North Shore Arts Scene

This is the weekend to just kick back and enjoy the official last days of summer on the North Shore, although, as anyone who lives here or visits well knows, there are lots of beautiful days and weeks ahead.

One of the things that artists and everyone else love about the end of August is that tomatoes are definitely ready to be picked in gardens around the county. So are lots of other fresh vegetables.

Take advantage of this and check out the Local Food Market, which is held in the parking lot at the Cook County Community Center on Thursdays from 5-6 p.m., and Saturday, at the Cook County Market in the Senior Center parking lot from 10 a.m. to noon. There’s lots of great variety the year!

And this is Basket Week at North House Folk School. There are lots of classes, demonstrations and talks as well as a Basket Marketplace, where handmade baskets will be for sale.  All events are open to the public.

The Basket Marketplace will be held tonight, Thursday, Aug. 8, in the Blue Building at North House from 6-8 p.m.

 Browse a wide selection of handmade, one-of-a-kind items in this pop-up shop and meet the artisans behind the work.

On Friday, there will a series of presentations about baskets and basketmaking from 9 a.m. to noon at North House. Judy Zugish will talk about the cedar bark baskets at 9 a.m., Tina Fung Holder and John Zasada will give a presentation about baskets of the world at 10 a.m. and Lee Zieke and Lindsay Lee will talk about willow baskets.

In the afternoon, basketmakers will give demonstrations from 1-4 p.m. on the Commons at North House. Basketmakers include Julie Kean: Birch Bark; Paula Sundet Wolf: Wattle Fences; Karen Tembruell: Cordage; Cathryn Peters: Antler Basketry; Dennis Chilcote: Folded Birch Bark Basketry and April Stone: Black Ash Basketry.

And on Saturday, instructor Paul Linden will offer tips and instructions on sharpening simple tools from knives to clippers. It’s a skill-share, and all are invited.

Also at North House, Angela Robins will be demonstrating wood carving from Thursday through Sunday. She will hold a workshop on Saturday at 10 a.m. entitled “Carving a miniature wooden stool.” Call 387-9762 for more info, or just drop by.

The Grand Marais Art Colony will hold two short workshops this weekend: Paint-A-Tile on Friday, Aug. 31 and Making Glass Window Ornaments on Saturday, Sept. 1.

Space is limited in both classes. Call the Art Colony at 387-2737 to register.

On Saturday, the Cook County Market will be held in the parking lot of the Senior Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. featuring a great selection of work by local artisans. All invited.

On Saturday night, Monroe Crossing will be in concert at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m.

The world-class bluegrass entertainers play a blend of classic bluegrass, bluegrass gospel, and heartfelt originals. Tickets are available at the door. To learn more about them and hear their music, click on the link below. Also, listen to the Scenic Route on WTIP on Friday to hear more.

In Duluth, this is the weekend for the monthly Downtown Duluth Arts Walk, a creation of  the Downtown Duluth Arts Collective (DDAC). Together, they represent more than 25 arts businesses/groups, individual artist studios and cultural centers that will be participating in art exhibits, gallery talks, art demonstrations, musical performances and more.

The monthly Arts Walk will be from 5 to 8 p.m. and go on into the late-night downtown scene. All invited. Free.

Marcy Podas, a resident of the Cook County Care Center, has commissioned five paintings by Jeff Niesen to be installed at the newly renovated Cook County Hospital/Care Center. Niesen, a resident of Grand Marais, is Podas’ grandson.

On Tuesday, Sept. 4, a reception to view the paintings and meet the artist will be held at the Cook County Hospital/Care Center from 6:30-8:30 p.m. All invited.

Exhibits:

“Fragments of the North: Oil Paintings” by Reid Thorpe, continues at the Johnson Heritage Post through Sept. 9.

This is a fascinating exhibit. Thorpe’s ability to paint water is truly amazing. The Heritage Post is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and Monday, and from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, It is closed on Tuesdays.

And this is the last weekend to see North Shore photographs by William Gillis on exhibit in the Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park. He will take them down on Friday.

In Duluth, the Tweed Museum of Art, on the campus of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, continues its exhibit, “Quiet Simplicity,” with a great selection of paintings from its collection.

In Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery continues its exhibit, “Uprising: The Power of Mother Earth–Christi Belcourt – A Retrospective with Isaac Murdoch.

The Belcourt exhibit continues at the gallery through Nov. 25.

Upcoming:

The 11th annual Radio Waves Music Festival is next weekend, Sept. 7-9 at Sweetheart’s Bluff in the Grand Marais Rec Park. This highly anticipated fall event brings the community together for three days to enjoy music and more. More than 30 bands will perform, and there will be food, a children’s tent and lots of opportunities to dance.

New bands performing this year include the Kilborn Quartet, the Aho Family, Jim McGowan, Casey Aro, Cherry Dirt and Gillis & Stamps. And, the West Virginia Gospel group, the Carpenter Ants, return, with shows on Saturday night and the Gospel Hour on Sunday morning. Tickets are $10 per day or $20 for the weekend.

Here’s a short video to whet your appetite:

Plein Air Grand Marais begins Sept. 7, with artists from throughout the region converging on Cook County to paint what they see. It’s a really fun time for everyone, and the event culminates with an impressive exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post.

In past years, the Grand Marais Art Colony has organized the event, but this year, the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota will collaborate with the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery to continue the event and expand its scope with workshops, demos and daily activities to engage painters, visitors, and community members . Stay tuned for details and click here for more.

Also, the Yellow Bird Fine Art Gallery will host a separate, open exhibit for up to 35 non-Competition painters, during the Plein Air event. An opening reception will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 12. Stay tuned.

 Opportunities:

North House Folk School has announced that there are openings for the 2019-2020 Artisan Development Program through the Folk School. It is a two-year residency and professional development program for emerging craft artisans working in traditional crafts. For more info about this great opportunity, click here.

Also, there are openings for the 2019 Craft Education Internship program at North House as well. The Craft Education Internship opens the door to the world of traditional craft. Interns experience all the facets of a small non-profit organization in addition to taking coursework in traditional craft, developing their teaching skills, and exploring the role of the folk school in today’s world. Click here to learn more.

And finally, the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council  is currently accepting applications for the Career Development and Technology/Equipment Grants. The deadline for these grants is Sept. 28. Click here for more info about the Career Development Grant.  Click here for info about the Technology/Equipment Grant.

 Music:

Here’s the music for this week:

Thursday, Aug. 30:

• North Country Fair, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Music by the Campfire, Lutsen Resort, 6:30 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & the Wildcats, North Shore Winery, 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 31:

• Maria Nickolay, Voyageur Brewing, 4 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Music by the Campfire, Eagle Ridge Resort, 7 p.m.
• The Federales, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
• Alamode, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Cook County’s Most Wanted, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 1:

• Cook County’s Most Wanted, Birch Terrace, 3 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Cascade Lodge Restaurant, 6 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Music on the Deck, Papa Charlie’s, 6 p.m.
• Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert, rural Grand Marais, 7 p.m., www.michaelmonroemusic.com
• Briand Morrison, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Monroe Crossing, Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m.
• Mysterious Ways, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
• The Federales, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
• J Squared and the Makers, Papa Charlie’s, 8 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 1:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.
• Cook County Swing Band, Chic-Wauk, Ice Cream Social, 12:30 p.m.
• Woodblind, Music by the Lake, Skyport Lodge, 4 p.m.
• Open Stage with Joe Paulik, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.
• The Federales, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 2

• The Red Dog Band, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
• Pete Kavanaugh, Bluefin Bay, 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 3:

• Gordon Thorne, Bluefin Bay, 9 p.m.

Here are some of the photos we found this week.

First, wildlife:

 

 

Not wildlife, but wild food:

 

And here’s a geat shot of huge raindrops on a spider web.

The northern lights made an appearance this week. It was a little foggy on the North Shore, but our photographers still managed to capture some images.

Here’s another great skyscape:

And a moonscape:

Sunsets and sunrises:

 

 

The beauties of solitude:

And finally, the beauties of fall.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

(P.S. If NorthShore ArtScene has become a mainstay for you, click here to make a donation. And thank you!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots happening on the North Shore this weekend, including a blues/rock band from Chicago, two writer’s events and a great watercolor demonstration by Tara Sweeney, not to mention exhibits and lots of great music.

First up is a live craft demonstration at North House Folk School by Beth Dow, instructor in residence this week. Dow, who is an artist and teacher who lives in Minneapolis, is interested in contemporary applications for traditional crafts. She will be on campus demonstrating leathercraft from Thursday through Sunday and will teach a mini-course ” Sew a Leather Wallet” at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

For more info, and to register for the class, contact North House at 387-9762.

And on Thursday night, the North Shore Music Association will hold a fundraiser at the Wunderbar featuring The Lucky Dutch, one of Chicago’s best blues/rock bands.

The band began as an indie band that performed extensively around Chicago’s bar and festival scene. Since then, the band has toured the country and released two LPs: “Bury the Night” in 2014, and “Cadillac Coffin” in 2016. Lucky Dutch Guitarist Nathan Graham has performed as a guitarist on the Chicago blues scene since age 15, working and touring with musicians such as Buddy Guy, BB King, and Koko Taylor. Other band members include Claire Corriveau (vocals), David Padula (bass) and Ben Dacoba (percussion.)

This should be a fun event. (Note: The Wunderbar has a great dance floor.) Admission is free but donations appreciated. Here’s a video of one of their songs. Just in, they’ll be on WTIP at 4 p.m. today.

On Friday, check out all the live music opportunities in venues in the county. Bands include Easy Riders, Portage, Gene Lafond and Amy Grillo, The Lark and the Loon, Sarah Morris & the Sometimes Guys, Northeast Timberland Band and Shoot from the Hipsters. See the music schedule below for times and places.

Saturday kicks off with the Cook County Market, which is held in the parking lot of the Cook County Senior Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market features a wide variety of local artists and artisans as well as local vegetables, which arrive at the market at 10 a.m.

On Saturday night, author Brenda Child and artist Jonathan Thunder will be featured in a Writer’s Salon at Drury Lane Books at 7 p.m. Child and Thunder have collaborated on a children’s book, “Bowwow Powwow,” and includes a companion retelling in Ojibwe by Gordon Jourdain. Thunder’s vibrant dreamscapes illustrate the work.

