Grand Marais, watercolor, by Adam Swanson.
Greetings from the North Shore where Plein Air Painters have been decorating the landscape in Cook County for a week now, painting the light. They’ve been in the woods, along the shore and in front of picturesque houses, shops and back streets, painting a fleeting moment in time.
On Thursday at 5 pm, the public is invited to Artist’s Point to watch the painters at work in a Quick Paint, where they will have to complete a painting in an hour and a half.
On Friday, all will be revealed at the opening reception at the Johnson Heritage Post from 5-7 p.m.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
First up this week are craft demonstrations at North House Folk School. The on-going series outdoors on campus runs from 10 am to 4 pm through Sunday. This week, two North House instructors, Beth Homa and Elise Kyllo will be demonstrating their crafts. Homa will be weaving birchbark, Kyllo will be felting.
Beth Homa will be demonstrating birchbark weaving at North House this weekend.
Elise Kyllo will demonstrate felting at North House this weekend as part of the craft demonstration summer series.
On Thursday, the Birney Quick Quick Paint will be held at Artist’s Point starting at 3:30 pm as part of the Grand Marais Plein Air Art Competition. The artists set up somewhere on the Point and have about an hour and a half to complete their paintings. It might rain, but some painters are vowing to carry on, even if it does. This is a great opportunity for the public to watch these Plein Air painters at work.
This is Plein Air Week in Grand Marais.
This year, more than 60 painters from around the region are participating in the competition, which concludes with an exhibit and award ceremony at the Johnson Heritage Post on Friday from 5-7 pm. The exhibit continues through Oct. 9. The event is sponsored by the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota and the Johnson Heritage Post.
The Cook County Market opens in the parking lot of The Hub at 10 am Saturday.
Potter Natalie Sobanja is one of the vendors at the Cook County Market.
Look for pottery, weaving, jewelry, woodworking, glass art, natural balms and soaps, Lake Superior stones, rock art, hand-dyed clothing, paintings, and more. Live music. All are welcome, including four-footed visitors. The market runs from 10 am to 2 pm.
Also on Saturday, the Grand Marais Art Colony will hold an Artist Talk at Studio 21 featuring Robbie Steinbach.
Robbie Steinbach will give an Artist Talk at Studio 21 on Saturday at 10 am.
Steinbach will share how she journeyed from the darkroom to the world of printmaking, leading her to make multilayered images through the solar-plate intaglio process. The event is free and open to the public.
And Vincent Wyckoff, the author of the just-released novel, “Refuge From the Sea” will be at the Lake Superior Trading Post from 1-3 pm Saturday.
Author Vincent Wyckoff will be at the Superior Trading Post to sign his book on Saturday from 1-3 pm.
A mystery without a murder, “Refuge From the Sea” is the third in Vince’s Black Otter Bay series set on the north shore of Lake Superior. Previously a resident of Beaver Bay, Vince uses history, local forest lore, and the temperamental big lake to spin the larger-than-life story of building a lighthouse atop a 130-foot cliff with no roads or towns nearby. The public is invited to meet the author and learn more about his book. He will also be signing copies.
On Sunday, Cook County Higher Education (CCHE) will hold a Block Party/Fall Festival celebrating its 25th anniversary from 1-3 pm.
Cook county Higher Education will hold a block party to celebrate its 25th anniversary on Sunday from 1 to 3 pm.
The North Shore Swing Band will play. Refreshments include caramel apples, cake, and hot apple cider. Face painting and prizes will also be featured. CCHE is located at 300 W. 3rd St. Bring the whole family and a chair. For more information, call Karen Blackburn at 218-387-3411.
Exhibits:
Landscape painter Reid Thorpe is exhibiting work in the Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park.
Painting by Reid Thorpe. He is exhibiting at Tettegouche State Park this month.
Thorpe’s current works are contemporary landscapes (views) from the Midwest, specifically Wisconsin and Minnesota. He creates images that offer a new perspective of nature’s depth and beauty. He uses color, calligraphic lines and bold brushstrokes to create images of depth and beauty in his views. The exhibit continues through September.
Multi-media artist Wynn Davis is exhibiting at the Duluth Art Institute.
Sunflowers, multi-media, by Wynn Davis is one of his works on view at the Duluth Art Institute through Sept. 18.
Scraps of paper, bits of string, and sticker remnants are among the materials Wynn Davis gathers during his daily runs. Each token is a fragment of a memory that evolves into bright, poignant collages. In his exhibit, “Salvaged Memories,” Davis chronicles his 5,400 annual miles by assembling layers of paint, graphite drawings, and salvaged materials on paper. The exhibit closes on Sunday.
