons, jewelry, leather goods, and more will be on exhibit. The Marketplace is open on Friday and Saturday.

But the high point of the Unplugged event is the concert on Saturday night. This year,  the Rev. Robert B. Jones Sr. is a special guest. Hailing from Detroit, Rev. Jones is an award-winning multi-instrumental blues and roots musician and inspirational storyteller, as well as being a 2018 Kresge Arts Fellow.

The Rev. Robert B. Jones is a special guest at the Unplugged concert.

Here’s a video of him playing a great song.

Other performers at the concert include Prudence Johnson, Simone Perrin, Claudia Schmidt, Dane Stauffer, Marc Anderson, Dan Chouinard and Bradley Greenwald. Kevin Kling is host and storyteller.

Tickets to the concert are still available. Click here to purchase.

Besides all the activities on the North House campus, there are lots of other events in Grand Marais on Saturday as well.

At 9 a.m. on Saturday, the Cook County Market opens in the parking lot at the Senior Center.

The Cook County Market is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Senior Center parking lot.

The Market features a wide variety of arts and crafts from local artists. It closes at 1 p.m.

Jim Ringquist of Times2Design is holding a Fine Art and Photography Sale this weekend at his studio/residence, 813 W 5th St., in Grand Marais. He will have many framed panoramics, photographs, oil paintings and original wildlife silkscreens.

Common Loon, silk screen, by Jim Ringquist.

For more information and times, call (218) 387-2234,

At 2:30 p.m., the Grand Marais Public Library will welcome four award-winning authors to talk about their books and writing in the Moving Words Series,  The authors have all been recognized  by the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library and many have won at least one Minnesota Book Award for their work. The authors include: Cary Griffith, “Gunflint Burning: Fire in the Boundary Waters;” Ed Bok Lee, “Mitochondrial Night”; Wendy Webb, “The Daughters of the Lake” and Mary Wingerd, “North Country.”

Exhibits:

 Plein Air Grand Marais opens at the Johnson Heritage Post on Friday and continues through Oct. 6. More than 70 plein air painters participated in the event this year, and the gallery will be full of wonderful paintings of the North Shore.

Bob Upton works on a painting for the Grand Marais Plein Air. Photo by Don Davison.

The gallery is closed on Tuesdays. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and Monday and from 1-4 p.m. Sunday. Free.

Painter Keith Thompson continues the exhibit of his paintings in the Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park.

In Duluth, the Tweed Museum of Art continues its exhibit of sculptures in its collection.

Two sculptures by Sterling Rathsack are on exhibit at the Tweed Museum of Art: “Herm,” left and “Artemis.”

AK Dayton has opened a new exhibit of her paintings at the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth.

“The Night We Met” by AK Dayton is at the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth.

The exhibit is in the Lynch Art Gallery at the Aquarium and continuesthrough Jan. 12.

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery in Thunder Bay is opening a new exhibit this weekend entitled “Unfold Time: The Art of Leo Yerxa, A Retrospective.”

“UnFold Time” by Leo Yerxa opens this weekend at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.

Yerxa is an award-wining artist, poet and writer a member of Couchiching First Nation. The exhibition brings together his writings with his art and continues through Dec. 1.

Below is an animated short featuring the Yerxa’s artwork. It is subtitled in Anishinaabe.

Upcoming:

The Grand Marais Art Colony will hold “Raise the Roof Fundraiser” at the Schmidt Artist Lofts Community Room in St. Paul from 5-7:30 p.m. on Sept. 19.

The Grand Marais Art Colony has recently purchased property along Highway 61 in Grand Marais, and will hold a fundraiser in St. Paul to help support the expansion.

Funds raised through this event will directly support crucial repairs along with rehabilitating space for artists to work. For more information, click here.

Only three weeks until the start of Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour. The tour, featuring open studios and galleries throughout Cook County, runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 6. In all, there are 22 home studios and 55 artists on the tour.

The Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 6 in studios and galleries across Cook County.

The studios are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and include a wide variety of artwork including painting, woodcuts, pottery, sculpture, fiber art, woodcarving and wood turning, bead painting, glass and more. There are lots of art activities around the county during the tour, too. For more info, click here. And stay tuned for details.

Art News:

 Three episodes from WDSE’s Making It Up North series have been nominated for the Upper Midwest Regional Emmys: The craft district episode in Duluth’s Our Lincoln Park, the Lyric Opera of the North special and our lake-inspired show with Christian Dalbec, New Scenic Café and The Lake + Co.

Dalbec, a photographer who lives in Two Harbors, has his work at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais. Here is the Making It episode about his lake photography. Definitely worth a watch. Kudos to WDSE, producer Karen Sunderman and videographer Steve Ash.

 Music:

Here’s the live music schedule for this week:

Thursday, Sept. 12:

• Terry V’s Patio Party, Wunderbar, 5 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Music on the Beach, Lutsen Resort, 6:30 p.m.
• Plucked Up String Band, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & Friends, North Shore Winery 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 13:

• Portage, Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
• Jef Cierniak, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Rootz Within, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 14:

• Music Sing Along, Music on the Commons, North House Folk School, 10 a.m.
• Tom Knutson, Cook County Market, Senior Center parking lot, 11 a.m.
• Jon Kalberg, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Unplugged concert, North House Folk School, 7 p.m.
• Brothers in Arms, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
• Rootz Within, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.
• Dance Party with DJ Beavstar, Papa Charlie’s, 9 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 15:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.
• Open Stage with Joe Paulik & Pat Flack, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.
• Timmy Haus, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 16:

• Timmy Haus, Voyageur Brewing Co., 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 18:

• Timmy Haus, Mogul’s Grille, 5 p.m.
• Jam Session, Gun Flint Tavern, 6 p.m.

Photographs:

We found some great images this week. Here’s a selection:

First, a few wildlife shots:

Grey Frog by Jeff Grotte.

A happy duck by John Woodward.

All pollened-up by Jeremy Church.

Turtles gathering to catch the sun’s warmth, BWCAW by Nancy Mike-Johnson.

Liatris for Two by Maryl Skinner.

Curious, but wary by David Kirychuk.

And some plant photos:

Acorns by Lori Schafer.

A little color on Park Point, Duluth, by Jan Swart.

Fall progresses in my yard by Annie Possis.

Fall color by Bob Lyness.

Ghost flower, Hovland by Gard Arands.

Here are some beauteous landscapes:

A rosy sunrise illuminates morning fog by Roxanne Distad.

The Northwoods in early fall by Mary Amerman.

Heading down-lake in Duluth by Paul Sundberg.

Gunflint Lake: Ontario on the left, Minnesota on the right, by Matt Scott.

And then this cutie:

Taking time … by Dick van Duijn, photographed in the Netherlands. 

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

If you enjoyed the blog this week, please consider donating to keep this volunteer effort alive and well. You can donate through PayPal with your credit card by clicking on the icon below, or mail a check to NorthShore ArtScene, P.O. Box 1232, Grand Marais, MN, 55604. And Thanks!