At the Writer’s Salon, Child and Thunder will read from the book and discuss the making of the story and the Ojibwe translation process. All invited, Free.

Drury Lane Books continues its focus on children’s books on Sunday with a Full Moon Reading outside by the bonfire. Local authors will read from their own work and/or the work of others starting at 7:30 p.m. All invited.

And on Wednesday, Aug. 29, watercolor artist, Tara Sweeney, will give a watercolor demonstration at the Grand Marais Art Colony at 7 p.m.

Sweeney will demonstrate her award-winning approach to watercolor. Regardless of subject matter or location, she follows watercolor’s strong lead with a split-primary, limited palette and a three-layer, four-value (hold-the-whites!) approach to embrace the aqueous blends and vibrant brushwork of this lively medium. This event is free and open to all; no pre-registration is required.

 Exhibits:

 The Johnson Heritage Post is exhibiting a spectacular exhibit of oil paintings by Reid Thorpe. Entitled “Fragments of the North,” the exhibit features Thorpe’s journey through the beauties of the Northwoods.

Thorpe has exhibited at the Johnson Heritage Post before. He was one of the artists featured in an exhibit of work by graduates of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design that was held at the Heritage Post last year. Thorpe’s exhibit continues through Sept. 9. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and Monday, and from 1-4 p.m. Sunday. It is closed on Tuesdays. By the way, the Johnson Heritage Post has a new web site. Check it out here.

Photographer William Gillis is the featured artist at Tettegouche State Park this month. His work is on display in the Great Hall.

In Duluth, the Tweed Museum of Art continues its exhibit: “In Solidarity: Revolutionary Women of Print.”

The exhibit continues through Sept. 9. The Tweed is located on the campus of the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Jonathan Thunder’s exhibit continues at the Duluth Art Institute through Aug. 30, when he will give an artist talk about the exhibit at 7 p.m.

In Thunder Bay, Christi Belcourt’s retrospective, “Uprising: The Power of Mother Earth” with Isaac Murdoch, continues at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. A retrospective exhibition reaches back across an artist’s career to gather work reflective of changing interests and techniques. Below is a relatively early canvas of hers, and comes to the gallery from a private collection.

The Definitely Superior Art Gallery in Thunder Bay is closed through Sept. 10, but the public is invited to walk down Cooke Street in the Waterfront District to view the new art murals by the Die Active Art Collective.

 Upcoming:

 North House Folk School will hold a Basket Marketplace on Thursday, Aug. 30 from 6-8 p.m. The event is part of Basket Week at North House.

Basketmakers who will be exhibiting include: Julie Kean, Paula Sundet Wolf, Karen Tembruell, Cathryn Peters, Dennis Chilcote, April Stone, Tina Fung Holder, Lindsay Lee, Lee Zieke, Jackson Sneve and Judy Zugish. The baskets are crafted in a wide variety of materials, including cedar, birch, black ash and willow. For more info, click here.

A Paint-A-Tile workshop will be held at the Grand Marais Art Colony from 1-2:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 31. Participants will learn about ancient Majolica glazes and paint two tiles, which will fired and available for pick-up on Sunday, Sept. 2.

For more information and to register, call the Grand Marais Art Colony at 387-2737.

Duluth will hold the Downtown Arts Walk from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 31. The Arts Walk is a creation of the Downtown Duluth Arts Collective and includes art exhibits, gallery talks, demonstrations, performances and more. Stay tuned for details.

The 11th annual Radio Waves Music Festival is set for Sept. 7-9 at Sweetheart’s Bluff in the Grand Marais Rec Park. More than 25 acts are included in this great event, include two performances by the West Virginia gospel group, the Carpenter Ants. The festival also features a Kid’s Tent, and and food vendors.

For more information about the line-up and volunteer opportunities, click here.

Here’s the music schedule for this week:

Thursday, Aug. 23:

• Easy Riders, Wunderbar, 5 p.m.
• Frozen Britches, Cascade Lodge Restaurant, 6 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Music by the Campfire, Lutsen Resort, 6:30 p.m.
• Lucky Dutch, benefit for the NorthShore Music Association, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne, Date Night at the North Shore Winery, 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 24:

• Easy Riders, Voyageur Brewing, 4 p.m.
• Portage, Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
• Gene Lafond and Amy Grillo, Eagle Ridge Resort, 7 p.m.
• The Lark and the Loon, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
• Sarah Morris & the Sometimes Guys, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Northeast Timberland Band, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.
• Shoot from the Hipsters, Grandma Ray’s, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 25:

• Cook County’s Most Wanted, Birch Terrace, 3 p.m.
• North Country Fair, Cascade Lodge Restaurant, 6 p.m.
• J Squared and the Makers, Papa Charlie’s, 6 p.m.
• Common Ground, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Easy Riders, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
• BlueTones, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
• Timmy Haus, Papa Charlie’s, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 26:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.
• Bill & Kates Isles, Wunderbar, 11 a.m.
• Plucked Up String Band, Music by the Lake, Skyport Lodge, 4 p.m.

 Monday, Aug. 27:

• Joshua Schmidt – Monday Songwriter Series, Papa Charlie’s. 8:30 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Bluefin Bay, 9 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 28:

• Joe Paulik, Gun Flint Tavern, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 29:

• Joe Paulik, Wunderbar, 11 a.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 29:

• Briand Morrison, Bluefin Bay, 9 p.m.

Here are some of the photos we found this week:

First, a potpourri …

 

 

 

Landscapes …

 

 

 

Sunrises …

 

A beautiful nightscape …

And finally, a lucky visit …

Have a great weekend, everyone!

To help support NorthShore ArtScene, click the link below. And thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

It’s the heart of summer in Grand Marais right now. It’s a perfect temperature, the skies are bluer than blue, Lake Superior is (almost) swimmable, and there’s plenty to do outdoors and in. Here are some ideas.

First up is an opportunity to learn something about bushcraft at North House Folk School with Lindy Lind, the instructor-in-residence this week.

Lind can walk a path in the woods and find all kinds of useful stuff. And, he can make clever things with what he finds as well. He will be doing demonstrations from Thursday to Sunday on the North House campus and will be teaching a short mini-class on Saturday morning. For more info and to register for the class, call 387-9762.

Anybody who writes anything (from novels to emails) are invited to a meeting  of the Grand Marais Writer’s Guild at the Grand Marais Public Library tonight, Thursday, Aug. 16,  from 6-7 p.m.. Led by Grand Marais published writer Rose Arrowsmith-DeCoux, the meeting features discussions about writing, writing prompts and more. Free.

Friday is a good day for art in Grand Marais.

First up is a Paint-A-Tile workshop that will be held in the ceramics studio at the  Grand Marais Art Colony from 1-2:30 p.m. Participants are invited to explore the colorful world of Majolica glazes and try their hand at it.

Each student will be able to pick out and then paint two tiles with their own unique designs. The tiles will be glaze-fired and available for pickup on Sunday, Aug.19. The workshop is open to ages 12 and older. For more info and to register, call the Art Colony at 387-2737. The next Paint-A-Tile workshop is Aug. 31.

Then, on Friday, night, the Johnson Heritage Post will hold an opening reception for “Fragments of the North,” an exhibition of oil paintings by Reid Thorpe.

Reid Thorpe has a studio/gallery in Chaska, and  exhibited with the Minneapolis College of Art & Design Alumni group at the Johnson Heritage Post last year. The opening reception is from 5-7 p.m. on Friday. Refreshments will be served. The exhibit continues through Sept. 9. The Heritage Post is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and Monday, and from 1-4 p.m. Sunday. It is closed on Tuesdays.

For live music, check the schedule below. Also, tune into WTIP’s The Roadhouse on Friday night from 5-7 for a whole program of music. Singer songwriter Peter Mayer will be on the show to talk about his music and play a few songs as will singer/songwriter Jerry Vandiver and fiddle player Lacie Carpenter. Vandiver is playing a number of different venues in the county this weekend. Mayer will be in concert at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts on Saturday night. (For details, see below.)

Saturday begins with the Cook County Market, which features a variety of artists and artisans displaying their work in the Senior Center parking lot.

The Market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is held every Saturday through mid-October.

Lynn Speaker is teaching a fascinating workshop at the Grand Marais Art Colony this weekend, too. Entitled “Looking at Landscape,” the class will examine a number of concepts of landscape art.

How are landscapes perceived and experienced? What role do artists play at the intersection of nature and culture? Speaker will guide students through an investigation of landscape art by looking at a variety of scientific, historical, and cultural perspectives, and students will participate in art-making exercises to illustrate their own experiences with landscape. For more info and to sign up for the class, call 387-2737 or click here.

On Saturday night, the North Shore Music Association brings Peter Mayer to the Arrowhead Center for the Arts for a concert at 7:30 p.m.

Mayer writes songs for a small planet–songs about interconnectedness and the human journey, about the beauty and the mystery of the world. Here’s an example:

Tickets are available at the door or online at www.tix.com.

 Exhibits:

 There are some interesting exhibits in galleries up and down the North Shore. Here’s a selection.

Photographer William Gillis is exhibiting his work in the Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park this month.

An new exhibit has just opened at the Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center at the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO). Entitled “Endangered,” the exhibit features exquisite papercuts of endangered species in the world by Ellen Sandbeck and paintings by  illustrating the history of wild rising and how it is threatened.

 

The “Endangered” exhibit continues at AICHO through the end of August. AICHO is located at 202 W. 2nd St. in Duluth.

The Duluth Art Institute is featuring three exhibits this month, including paintings by Chholing Taha.

CreeFirst Nations artist based in Anoka, who uses Native imagery to express both contemporary issues and indigenous stories. The exhibit continues through Sept. 2.

At the Tweed Museum of Art, the Quiet Simplicity exhibit continues.

The Definitely Superior Art Gallery in Thunder Bay is closed for summer vacation through early September, but the gallery invites the public to check out the beautiful new art murals on Cooke Street created by the Die Active Art Collective.

Christi Belcourt’s exhibit, “Uprising: The Power of Mother Earth, A Retrospective with Isaac Murdoch” continues at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery this month.