Upcoming:
The Art Along the Lake/Fall Studio Tour is Sept. 23 through Oct. 2 this year featuring a wide variety of art, artists and galleries throughout Cook County.
The Art Along the Lake Fall Studio Tour is from Sept.23-Oct. 2 this year.
There are 27 sites this year, including home studios and galleries, many with guest artists.
The Fall Studio Tour brochure includes a map of all the home studios and galleries open during the tour. The brochure can be picked up at Visit Cook County or any participating studio or gallery and includes maps, photos and artists’ statements. It can viewed here.
Look for everything from fused and cast glass to paintings, pottery, weaving, printmaking, woodcarving and woodturning, sculpture and more.
One of the perks of this tour is the chance to talk to the artists and learn more about their process and their work. Many of the studios also offer refreshments, too.
The Grand Marais Art Colony will hold an opening reception for a special exhibit on Friday, Sept. 23 from 5-6 pm. Entitled “Muse: Alumni Exhibition,” the exhibit celebrates the contribution arts learners have made to the Art Colony. While the Art Colony has innumerable talented alumni, this juried exhibition was an invitation to students who participated in 5+ years of their Mentor Series over the past 15 years. Artists in the exhibit include: Janice Andrews, Lynn Brown, Karen Caldwell, Chris Cinque, Rita Beyer Corrigan, Kat Corrigan, Karina Cutler-Lake, Kris Musto, Pat Owen, Sandi Pillsbury, Ann Price, Liz Seaton, Peter Truran.
Triptych by Sandi Pillsbury. Pillsbury is one of the artists in “Muse: Alumni Exhibition” that opens at Studio 21 on Friday, Sept. 23 with a reception from 5-6 pm.
North House Folk School’s annual fall concert, Unplugged, is sold out this year, but in honor of its 25th anniversary, the Folk School will host a special, free family concert on Saturday morning, Sept. 24, featuring the Okee Dokee Brothers.
The Okee Dokee Brothers will give a free family concert in the Big Tent at North House Folk School at 10 am Sept 24. The doors open at 9 am.
The Okee Dokee Brothers are a beloved family band known for such Northwoods hits like “Can You Canoe?” and “Through the Woods”. There will be some chairs available in the back of the tent, but families are encouraged to bring a picnic blanket or chairs and choose their own spot up front. This concert is supported by a grant from the Cook County Community Fund.
For an added sweet treat, ice cream from Superior Creamery will be available for purchase. Doors open at 9:00 am, Concert begins at 10 am.
“The FireKeepers Daughter” by Angeline Bouley has been chosen as the Community Read book for this fall. Cook ‘County Higher Education, along with Drury Lane Books and the Grand Marais Public Library, has organized a number of events to promote and support this effort.
This year’s Community Read is “The Firekeeper’s Daughter.”
The Community Read will be launched on Thursday, Sept. 29, at CCHE with a discussion about the book and a potluck. Other events in October include lectures as well as Zoom chats and discussions with the author. For more information, contact CCHE at 218-387-3411 and stay tuned.
And on Saturday, Oct. 1, the North Shore Music Association will present the Cajun band, The New Riverside Ramblers at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts.
The New Riverside Ramblers, a Cajun band, will perform at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts Oct. 1.
The Ramblers (originally known as The Bone Tones) are a two-time winner of the Cajun French Music Association (CFMA) “Prix Dehors” award, given for the best recording by a Cajun band outside Louisiana. The band is also the first-place winner of the 2016 Americana/Roots Band Contest at the Minnesota State Fair.
Showtime is 7 pm. This is an all-ages event, general seating. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance at northshoremusicassociation.com, or at the door starting at 6 pm. For our community’s health, we ask that folks wear masks at this event.
Online Findings:
Summer canoe adventures by Bryan Hansel.
In his latest newsletter, photographer Bryan Hansel talks about a recent trip he took with a seven-year-old and then writes about sharing photographic locations on social media. To read the blog, click here.
Artists at Work:
Potter Maggie Anderson is exhibiting work at the Art Art Gallery in Tofte.
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“Succulent,” a digital image by Katie Viren created with Procreate.
Mosaic-in-the -making by Amber Todd
Meadow Adams Nature Photograph
Black stoneware vase with slip trailed moth image by Adrea Beres. She is one of the artists participating in the Fall Studio Tour.
The Goat Barn from Bakkom dated 1600 by Arna Rennan.
Woodturned bowls by Lou Pignolet. He is one of the artists in the Fall Studio Tour.
Sunday Sermon by Mary Beams.
Painting by Robert Desjarlait.
Fireweed, fused glass by Nancy Seaton.