Upcoming:

The North Shore Music Association will hold a fundraiser at the Wunderbar with Lucky Dutch on Thursday, Aug. 23, at 7 p.m. Lucky Dutch is an American rock band from Illinois, formed in 2008 by guitarist Nathan Graham and singer Claire Corriveau. Graham has performed as a guitarist on the Chicago blues scene since age 15, working and touring with musicians such as Buddy Guy, BB King, and Koko Taylor. Listen to one of their songs by clicking on the link below.

 

 Kudos:

Congratulations to Hovland artist Corrie Steckelberg, who has been selected to be one of the Artists-in-Residence at the Grand Marais Art Colony in March. She joins Dana De Ano and Christine Fomi to work at the Art Colony that month.

Opportunities:

WTIP Community Radio has put out a call for volunteers to help out at the Radio Waves Music Festival at Sweetheart’s Bluff in the Rec Park Sept. 7-9.

Volunteers will get a free ticket for the day they volunteer. Postitions available in the Kid’s Tent, the membership booth and tickets and the information and prizes booth. For more info, call WTIP at 387-1070 or click here.

Window Shopping

And finally, on a personal note: I went to the Twin Cities this week to see this Emmy Award-winning band from Mali. Here’s a YouTube of one of the songs they sang. (Scroll down to read the translation.)

Here’s the music schedule for the week:

Thursday, Aug. 16:

• Pete K, Cascade Lodge Pub, 6 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Music by the Campfire, Lutsen Resort, 6:30 p.m.
• Maria Nickolay, North Shore Winery, 7 p.m.
• Jerry Vandiver, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & the Wildcats, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 17:

• Jerry Vandiver and Lacie Carpenter, Voyageur Brwing, 4 p.m.
• North Shore Community Swing Band, Grandma Ray’s, 7 p.m.
• Pete Kavanaugh, Music by the Campfire, Eagle Ridge Resort, 7 p.m.
• Space Monkey Mafia, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
• Jim’s Country Laundry, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Cook County’s Most Wanted, Grandma Ray’s, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 18:

• Gene Lafond and Amy, Grillo, Cascade Lodge Pub, 6 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Papa Charlie’s deck, 6 p.m.
• Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert, rural Grand Marais, 7 p.m., reservations at www.michaelmonroemusic.com
• Gordon Thorne, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Peter Mayer, Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m.
• Doug Ott and the Getaways, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Jerry Vandiver and Lacie Carpenter, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
• Space Monkey Mafia, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
• Timmy Haus,Papa Charlie’s,,, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 19:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.
• Sky Blue Jazz Trio, Wunderbar, 11 a.m.
• Cook County’s Most Wanted, Skyport Lodge, 4 p.m.
• Open Stage with Joe Paulik, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Jim & Michele Miller, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 20:

• Mary Bue, Monday Night Songwriter Series, Papa Charlie’s, 8:30 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 22:

• Jam Session, Gun Flint Tavern,6:30 p.m.
• North Shore Community Band, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.

We found some great photos this week. First, wildlife:

 

 

And we found some neat plant photos.

 

 

And some skyscapes:

 

 

A cityscape:

 

A North Shore landscape:

 

And a beauty scape:

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!

 

If you’d like to support NorthShore ArtScene, make a donation today. And thanks!

 

This is the second big summer weekend in Cook County as the Grand Portage Rendezvous Days & Celebration Pow Wow gets underway. The annual event, which has been held in Grand Portage for more than 80 years, is the community’s biggest and most grand celebration, as re-enactors from across the country and Canada come to participate in its rich heritage.

The Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa hold a grand pow-wow in conjunction with the event, drawing in hundreds of dancers and drums from throughout the region. Grand Entry at the pow-wow is at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7 p.m. Saturday.

Visitors can expect a weekend packed with cultural events from the 1800s to 1900s, including as well as chances to try blacksmithing, arts and crafts, Native American cuisine, and recreational activities. This year’s event focuses on what it was like growing up in the fur trade era, so there are special events for children, including games and activities, workshops and music.

On Friday, there will be a special opening ceremony feauturing the Grand Portage Drum, The Stone Bridge Singers, which will take place at the historic stone bridge on the reservation, which has been recently restored. The ceremony is at 10 a.m. Check out the Stonebridge Singers here.

Everyone is invited to Grand Portage this weekend to reconnect with its historic past and the people who make up its community.

There’s lots happening in Grand Marais this weekend, too.

First up are live craft demonstrations at North House Folk School with two  instructors: Cody Myers and Kerry Lambertson Thursday through Sunday. Myers is a blacksmith and will demonstrate that craft all weekend, as well as teach a mini-course at 10 a.m. Saturday.  Lambertson will give demonstrations on violin-making and will teach a mini-class on carving a spatula on Saturday.

The public is invited to the North House campus this weekend to watch these instructors-in-residence at work. To register for the classes on Saturday, drop by or call 387-9762.

And on Thursday at 4 p.m., local author and researcher Staci Drouillard will give a presentation on “Stories of Work & Play in Chippewa City” at the Chippewa City Church, just east of Grand Marais on Hwy. 61.

Drouillard is a Grand Portage descendant with Chippewa City roots. She has an M.L.S. from the University of Minnesota Duluth and is the author of “Walking the Old Road: Stories of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Chippewa,” a book manuscript scheduled for publication by the University of Minnesota Press in the Spring of 2019. She lives, works and writes just outside of Grand Marais, on the North Shore of Lake Superior. The presentation is open to the public. Free.

Also on Thursday, Cary Griffith, author of “Gunflint Burning” will be at Voyageur Brewing Company for a book signing at 6 p.m.

“Gunflint Burning’ tells the story of the Ham Lake fire, at the time the most destructive wildfire in modern Minnesota history.

For theater lovers, “Mom’s Gift,” an award-winning comedy, will be performed at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. Thursday. The play is one of the plays being performed for the Grand Marais Playhouse Summer Theater Festival. The next and final performance of “Mom’s Gift” is at 7 p.m. Saturday.

On Friday, Rendezvous Days & the Celebration Pow-Wow begins in Grand Portage.

In Grand Marais, there will be an informal poetry reading and time for sharing stories in honor of poet Joanne Hart from 5-7 p.m. at the Johnson Heritage Post. Hart wrote lived and wrote for many years in Grand Portage.

Family members and friends will be reading from Hart’s work, with time for stories, mingling, refreshments, and enjoying artwork by Hazel Belvo and Marcia Casey Cushmore. The event is free and open to the public. All invited.

For music lovers, the Thunderheads Trio will be guests on WTIP Community Radio’s The Roadhouse on Friday. They will talk about their music and play a few songs. The Roadhouse airs from 5-7 p.m.

And, the Grand Marais Playhouse Summer Theater Festival continues, will the performance of “Shrek The Musical” at 7 p.m. Friday. The final performance of this popular musical will be at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Saturday in Grand Marais opens with the Cook County Market at 9 a.m., featuring a wide variety of work by local artisans. The Market is held in the parking lot of the Senior Center. Fresh produce from Round River Farm in Finland is available at 10 a.m. The Market held until 1 p.m.

Also on Saturday, celebrated Minnesota author Faith Sullivan will be featured at a Writer’s Salon at Drury Lane Books at 7 p.m.

Sullivan is the author of several novels set in the fictional Minnesota small town of Harvester, including “The Cape Ann,” “Gardenias,” and “Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse.” She will read from her forthcoming Harvester novel (out in fall 2019) and take questions from the audience. All invited.

On Sunday, Aug. 12, the 6th annual August Afternoon of Classical and Jazz Music will be held at the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department Hall #1 (Poplar Lake) at 5 p.m. This is always a great concert, featuring talented musicians from the throughout the community and the region playing great music. Musicians include: Philis Anderson (oboe); Kathy Bolstad, (clarinet); Sue Anderson (violin); Fred Anderson (guitar); Hugh and Nancy Magill (vocal & piano); Michael Ferguson (piano); SVEA: Rose Arrowsmith DeCoux, Erika Ternes, and Yvonne Mills); the Borealis Brass Quartet: Eric Anderson (euphonium), Don Grant (trumpet), Dave Coleman (trombone), and Robert Reed (trumpet) and the Sky Blue Jazz Ensemble: Mike DeBevec (piano), Mike Roth (string bass), Erik Hahn (sax), Thomas Stamps (percussion and vocal), and Karina Roth (vocals).

The event is a fundraiser for the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department. To reserve tickets, contact Patsy Coleman, 313-673-6202 or at PColeman@chem.wayne.edu Checks and credit cards accepted.

And for star watchers, next week, the Dark Sky Caravan from the University of Minnesota-Duluth will be in Cook County, with a portable planetarium and telescopes to give presentations about the sky and offer opportunities, weather permitting, to see planets and galaxies close-up and personal. Free.

They will give presentations at Birch Grove Community Center on Monday, Voyageur Brewing on Tuesday, Grand Portage on Wednesday and Chik-Wauk on Thursday and Friday. The presentations take half and hour and begin at 5 p.m.

On Tuesday of next week, the dynamic Americana duo, Moors & McCumber, will perform at the Seagull Lake Community Center which is in Fire Hall # 3, near the end of the Trail  at 7 p.m.

This event is also a fundraiser for the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department. An anonymous donor will contribute $10 to the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department for each person who attends, up to $500. To learn more about the musicians, click here.

On Wednesday, Glen Everhart’s Heebie Jeebies Family Comedy Music Show will be at the Grand Marais Public Library at 3:30 p.m. All invited. Free.

An finally, the Grand Marais Art Colony will hold at Artist Talk  at 7 p.m. Wednesday with artist Kristen Lowe. Her presentation, “Drawing–Timeless and Versatile” will talk about why the drawing process has remained central to her artistic practice for more than 25 years.

Lowe will explore how beauty awakens our senses, empowers us, stuns us, how it weaves itself through our artistic process and keeps us coming back for more. This event is free. All invited.

Exhibits:

This is the final weekend to see the exhibit, “Belvo/Cushmore: Paintings & Drawings 2018″ at the Johnson Heritage Post.

This exhibit has received rave reviews. The Heritage Post is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and Monday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday. It is closed on Tuesdays.

In Duluth, the Duluth Art Institute is exhibiting three shows this month: Chholing Taha: Every Spirit Tells A Story,  Payton MacDonald: Sonic Divide: Art Meets Endurance and  Jonathan Thunder: Suspension of Disbelief.

The exhibits continue through Sept. 2.

At the Tweed Museum of Art, check out the exhibit, “In Solidarity: Revolutionary Women of Print.”

The exhibit closes this weekend.

In Thunder Bay, the 30th Anniversary Members Show at the Definitely Superior Art Gallery continues through Sunday.

And finally in Thunder Bay, the Baggage Building Arts Center is featuring an exhibit of work by the Group of Stephen through the end of the month.

Upcoming:

Singer/songwriter Peter Mayer will be in concert at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts on Aug. 18.

 

The concert is sponsored by the North Shore Music Association. Stay tuned for details.

The 11th annual Radio Waves Music Festival (Sept. 7-9) will feature 26 acts this year, and the West Virginia band, the Carpenter Ants, will be one of the featured acts. They’ll do the Saturday night show and Gospel Hour on Sunday morning. It should be a great music festival, which is held at Sweetheart’s Bluff at the Rec Park under the Big Tent. To see the complete schedule, click here.

Here’s a video of the Carpenter Ants:

 

Kudos:

Ann Possis was named to the 2018 “50 Over 50” list, which celebrates and recognizes Minnesotans over the age of 50 who have made significant contributions and achievements in their communities.

Possis was named in the nonprofit category. Individuals will be recognized at a special event in October. To find out more, click here.

Window Shopping:

 

 

Music Video

Here’s an interview with Grand Marais’ Tim Styles.

Tim grew up here and is now a professional singer/songwriter based in Bakersfield, Calif.

Here’s the music schedule for the week:

Thursday, Aug. 9:

• Jim & Michele Miller, Cascade Lodge, 6 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Lutsen Resort, 6:30 p.m.
• Plucked Up String Band, Gun Flint Tavern 7 p.m.
• Kilborn Quartet, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne and the Wildcats, North Shore Winery, 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 10:

• Eric Frost, Eagle Ridge Resort, 7 p.m.
• Timmy Haus, Voyageur BrewingCol, 4 p.m.
• Portage, Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
• Common Ground, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Thunderheads, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.
• The Millers, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 11:

• Over the Waterfall, Grand Portage Monument, 3 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Cascade Lodge Restaurant, 6:30 p.m.
• J Squared & the Makers, Papa Charlies, 6 p.m.
• Plucked Up String Band, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• David Huckfelt of The Pines and Frankie Lee, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Brothers in Arms, Grandma RAy’s, 8 p.m.
• Thunderheads, Gun Flint Tavern, 8:30 p.m.
• Timmy Haus, Papa Charlie’s, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 12:

• Briand Morrison, Mobuls Grille, 10 a.m.
• Gene LaFond & Amy Grillo, Wunderbar, 11 a.m.
• Plucked Up String Band, North Shore Winery, 3 p.m.
• Jacob Mahon and brother John, Skyport Lodge, 4 p.m.
• Gunflint Woods, Winds, Strings … and a Little Jazz, Gunflint Trail Fire Department #1 (Poplar Lake), 5 p.m.
• Open Stage with Joe Paulik, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.
• Adam Huber, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.

Monday Aug. 13:

• Open Mic at Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
• Moors & McCumber, Singer/Songwriter Series, Papa Charlie’s, 8:30 p.m.
• Pete Kavanaugh, Bluefin Bay, 9 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 14:

• Bug Dope, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.
• Moors & McCumber, Music on the Gunflint, Firehall #3, Seagull Community Center, 7-9 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 15:

• Heebee Jeebies, Grand Marais Public Library, 3:30 p.m.
• Pete Kavanaugh,Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Al & Rod, Bluefin Bay, 9 p.m.

Here’s some live

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 And finally, this beauty.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

 

I happily create NorthShore ArtScene every week to help support the Arts Community on the North Shore. If you’d like to join the effort, click here. And Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grand Marais and the North Shore celebrate history and their connections to Lake Superior this weekend during the 89th annual Fisherman’s Picnic. This iconic celebration, which includes everyone in the community as well as visitors from throughout the region, is a 4-day event featuring everything from trail runs to a cutest puppy contest, craft shows to candy corn and, of course, the famous fish burger.

Fish Pic starts on Thursday and runs through Sunday in downtown Grand Marais as well as throughout the county. There is lots to do for all ages. Besides all the contests and events in town, there is live music on the Harbor Park stage, three nights of street dancing, as well as a tennis tournament, a softball tournament, a log rolling tournament and the Big Fish contest. There are three different craft markets open this weekend, too, and lots of kids’ activities and daily contests. And not to forget–there’s a fireworks show on Saturday night and the Fisherman’s Picnic Parade at 1 p.m.

In short, the Fish Pic schedule is crowded with lots of things to do all weekend.

Download the schedule  here. And come on down and be entertained this weekend!

There are lots of other things to do in the community this weekend, too. Here are a few of them:

North House Folk School will hold two sessions of  “Try It: Wood-fired Baking” classes on Thursday, Aug. 2. The sessions are from 1-3 p.m. and from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Participants will have a chance to try their hands at baking bread in North House’s wood-fired oven.

Also, the Folk School’s artisan-instructor of the week is broom-maker Marybeth Garmoe. Garmoe will be demonstrating her craft all weekend at North House and will teach a mini-class at 10 a.m. on Saturday. For more info and to register, call 387-9762.

Also on Thursday, the 40th annual Friends of the Library Used Book Sale begins at the Cook County Community Center. The first session, from 5-7 p.m. Thursday night is open to members, but memberships will be on sale one hour prior to the sale. The book sale continues from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and from 8 .m. to noon on Saturday. Saturday is the bag sale… fill a bag up with books for a small fee. All are invited to come up and check out this sale, which features hundreds of books on every subject.

Also on Thursday, the Grand Marais Theater Festival continues with “Shrek The Musical,” which will be performed at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. Thursday and 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are available at the door. “Mom’s Gift,” a comedy which is also part of the festival, will be performed on Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m., after the Fisherman’s Picnic Parade.

On Friday, Drury Lane Books will hold a Writer’s Salon at 7 p.m. with Kelly Barnhill, author of the Newbery Medal-winning novel, “The Girl Who Drank the Moon.”

Barnhill will read from her latest work,“Dreadful Young Ladies,”  a collection of short stories for adults. She will also discuss writing and take questions from the audience. All invited. Free.

On Saturday, the Lake Superior International Yacht Race, one of the oldest annual races on Lake Superior, will start in the Grand Marais Harbor at 11 a.m. The boats will race to Thunder Bay.

The race is hosted by the Thunder Bay Yacht Club.

And there are lots of mini-classes and events at the Grand Marais Art Colony on Saturday. Andy Ness will teach a free, drop-in mask-making class from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday. Lissa Grover will teach a class in making glass window ornaments from 9-11 a.m. and from 1-3 p.m. in the glass studio. To register, call 387-2737. And Twin Cities potter Mark Lusardi will be teaching a raku class at the Grand Marais Art Colony on Saturday and Sunday. (There is still time to register for the class.)

Also on Saturday from 5-7 p.m., Lusardi will also hold a drop-in raku firing event for the public. Small pots will be available for purchase, and participants can glaze it and watch as Lusardi fires it in his raku kiln. For more info, call 387-2737.

And not to forget, street dances will be held in Harbor Park starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Fireworks will go off around 9:45 p.m. And on  On Sunday, the Fisherman’s Picnic Parade will begin at 1 p.m. It’s a great parade.

In Hovland, artists and artisans will hold the Third Annual Art Sale at the Chicago Bay Marketplace from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Chicago Bay Market’s parking lot. Expect to find pottery, photography and crafts, as well as yummy treats at the Market.

On Wednesday, a fundraiser for the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department will be held at Fire Hall No. 1 at Mid-Trail from noon to 4 p.m.

It features a flea market and boutique, and a live auction at 1:30 p.m. under the big tent. Raffle tickets to win a handcrafted quilt donated by the Mid-Trail Quilters will be sold as well.

Exhibits:

 Hazel Belvo and Marcia Cushmore are exhibiting new work at the Johnson Heritage Post this month, including paintings, drawings and prints.

The exhibit continues through Aug. 12. The Heritage Post 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.

In Duluth, the Zeitgeist Arts Cafe will hold an opening reception for an exhibit of photographs by Kerry Gauthier.

The opening reception for Gauthier is from 5-7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 6.

Also in Duluth, the Tweed Museum of Art continues its exhibit, “Treasures from Home.”

“Treasures from Home” features favorite works of local collectors. The exhibit concludes at the end of this month.

In Thunder Bay, Christi Belcourt’s retrospective with Isaac Murdock, “Uprising: The Power of Mother Earth”continues at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.

The Art of the Elements Gallery in rural Grand Marais at the Frykman Art Studio is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer. The gallery will be participating in the Fall Studio Tour Sept. 28-Oct. 7.

The Art of the Elements Gallery is located at 306 County Rd. 44. Call 387-1949 for more info.

Two Harbors painter David Gilsvik has new work at Sivertson Gallery.

And new work by regional artists as well as prints by Betsy Bowen are being exhibited at Betsy Bowen’s Studio & Galleries.

Kristin Blomberg is exhibiting her work at the North Shore Winery.

Upcoming:

 A picnic operetta is coming to the Finland Historical Society in Finland on Aug 17. “Falstaff and the Working Wives of Lake County,” a production of the Twin Cities opera group, Mixed Precipitation, is an edible opera adventure that is touring Minnesota this summer. The operetta, an adaptation of Otto Nicolai’s German opera, “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” includes a bit of Minnesota history and the music of Bruce Springsteen.

“Falstaff and the Working Wives of Lake County” will be performed at 2 p.m. Aug. 17. Stay tuned for details.

The Carpenter Ants are one of the bands scheduled to perform for this year’s Radio Waves Music Festival sponsored by WTIP Community Radio. The festival will be held at Sweetheart’s Bluff in the Grand Marais Rec Park Sept. 7-9 under the Big Tent. In all, 25 acts will take the stage at this year’s festival. To see the complete line-up and for more info, click here.