Online Music:
Here are two examples of Dave Brubeck Quartet‘s “Blue Rondo à la Turk.”
The first is a live recording, which is pretty interesting. The second is a high-quality studio recording of the same piece.
Live Music:
Thursday, Sept. 15:
- Cherry Dirt, Cascade Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 7-9 pm
Friday, Sept. 16:
- Kevin Buck, Birch Terrace, 5:30-7:30 pm
- Al Oikari, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
- Zulu Link, Gunflint Tavern, 8-10:30 pm
Saturday, Sept. 17:
- WunderDogs, Birch Terrace, 5-8 pm
- Jim McGowan, Lutsen Resort Campfire, 6:30-9 pm
Sunday, Sept. 18:
- Brilliant Colors, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
Monday, Sept. 19:
- Tim Haussner, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
Tuesday, Sept. 20:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 5-7 pm
Wednesday, Sept. 21:
- John Gruber, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
Thursday, Sept. 22:
- MorningBird, Cascade Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 7-9 pm
- Unplugged 2022, North House Folk School, 7-10 pm
- Featuring Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Anaïs Mitchell (Hadestown, Bonny Light Horseman), Phil Cook (Megafaun, Gayngs), Sean Carey (S. Carey, Bon Iver), JT Bates (Bonny Light Horseman, Bon Iver), Mike Lewis (Bon Iver, Happy Apple), Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings, and Joe Rainey Sr. (Iron Boy Singers).
Friday, Sept. 23:
- Pat Eliasen, Cascade Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Briand Morrison, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
- Unplugged 2022, North House Folk School, 7-10 pm
- Featuring Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Anaïs Mitchell (Hadestown, Bonny Light Horseman), Phil Cook (Megafaun, Gayngs), Sean Carey (S. Carey, Bon Iver), JT Bates (Bonny Light Horseman, Bon Iver), Mike Lewis (Bon Iver, Happy Apple), Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings, and Joe Rainey Sr. (Iron Boy Singers).
Saturday, Sept. 24:
- Okee Dokee Brothers, North House Folk School, 10-11:30 am
- Jim McGowan, Lutsen Resort Campfire, 6:30-9 pm
- Gene LaFond and Amy Grillo, Tettegouche State Park, 7 pm
Sunday, Sept. 25:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
Monday, Sept. 26:
- Joe Paulik, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
Tuesday, Sept. 27:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 5-7 pm
Wednesday, Sept. 28:
- Pete Kavanaugh, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
Thursday, Sept. 29:
- North Shore Swing Band, North House Folk School, 6-8 pm
Photographs:
We were lucky to find some cool photographs this week. Here’s the selection:
Wildlife:
30-day-old Loon chick by Dennis Chick.
Monarch by John Heino.
Hover Fly, one in a million — literally, by Maryl Skinner.
Leggy by Jean Brislance.
A Merganser Party by Dennis Chick.
Koi pond in Ely by Roxanne Distad.
A bad hair day by Dennis Chick.
Ribbitt! Ribbitt!! Photographer unknown.
Rocks, Trees & Waters:
Holy Waters 2 by Andy Keith.
Pablo’s Stump by Don Davison.
Fall color begins by Jim Boyd.
The High Falls in late summer by Matt Berkholz.
Early morning fog on Hungry Jack Lake by Dennis Chick.
Holy Water 1 by Andy Keith.
Boats and Blueberries:
Sailing on the Hjordis bt Kevin Linden.
A fall blueberry field by Rose Arrowsmith.
Northern Lights:
Northern Lights Sept 5 from Golden Eagle Lodge.
The Aurora in the Superior National Forest by Thomas Spence.
The other night by Tuck Olson.
The Northern Lights in Duluth by Kristie Marie.
Lights over Split Rock Lighthouse by Christian Dalbec.
Northern Lights in the Ely area by Heidi Pinkerton/ Root River Photography.
A STEVE. or a Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement, is a rare type of vertical aurora. Photo by byTanner Hermes.
And finally, this lovely photo:
Pastel moonrise over Lake Superior by Lin Salisbury.
Have a great weekend everyone!
This week’s contributors include Joan Farnam, editing, collection, and collation of art, photographs, and music videos; Vicki Biggs-Anderson, events; Maggie Anderson, proofreading; Jeremy Lopez, live music info and placement, layout uniformity, and technology support; Rae Kleser, grant research and Yvonne Mills, fact checker.
I would like to extend a special thanks to everyone who has reached out to show their support for this blog, either through subscribing or supporting our work financially. Most importantly, thank you to all the creators featured in this week’s blog post.
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Our next issue will be out on Sept. 29.