Art News:

In other WTIP news, the radio station was recently featured in a story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The headline for the story is “WTIP in Grand Marais: A Deep Woods Dose of Radio Charm.” To read the story, click here.

Members of the Northwoods Fiber Guild recently spent a day at North House Folk School colorful book bags for the Grand Marais Public Library. The idea to make cloth book bags for the library came from Jo Wood, as part of project to encourage choosing a reusable cloth bag over a plastic or paper bag.

The book bags come in two types: a traditional cloth bag with handles and a T-shirt bag, with the collar and sleeves cut out to make a great book bag. All the bags will be at the library and available for anyone to use, free of charge. The Fiber Guild has already scheduled another sewing session at North House to make more of them.

And singer/songwriter Maria Nickolay has some news:

Music:

Here’s the music schedule for this week:

Thursday, Aug. 2

Fisherman’s Picnic Harbor Park Stage:

• Joe Paulik, 11 a.m.
• Maria Nickolay, 1 p.m.
• Clearwater Hot Club, 3 p.m.
• Common Ground, 7 p.m. (Street Dance)

Other Venues:

• Cooper and Muska, Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
• Cook County’s Most Wanted, Grandma Ray’s, 9 p.m.
• Maria Nickolay, Cascade Lodge Restaurant, 6 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Lutsen Resort, 6:30 p.m.
• Plucked Up String Band with The Cuckoo Bees, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Billy Johnson, Gun Flint Tavern, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 3

Fisherman’s Picnic Harbor Park Stage:

• Joe Paulik, 11 a.m.
• Michael Monroe, 1 p.m.
• Bug Dope, 3 p.m.
• Plucked Up String Band, 7 p.m., (Street Dance)

Other venues:

• Cooper and Muska, Voyageur Brewing, 4 p.m.
• 4-Shore, Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
• The Cruisers, outside, Grandma Ray’s, 7:30 p.m.
• Kutdown, Grandma Ray’s, 9 p.m.
• True Grass Trio, The Wunderbar, 6 p.m.
• Ben Cook-Felz, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Gene & Amy Grillo, Eagle Ridge Resort, 7 p.m.
• Common Ground, Voyageur Brewing, outside in the tent, 7 p.m.
• Floydian Slip, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
• Pete Kavanaugh, Bluefin Bay, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 4:

Fisherman’s Picnic Harbor Park Stage:

• Community Swing Band, 11 a.m.
• Michael Monroe, 1 p.m.
• 71 Trio, 3 p.m.
• SplinterTones, 7 p.m. (Street Dance)

Other venues:

• Cook County’s Most Wanted, Birch terrace, 3 p.m.
• Billy Johnson, North Shore Winery, 3 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Cascade Lodge Restaurant, 6 p.m.
• 4-Shore, Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
• J Squared & the Makers, Papa Charlie’s, 6:30 p.m.
• Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert, 7 p.m. www.michaelmonroemusic.com
• Floydian Slip, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
• Kutdown, Grandma Ray’s, 9 p.m
• DJBeavstar, Papa Charlie’s, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 5:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.
• Fish Heads, Skyport Lodge, 4 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 5:

• Jack Klatt, Monday Songwriter Series, Papa Charlie’s, 8:30 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Bluefin Bay, 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 8:

• Eric Frost, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.

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

First, some wildlife photos …

 

 

 

 

And here are some moonscapes:

 

 

And here are some landscapes:

 

 

 

 

:

And finally, this shot of a peaceful summer day in the Northwoods:

Have a great weekend, everyone!

(BTW: If you’d like to support NorthShore ArtScene, you can donate at the button below. And thanks!)

 

 

 

 

 

The beauteous summer continues, with balmy days and blue skies, and just enough wind to ruffle the water and, perhaps, give the good ship the Hjordis, just enough air to fill her sails and glide away.

On land, there’s plenty to do, too.

Thursday is a busy day. First up are woodcarving demonstrations by Mike Loeffler, who is the instructor-in-residence at North House Folk School this week. Loeffler will be demonstrating all weekend and will teach a mini-class, Carving a Songbird, at 10 a.m. Saturday. To register for the class and for more info, call 387-9762. The public is invited to campus and to see him work.

The Johnson Heritage Post will host a panel discussion about the historic rescue attempt of local legend Carl Hammer by Helmer Aakvik in 1958. The young fisherman was lost in a nasty Lake Superior storm.

The Cook County Historical Society’s presentation will include a panel discussion by David Hammer, Ray Nagy and Gene Hagen recalling the events of that day. The presentation is free and will be at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. All invited.

Also on Thursday, the North Shore Winery in Lutsen will open a new exhibition of artwork by Grand Marais artist Kristin Blomberg with a reception from 6-9 p.m.

The Grand Marais Playhouse‘s Summer Theater Festival continues this week with the comedy “Mom’s Gift” and “Shrek the Musical” performed in repertory at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts from Thursday through Sunday.

Performances are at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. “Mom’s Gift” will be performed on Thursday and Saturday, “Shrek the Musical” will be performed Friday and Sunday this week. Tickets are available online or at the door. Click here for tickets and more info.

Also, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund will play Full Moon Music by the bonfire at Drury Lane Books.

Morrison and Berglund share bossas, ballads, summer songs and more around the fire to celebrate the full moon rising over the East Bay of Lake Superior. All invited. Free.

On Friday, look for the Stars of the North Music Festival, which opens at the main stage in Harbor Park on Friday afternoon and continues through Sunday. The event, organized by the Grand Marais Music Collaborative, is free, and will feature a beer and wine bar and a food truck.

The event is a fundraiser for the Collaborative’s Youth Music Lesson program. Raffle tickets and T-shirts will be sold to raise funds for the program. All are invited to come listen to great music and help support youth musicians at the same time. See Music Schedule, below, for details of who will be playing when. Briand Morrison kicks off the festival at 3 p.m. Friday and the Plucked Up String Band concludes Friday’s music from 8-10 p.m. Other bands include Mysterious Ways, the SplinterTones, the Sky Blue Quartet, Joe Paulik, Michael Monroe, Katy Vernon, DJ Beavstar, Common Ground, Chris Gillis and Gordon Thorne & Friends. There will also be student performances. It should be a great time.

Breaking News: Rumor has it that Angel Hair Rasta, a local al dente rasta band, will play at Grandma Ray’s after 10 p.m. on Friday night. The band includes Michael Monroe, Chris Gillis, Thomas Stamps, Jonathan Steckleburg and Todd Miller.

Also on Friday, singer/songwriter Mary Bue will be on WTIP’s The Roadhouse to talk about her music and play a few songs. The program will also feature interviews with photographer Layne Kennedy and musicians Todd Miller and Chris Gillis, who will talk about the Stars of the North Music Festival. The program airs from 5-7 p.m.

Saturday kicks off with the Cook County Market, which is held in the Senior Center parking lot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Market features a wide variety of artisans exhibiting their work, as well as produce from Round River Farm in Finland. (The produce arrives at 10 a.m.)

Drury Lane Books will host children’s author Yvonne Pearson from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Pearson will read from her latest book, “Sadie Braves the Wilderness” and will discuss the writing process with the audience. All invited. Free.

And starting at noon on Saturday, the Grand Marais Garden Club will hold its annual Flower Show at the Cook County Community Center from noon to 5 p.m.

The public is invited to enjoy the beauty of local flowers and enjoy a snack at the same time. Master Gardeners will have a “Ask a Question” booth, and there will be a plant exchange/sale as well. All invited. Free.

And finally, on Wednesday, Aug. 1, Hazel Belvo will give an Artist Talk at Cook County Higher Education at 7 p.m.

Her topic will be “Creativity: Intuition and Intellect.” All invited. Free.

Exhibits:

 The exhibit, “Belvo/Cushmore: Paintings & Drawings 2018″ continues at the Johnson Heritage Post. This is a fascinating exhibit and well-worth lots of walk-throughs.

The Duluth Art Institute is featuring three exhibits in the Depot this month including  “Jonathan Thunder: Suspension of Disbelief,” “Chholing Taha: Every Spirit Tells a Story” and “Payton MacDonald: Sonic Divide: Art Meets Endurance.”

Thunder’s exhibit features sound and what he calls “animated canvases,” a hybrid of hand-painting and animation.

The exhibit at the Art Institute serves as an area for the artist to experiment with a variety of media and modes of installation in working towards a large-scale exhibition. There will be an artist talk at the close of the exhibition. And, Thunder and Brenda Child will be at Drury Lane Books on Aug. 25 to talk about their new book, “Bowwow Powwow,” an Ojibwe/English bilingual children’s book translated by Gordan Jourdain.

At the Thunder Bay Art Gallery in Thunder Bay, Christi Belcourt’s exhibition “Uprising: The Power of Mother Earth–A Retrospective with Isaac Murdoch” continues.

The exhibit features a wide selection of her work and is a must-see for art lovers.

Opportunities:

 The Grand Marais Art Colony has extended its search for its next executive director.  The Executive Director role at the Art Colony is that of a vocal and visible advocate and leader of the arts, both locally and regionally. Applications are due Friday, Aug. 10. Follow the link below for more info about the position and how to apply: https://grandmaraisartcolony.org/internships-and-employment/

Upcoming:

 Fisherman’s Picnic starts next week in Grand Marais and will be held Aug. 2-5.

This historic festival celebrates its 88th anniversary this year, and features Crazy Days sales, craft shows, daily contests and prizes, a wide variety of live music, kids activities, food, including the fish burgers, and much more. There are fireworks Saturday night and the best parade of the year on Sunday. Other events include Buck’s Hardware Big Fish Contest, a trail run, tennis and softball tournaments and a log rolling tournament. For the complete event schedule, click here.

Author Kelly Barnhill will be at Writer’s Salon at Drury Lane Books at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3.  Barnhill,a Minnesota native and author of the Newbery Medal–winning novel,”The Girl Who Drank the Moon.” She will read from her new collection of short stories for adults, discuss writing, and take questions from the audience.

Artist News:

The Grace Notes played at the final stop of the Cross River Heritage Center’s Lundie Tour last week.

They were included in a piece about the tour by WDIO-TV. Click here to see the segment.

A new band, the North Country Fair, will play the the Wunderbar at 7 p.m. Thursday night.

The band includes: Brenda Benson (pedal steel guitar), Maria Nickolay (vocals, guitar, mandolin) Georgene Daubanton (vocals, percussion), Michele Miller (vocals,guitar, mandolin, fiddle)

 Music Schedule:

 Here’s the music schedule for the week:

Thursday, July 26:

• Common Ground, Cascade Restaurant, 6 p.m.
• North Country Fair, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Ian Alexy, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & the Wildcats, North Shore Winery, 7 p.m.
• Briand Morrision & Roxann Berglund, Drury Lane Books, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, July 27:

• Briand Morrison,  Stars of the North Music Festival, Harbor Park, 3 p.m.
• Matt & Laurel, Voyageur Brewing Co., 4 p.m.
• Mysterious Ways, Stars of the North Music Festival, Harbor Park, 4:30 p.m.
• Portage, Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
• SplinterTones, Stars of the North Music Festival, Harbor Park, 6:30 p.m.,
• Crazy Chester, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
• Plucked Up String Band, Stars of the North Music Festival, 8 p.m.
• Matt and Laurel, Voyageur Brewing, 8 p.m.
• Mary Bue and Lowray, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Briand Morrison, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.

Saturday, July 28:

• Sky Blue Quartet, Stars of the North Music Festival, Harbor Park, 10 a.m.
• Joe Paulik, Stars of the North Music Festival, Harbor Park, 11 a.m.
• Michael Monroe, Stars of the North Music Festival, Harbor Park, 12:30 p.m.
• Katy Vernon, Stars of the North Music Festival, Harbor Park, 2 p.m.
• Amy Grillo and Gene LaFond, Stars of the North Music Festival, Harbor Park, 4:30 p.m.
• Bug Dope, Papa Charlie’s, 6 p.m.
• Common Ground, Stars of the North Music Festival, Harbor Park, 6:30 p.m.
• North Shore Community Swing Band, Clearwater Historic Lodge, 7 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Eagle Ridge Resort, 7 p.m.
• JohnRuss, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert, rural Grand Marais, www.michaelmonroemusic.com
• North Country Fair, Cascade Lodge Pub, 8 p.m.
• The Gentleman’s Anti-Temperance League, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Crazy Chester, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
• Timmy Haus, Papa Charlie’s, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 29:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s, 10 a.m.
• Chris Gillis with Gordon Thorne & Friends, Stars of the North Music Festival, Harbor Park, 10 a.m.
• Plucked Up String Band, North Shore Winery, 3 p.m.
• Cook County’s Most Wanted, Skyport Lodge, 4 p.m.

Monday, July 30:

• Coral Creek, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.
• The Sea The Sea, Monday Songwriter’s Series, Papa Charlie’s, 8:30 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Bluefin Bay, 9 p.m.

Tuesday, July 31:

• Coral Creek, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 1:

• Brothers in Arms, Grandma Ray’s, 4 p.m.
• Jam Session, Gun Flint Tavern, 6:30 p.m.
• Maria Nickolay, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne, Bluefin Bay, 9 p.m.

We found lots of photos this week, including a great selection of wild (and not so wild) animal shots. Here’s a selection:

First. a photo of birds to come:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also found some great landscapes/seascapes/skyscapes.

 

 

 

Christian Dalbec was diving in the Grand Marais harbor over the weekend.

And finally, the 2nd annual Biggest Blueberry Contest has started. The blueberries are fantastic on the Gunflint Trail this year. It should be interesting to see who finds the biggest. Meanwhile, there’s lots to pick.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

(BTW: If you’d like to support NorthShore ArtScene, consider giving a donation today. And Thank You!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings from Grand Marais where glorious summer days have arrived, bringing beauty and warmth and new hatchlings cheeping from nests. This week, look for the opening of the Summer Theater Festival, a new Hazel Belvo/Marcia Cushmore art exhibit, the North Shore Water Festival and the first summer flower show of the season. It’s also the weekend of WTIP Community Radio’s summer membership drive with lots of live music scheduled outdoors as well as in the studios.

First up is a chance to learn about knot work at North House Folk School. Knotmaster Ben Byron is the summer resident at North House Folk School this week and will be demonstrating the craft from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. He will also teach a mini-course on Saturday at 10 a.m. where participants can learn how to make a nautical key chain.

For more information about the class, call North House at 387-9762. Click here for complete info about the mini-courses this summer at North House.

Also on Thursday, the Grand Marais Writer’s Guild will meet at the Grand Marais Public Library at 6 p.m. Each month local writers get together to chat about what they’re working on and do a few writing prompts. Participants are asked to bring a notebook. The event is facilitated by Rose Arrowsmith DeCoux. Free.

The big event of the week is the opening of this season’s Summer Theater Festival at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. This year, the Grand Marais Playhouse will present “Shrek The Musical” and a comedy, “Mom’s Gift.” They will be performed in repertory Thursday through Sunday from July 19-Aug. 12.

“Shrek the Musical” opens tonight at the ACA at 7 p.m. and features a stellar cast performing the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film.

“Mom’s Gift,” an award-winning comedy, opens on Friday, July 20, at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts and will be performed in repertory with Shrek through Aug. 12.

All performances are at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $25 adults, $15 under 18 and can be purchased at www.grandmaraisplayhouse.com or at the door. For the schedule of the performances, click here.  Tickets can also be purchased through the Playhouse’s Facebook page.

On Friday, the North Shore Water Festival kicks off in Harbor Park and runs through the weekend.

Experts will be on-hand offering fishing, touring kayak and canoe demonstrations, stand-up paddle board (SUP) demo activities in the harbor, including SUP yoga. Most activities are free and only require a waiver and/or registering in advance for SUP board yoga. The event continues through Sunday.

The pièce de résistance this weekend is the exhibit “Belvo/Cushmore: Paintings & Drawings 2018.” which opens at the Johnson Heritage Post with a reception from 5-7:30 p.m. on Friday.

This promises to be a fascinating exhibit, featuring the work of these famed artists. Cushmore will give an Artist Talk about the exhibit at 2 p.m. on Saturday. All invited. The exhibit continues through Aug. 12. The Heritage Post 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.

On Saturday, the Cook County Market continues in the Senior Center parking lot with lots of arts and crafts from local artisans. Fresh produce and homebaked goods are also featured. The Market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Also on Saturday, Andy Ness will give an artist talk at the Grand Marais Art Colony from noon to 1 p.m. entitled “Blurring the Lines Between Fine Art and Fashion.”

Ness will discuss the works of Hussein Chalayan, Leigh Bowery and Yayoi Kusama, artists who often integrate an array of artistic media and influences into their clothing. The presentation is free. All invited.

Also on Saturday, the West End Garden Club will host its annual summer flower show at the Birch Grove Community Center in Tofte entitled “Birds, Bees and Flowers” from 1-4 p.m.

Two Master Gardeners from Cook County Extension will be on hand to answer questions. The show features unique floral displays created by garden club members using the best of what’s locally in bloom. Many different varieties of garden and wildflowers will be on display. Refreshments will be served. All invited. Free.

On Sunday, Chik-Wauk Nature Center on the Gunflint Trail will host David Battistel, who will talk about John Paulson and the Paulson Mine, at 2 p.m. The Paulson Mine is located in western Cook County.

Touted as one of the great mining projects of the era, the failure of the Paulson Mine in the early 1890s had a devastating impact on local economies, spanning both sides of the border. The man behind this venture, John Paulson, was until recently an almost mythological figure. His life story however, from Norwegian immigrant, to Civil War veteran, to entrepreneur and finally to widowed farmer, is one of triumph and tragedy that exemplifies the North American experience in the 19th Century.

Dave Battistel is a history teacher and instructional leader at St. Patrick High School in Thunder Bay. Since 1994 he has been actively researching and writing about the history of the Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway, as well as its associated ventures (silver and iron mining and logging). He is currently writing a book on the Gunflint & Lake Superior Railroad.

All presentations are family friendly and free to the public and are held inside Chik-Wauk Nature Center.

And on Monday, the Grand Marais Art Colony will host a demo on Troubleshooting Intaglio Techniques at noon in the Print Studio and on Wednesday, Andy Ness will teach a mini-class on paper making. For more info, call the Art Colony at 387-2737 or visit www.grandmaraisartcolony.org.

Window Shopping:

 

 

Breaking News:

Canadian governments gives $11.5 million to Thunder Bay Art Gallery relocation project.

The vision to relocate the Thunder Bay Art Gallery to a prominent location along the city’s waterfront is now in crystal clear focus. The art gallery received word this week that it will receive $11.5 million from Ottawa through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, the largest allocation to be spent from that envelope to date across the country.

Sharon Godwin, the director of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery , said the federal dollars means that 80 per cent of the required $33 million in capital funding has been secured.

“This is a day we know the gallery will be built. This is a reality now,” Godwin said after the funding announcement, which was made on the site of the planned new waterfront gallery at Tugboat Basin immediately south of the Pearl Street entrance to Prince Arthur’s Landing. Stay tuned for details.

Artist News:

Singh-Ray Filters just released a filter that Bryan Hansel dreamed up and prototyped over the last year. You can learn about it here.

 

And here’s a little music to enjoy. Axtell will be be playing at the Wunderbar next Wednesday.

 

Click here to listen to one of Axtell’s songs.

 

Here’s the music schedule for this weekend:

Thursday, July 19:

• Live Music on WTIP:  SVEA, 1 p.m.;  Briand Morrison & Roxann Berglund, 4 p.m.; Andrew Norcross Band, 8 p.m.
• Pete K, Cascade Lodge Pub, 6 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Live Music by the Campfire, Lutsen Resort, 6:30 p.m.
• Maria Nickolay, North Shore Winery, 7 p.m.
• Common Ground, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & the Wildcats, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.

Friday, July 20:

• Live Music on WTIP, Fred Anderson, 1 p.m.; Gene Lafond and Amy Grillo, 4 p.m.;  Mysterious Ways, 6 p.m.
• Emily Haavik and the 35s, Voyageur Brewing, 4 p.m.
• North Shore Community Swing Band,  Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
• The Cruisers, Grandma Ray’s, 9 p.m.
• Brothers in Arms, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Northland Timberland Band, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.

Saturday, July 21:

• Live on WTIP: Plucked Up String Band, 2 p.m.; Saints of Circumstance, 4 p.m.; The Cruisers, 5 p.m.
• Cook County’s Most Wanted, Birch Terrace, 3 p.m.
• Pete K, Papa Charlie’s, 6 p.m.
• Maria Nickolay, Cascade Lodge Pub, 8 p.m.
• Saints of Circumstance, Gunflint Tavern, 8 p.m.
• The Cruisers, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne, Lutsen Resort, 8 p.m.
• Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert, rural Grand Marais, 7 p.m., reservations at www.michaelmonroemusic.com
• New Legacy Project, Zoar Lutheran Church, 8 p.m.
• Timmy Haus, Papa Charlie’s. 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 22:

• Briand Morrison, Moguls Grille, 10 a.m.
• Mark Milner, Wunderbar, 11 a.m.
• Spruce Roots play for Bluegrass Sunday at the North Shore Winery, 3 p.m.
• Plucked Up String Band, Skyport Lodge, 4 p.m.
• Open Stage with Joe Paulik, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.
• Joshua Schmidt Duo, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.

Monday, July 23:

• Live Music on WTIP: Chris Gillis, 1 p.m.,
• Open Mic Night, Grandma Ray’s, 7 p.m.
• Joshua Schmidt Duo, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.
• Pete Kavanaugh, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.

Tuesday, July 24:

• Joe Paulik Band, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, July 25:

• Jam Session, Gun Flint Tavern, 6:30 p.m.
• Axtell, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Maria Nickolay, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.

Here are some of the photos we found this week:

First, a beauteous water lily.

Some wildlife shots:

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

And, finally, this salute to summer.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

This is the weekend artists and art lovers look forward to every year — the Grand Marais Arts Festival, which features 80 artists exhibiting their colorful and creative work in tents along the shore in downtown Grand Marais. The festival runs from Saturday at 9 a.m. through Sunday at 4 p.m.

Paintings, pottery, photography, weaving, metalwork, jewelry, multi-media works. sculpture, prints and more are featured in this outstanding festival, which brought in an estimated 15,000 visitors last year.

Artist booths are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The Art Colony has also organized a wide variety of fun art activities during the event, including lots of activities for kids in the Art Colony’s booth including an art-making table, screen printing T-shirts and more. And David Hahn will be there to draw your portrait.

And, new this year, the Art Colony will host “An Artful Evening,” a fundraiser for the Art Colony in Harbor Park from 5-7 p.m. Saturday. The event will feature tempting food from local restaurants, craft beer and wine and live music, as well as a silent auction. Tickets are still available. Call 387-2737 or click here.

Other fun activities include Mila Horak’s Paint-by-Number Mural Project in Harbor Park. Horak has developed a design for another mural to be installed on the outside wall of Birchbark Books & Gifts  and everyone is invited to come paint it. Horak will set up a tent in Harbor Park and everyone is invited to come paint a number or two. Free.

Other events during the Arts Festival include the Clothesline Art Sale, a Scratch Block Aluminum Pour by Greg Mueller, Making Textured Prints and paper-making, as well as interviews with the artists on WTIP Community Radio on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.  For the complete schedule, click here.

Meanwhile, there are lots of other fun things to do this weekend, too.

North House Folk School will have two instructors in residence this weekend who will be doing demonstrations from Thursday through Sunday and teaching a mini-course on Saturday. The instructors are Allen Holzhueter, who will be showing and teaching spinning and knitting techniques, and Carla Hall, who will be in the blacksmith shop doing demos all weekend. Her mini-class will be on forging a hook.

For more info, call 387-9762. And on Friday, the Youth Series at North House continues. On July 13, the course will be Making Ice Cream.

There will be a Raku Firing at the Maker’s Market on Thursday from 5-8 p.m.,weather permitting.

Participants can purchase a tea bowl, glaze it and then watch as its fired in a raku kiln. The Maker’s Market is located in the alley next to the Beaver House in Downtown Grand Marais. All invited.

Also on Friday, author Kim Woodward Osterholzer, will discuss her recent book, “Midwife in Amish Country,” at the Grand Marais Public Library at 3:30 p.m.

Osterholzer’s book is a memoir of her experience as a midwife who’s caught over 500 babies since 1993, and in her presentation, she recounts her lively, entertaining, and life-changing adventures learning the heart and art and craft of midwifery. The event is free and open to the public.

Continuing the book theme, author and adventurer Lonnie Dupre and author Jack Blackwell will be on WTIP’s The Roadhouse on Friday night. Dupre will discuss his recent book. “Alone at the Top: Climbing Denali in the Dead of Winter.” Blackwell has written a book about his grandfather Alec Boostrom entitled “Boundary Waters Boy.” Blackwell will bring Sawbill Outfitter’s Bill Hansen into the studio with him, as Hansen knew Boostrom, too. It should be an interesting discussion. The Roadhouse airs from 5-7 p.m. on Friday.

To cap off the authors/books being highlighted this weekend, Bart Sutter, former Duluth Poet Laureate, musician and author, will be featured at a Writer’s Salon at Drury Lane Books at 7 p.m. on Saturday. He will discuss his latest book “Nordic Accordion: Poems in a Scandinavian Mood.”

In “Nordic Accordion” Sutter fulfills the covenant he made with his elders long ago—to dramatize, critique, and honor their struggles, their culture, their peculiar ways. The book explores the experience of Scandinavian immigrants, their ancestors, and their descendants. At the heart of the book lies a cycle of dramatic monologues by old women about their half-pagan younger years as cowherders in the mountain pasture camps of Sweden. “This,” says David Ray of Sutter’s work, “is poetic storytelling at its best.” The event is free. All invited.

Also this weekend, the Cook County Market continues in the Senior Center’s parking lot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Market features a great selection of arts and crafts by local artisans as well as produce from Round River Farm in Finland.

And the 8th annual Caribou Highlands Hopped Up Beer Festival is this weekend, featuring craft beer, live music and more.

Also on Saturday, juggler Sean Emery will be at the Grand Marais Public Library at 10:30 a.m. Emery is an eccentric and talented entertainer, wowing the crowd with jaw-dropping juggling stunts that will have you asking yourself how did he do that??! Show length is 45 min. This program is suitable for all ages.

Exhibits:

 This is the last weekend to see Through Our Hands V: Sun, Moon Stars, featuring a wide variety of beautiful work by the Northwoods Fiber Quild. The exhibit is at the Johnson Heritage Post.

Fiber Guild members will be giving demonstrations on the lawn outside the Heritage Post on Saturday, during the Grand Marais Arts Festival. Their work is available for purchase in the Heritage Post’s gift shop.

Three new art exhibits open at the Duluth Art Institute on Thursday night and continue through August. The exhibits include “Chholing Taha: Every Spirit Tells a Story,” Payton MacDonald’s “Sonic Divide: States,” and  Jonathan Thunder’s “Suspension of Belief.”

Payton MacDonald’s work, “Sonic Divide: States” is a film features which 30 comissioned scores from 30 different composers performed during MacDonald’s mountain bike journey along the Great Divide. Each musical work was scored specifically for his voice or found percussion instruments, like logs, rocks, or the bicycle itself. The exhibit includes four paintings by Duluth painter Kenneth D. Johnson, which accompany the film.

The Tweed Museum of Art continues its exhibit: In Solidarity: Revolutionary Women of Print.

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery‘s exhibit.  “Uprising: The Power of Mother Earth,” a retrospective of Christi Belcourt’s work, including her collaboration with Isaac Murdoch, continues through the summer.

The exhibit is spectacular and worth a trip to Thunder Bay to see it. The exhibit continues through Nov. 25.

Upcoming:

The Grand Marais Playhouse‘s Summer Theatre Festival opens next Thursday, July 19, with the musical “Shreck.” It plays in repertory with the award-winning comedy, “Mom’s Gift.”  Stay tuned for details.

Belvo/Cushmore: Paintings & Drawings 2018, an exhibit of work by Hazel Belvo and Marcia Cushmore, opens at the Johnson Heritage Post with a reception on Friday, July 20, from 5-7 p.m.

The exhibit continues through Aug. 12.

The West End Garden Club’s annual flower show will be next Saturday, July 21, at the Birch Grove Community Center featuring unique floral displays created by garden club members. The flower show is from 1-5 p.m. and features refreshments. Free. All invited.

The Stars of the North Music Festival, a collection of area and regional musicians coming out to support the Youth Music Program will be in Harbor Park July 27-29. Stay tuned for details.

Music:

Here’s the music schedule for this week:

Thursday, July 12:

• Frozen Britches, Cascade Lodge Pub, 6 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Lutsen Resort, 6:30 p.m.
• Ladies Music Club, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.
• Gordon Thorne & Friends, North Shore Winery, 7 p.m.
• Plucked Up String Band, Gun Flint Tavern, 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, July 13:
• Harbor & Home, Voyageur Brewing, 4 p.m.
• Portage, Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
• Minnesota Mice, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Gene Lafond & Amy Grillo, Eagle Ridge Resort, 8 p.m.
• Josh Cleveland and the Cedar Street Band, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
• Timmy Haus, Caribou Highlands, 8 p.m.
• The Millers, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.
• Cook County’s Most Wanted, Grandma Ray’s, 9 p.m.

Saturday, July 14:

• Chris Gillis & Thomas Stamps, Fundraiser for Arrowhead Animal Rescue, Wunderbar, 4-8 p.m.
• Cherry Dirt, Cascade Lodge Pub, 6 p.m.
• J Squared and the Makers, Papa Charlie’s, 6 p.m.
• Michael Monroe- Log Cabin Concert, rural Grand Marais, 7 p.m., reservations at www.michaelmonroemusic.com
• Brothers in Arms, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
• Briand Morrison, Lutsen Resort, 8 p.m.
• Big Wave Dave & the Ripples, Caribou Highlands, 8 p.m.
• Timmy Haus, Papa Charlie’s, 9:00 p.m.
• Josh Cleveland and the Cedar Street Band, Gun Flint Tavern, 9 p.m.

Sunday, July 15:

• Briand Morrison, Mogul’s Grille, 10 a.m.
• Black River Revue, North Shore Wintery, 3 p.m.
• SplinterTones, Skyport Lodge, 4 p.m.
• Open Stage with Joe Paulik, Wunderbar, 6 p.m.

Monday, July 16:

• Open Mic Night, Grandma Ray’s, 7 p.m.
• Eric Frost Band, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.
• Shane Martin, Bluefin Bay, 9 p.m.

Tuesday, July 17:

• Bug Dope, Gun Flint Tavern, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, July 18:

• Gordon Thorne, Bluefin Bay, 9 p.m.

Photographs:

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

First, wildlife:

 

Flowers:

 

A birch tree:

Rainbows:

 

Lightning:

 

Cloudscapes:

 

 

Waterfalls:

 

 

 

Lake Superior:

 

 

And finally, this:

Have a great weekend, everyone! Enjoy the art and artists!

 

 

Summer is totally here. This weekend, look for the the Hovland Arts Festival, the Book Arts Weekend at the Grand Marais Art Colony, Artist Talks, mini classes at North House Folk School and the Art Colony, art openings, arts & crafts markets and lots of places to hear music. Next weekend, the huge Grand Marais Arts Festival in downtown Grand Marais will be held July 14-15. Good times!

We start with the Book Arts Weekend at the Grand Marais Art Colony where a wide variety of classes are being offered in this historic art form.

There are still openings in a few of the classes, including the Bookbinding Studio Tour with Conservation Bookbinder Scott Husby in Hovland on Saturday at 7 p.m. For more info and to register, click here or call 387-2737.

The bookbinding theme for this weekend continues at North House Folk School where bookbinder Skyler Hawkins will be doing demonstrations on the campus Thursday through Sunday as well as holding a mini-class on Saturday.

Also, July is Youth Series Month at North House, where a different course will be offered to children from 9-14 on Friday afternoons from 1-4 p.m. This week, they will learned how to make folded paper boxes. The class is $15. For more info and to register, call North House at 387-2737.

Tettegouche State Park will open “Un Petit Monde: A Solo Photographic Exhibition by Kurt Moses” with a reception from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Great Hall on Friday, July 6.

Photographer Kurt Moses uses miniature model figures the size of a penny, and photographs them on location in real-world environments. “My goal is to capture a whimsical, evocative photo which initiates a storyline and allows the viewer to draw their own conclusion,” he says. Moses is a Minnesota native and a professional photographer with a graphic design background, He is the creative mind behind the project. His wife, Edwige, comes from the tiny French island of St Martin. The husband and wife team started this fine art photography project called Un Petit Monde (a small world) in 2010. They live on the road full-time and volunteer in State and National Parks across the country. The exhibit continues throughout July.

In Thunder Bay, the Definitely Superior Art Gallery opens its July exhibits with a Gala Opening Reception from 7-10 p.m. (EDT) on Friday. The event celebrates the 30th anniversary of the member-run gallery and features the Members Exhibition as well as an interdisciplinary installation by internationally acclaimed artist Ann Hamilton.

The opening receptions at DefSup are always a huge community affair in Thunder Bay and include music, food and a great selection of art. Highly recommended. The exhibit continues through July.

On Saturday, look for the Cook County Market in the Senior Center parking lot in Grand Marais, which opens at 9 a.m. featuring a wide variety of arts and crafts from Cook County residents. Work in clay, metal, wood, fiber as well as jewelry and stones are exhibited here. Produce from Round River Farm is available at 10 a.m. The weekly Market is held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Hovland Arts Festival is on for this weekend, too. One of the highlights of the Cook County summer season, the Hovland Arts Festival is held at the Hovland Town Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The festival features talented local artisan/crafters and local musicians along with other folks from the surrounding area, including neighbors from across the border in Thunder Bay.

The festival is a family-friendly event, and includes great live music, food and a playground for the kids. Here’s the music schedule for the festival:

Saturday music: 10 – 11:30 p.m. Jim McGowan, 12-1:15 p.m. Joe Paulik, 1:30 -3 p.m. Briand Morrison & Roxann Berglund

Sunday music:  10:30 – 12:30 p.m. Bump Blomberg, 1:00 – 3 pm. Axtel

Everyone is invited to this fun event. Free.

Andy Ness, the Print Studio Intern at the Grand Marais Art Colony, will be very busy this week. On Saturday, Ness will give an Artist Talk about his work from noon to 1 p.m. in the Print Studio.

Ness received his BFA in sculpture from Pratt Institute and his MFA from RISD. He has participated in both group and solo shows in New York City, England, and Italy. Participants will learn about his wide-ranging artistic endeavors. Free. All invited, but come early — space is limited.

On Sunday, Ness will teach a mini-class at the Art Colony entitled “Printmaking Outdoors: Solar Prints and Drain Covers” from 9-11 a.m. The cost is $15. For more info and to register, call 387-2737.

And then on Tuesday, July 10, Ness will give an Artist Talk about the art of Paul Thek, an American sculptor who was one of the first artists to create environments or installations.

The Artist Talk is free. All invited.

Also this weekend, the Johnson Heritage Post will host author Jennifer Case, who will give a presentation on her research into her family’s ownership of the former Sawbill Lodge at 4 p.m. on Saturday. She is the author of “Sawbill: A Search for Place.”

Sawbill Lodge was built in the 1930s on Sawbill Lake, where the campground and canoe launch near Sawbill Outfitters currently are. The Lodge was removed in the early 1980s and the cabins were demolished. Solbakken Lodge ended up buying the lodge structure and moving it to their site on Lake Superior, where it still exists. The presentation is free. All invited.

And, on Wednesday, Boreal Corps will hold “Letters on the Library Lawn, ” a children’s public health writing kiosk, at the Grand Marais Public Library from 2:30 to 8 p.m.  BorealCorps is a Cook County children’s story scouts club for all ages able to write, up to 16, seeking to improve and protect public health, civic life and the Northwoods environment by writing letters, creating newspapers, and making activist art. Free.

Exhibits:

The Northwoods Fiber Guild exhibit, “Through Our Hands V: Sun, Moon, Stars” continues at the Johnson Heritage Post with a wide selection of works by local artisans including weaving, felting, quilting, knitting, paper art, multi-media works and more.

The Johnson Heritage Post is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday as well as Monday, and 1-4 p.m. Sunday. It is closed on Tuesdays.

The Duluth Art Institute continues the exhibit  Niiyo-wiij-anishinaabe (Four Friends), works by Carl Gowboy, George Morrison and Joe Geshick.

Niiyo-wiij-anishinaabe (Four Friends) celebrates the individual’s journey including the viewer, the fourth friend. The exhibit continues through July 24.

The Tweed Museum of Art is featuring a number of exhibits, including this work by Grant Wood.

In Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery‘s spectacular exhibit, “Uprising: The Power of Mother Earth: A retrospective of Christi Belcourt with Isaac Murdoch” continues.

Spanning more than 25 years of art-making, the exhibition of about 35 works celebrates Belcourt’s many inspirational, artistic, and collective achievements. The exhibit also features Murdoch’s art whose iconic images, including Thunderbird woman, has been become an international symbol of the Indigenous resistance movement against resource extraction.

Upcoming

 The Grand Marais Arts Festival is next weekend, July 14-15, in downtown Grand Marais. More than 70 local and regional artists are featured in this great show, which includes art-making activities, demonstrations and more.

Also during the Arts Festival, the Art Colony will hold “An Artful Evening on the Harbor,” a fundraiser event for the Art Colony. The event will be held in Harbor Park on Friday, July 14, and will feature food, beverages, and live music, as well as live and silent auctions.

Tickets to the Artful Evening are limited, although some may be available at the door. For more info, click here.

Artist News:

And finally, a little note: Jim Sannerud took sculptor Greg Mueller‘s chair-making class last week. This is what he built… he calls it “High Chair.”

Here’s the music for the week;

Thursday, July 5:

• Gordon Thorne & Friends, North Shore Wintery, 6 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Lutsen Resort, 6:30 p.m.
• Wunderdogs, Wunderbar,  7 p.m.
• Ma’iingan Duo, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
• Shaky Ground, Gunflint Tavern, 8 p.m.

Friday, July 6;

• Gene Lafond and Amy Grillo, Voyageur Brewing Co., 4 p.m.
• Kilborn Quartet + Boats and Bridges, Grandma Ray’s, 6 p.m.
• The Yellow-Bellied Sap Suckers, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• The Thirsty River, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.

Saturday, July 7:

• Cook County’s Most Wanted, Birch Terrace, 3 p.m.
• Joe Paulik, Cascade Lodge Pub,  6 p.m.
• Dave Cofell, Voyageur Brewing Co., 6 p.m.
• Briand Morrison, Music on the Deck, Papa Charlie’s, 6:30 p.m.
• Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert, 7 p.m., rural Grand Marais, www.michaelmonroemusic.com
• Pushing Chain, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• The Thirsty River, Gun Flint Tavern, 8 p.m.
• Average Mammals, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Circuit Breakers, Grandma Ray’s, 8 p.m.
• DJ Beavstar, Papa Charlie’s, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 8:

• Dave Cofell, Wunderbar, 11 a.m.
• Spruce Roots, North Shore Wintery, 3 p.m.
• Virgil Cain Band, Skyport Lodge, 4 p.m.
• Ocelot Wizard, Gunf Flint Tavern, 7:30 p..

Monday, July 9:

• Ocelot Wizard, Gun Flint Tavern, 7:30 p.m.
• Courtney Yasmineh, Wunderbar, 8 p.m.
• Bug Lite, Bluefin Grille, 9 p.m.

Tuesday, July 10:

• Ocelot Wizard, Gun Flint Tavern, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 11:

• Old Sap, Wunderbar, 7 p.m.

We are so grateful for our photographers that capture these beautiful images of the North Shore. Here’s our selection for the week — let’s start with wildlife.

Maybe these two don’t quite qualify as wild …

 

Look at this youngster’s huge feet!

 

 

 

Here are some “flowerscapes.”

 

And we found some beautiful landscapes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few local event photos that might be of interest.

 

Have a great weekend, everyone!

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