Grand Marais Harbor by Nathan Klok.
Greetings from the North Shore, where 2023, as for every New Year, offers us welcome, and sometimes unwelcome, challenges and opportunities. And here in the North country, January also offers time for quiet contemplation by a warming fire or the thrill of a fantastic ski or a freshly landed fish on a frozen lake. This time of year also offers us the chance to celebrate just being able to live here.
Kristofer Bowman never fails to take an opportunity to do this. Here’s what he wrote on Facebook the other morning:
“At 5:30
I felt called
To see
If
I could be the one
To wake the birds.”
And, then, of course, he took some photos. Here’s one of them:
On the way by Kristofer Bowman.
Dreaming on long winter nights also fits in here, and a new exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post, which opens on Friday, Jan. 6, is themed for this fact. Entitled, “Deep Winter Dreaming,” the community art exhibit organized by the Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church, invites artists of every age to engage with the starkness of winter with all its muted beauty. “Both professional and aspiring artists and crafters’ work will speak to what is revealed to us in these chilled, dark depths of wintertime.”
Sleepwalking, photograph by Janice Latz.
The exhibit will feature a wide variety of art and artisan pieces in different mediums, including paintings, fiber art, glass and sculpture.
Fertile Darkness by Kathleen Gilbertson, clay and acrylic, is one of the pieces in the show.
Color is also part of our winters.
Winter Day, collage, by Nancy Seaton.
The opening night reception, Friday, Jan.6, from 5-7 pm, will feature guest artist Chris Allen-Wickler speaking to the intersection of creativity and spirituality in her unusual beadwork. Her presentation will explore how her cross-cultural bead workshops have deepened understanding between diverse communities in Rochester.
“As an artist, I have focused on beadwork for over 30 years,” she said. “I stitch beads together to make a flexible matrix, mainly around small stones and big rocks. For me, rocks are a metaphor for our soul and the skin of beadwork is a metaphor for our lives. Weathered rocks are found everywhere by everyone and I love the stories they tell.”
Bead artist Chris Allen-Wickler is a guest speaker at the opening reception. She will also have pieces in the show. She will hold a hands-on beading workshop at the Heritage Post from 1-3 pm Saturday. The public is invited.
The exhibit continues through Jan. 29. The Heritage Post is open from 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Saturday and from 1-4 pm Sunday. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday.
Winter also brings us sled dogs and racing, and this Saturday the annual Gunflint Mail Run Sled Dog Race will be held featuring 27 mushers and their teams.
The Gunflint Mail Run sled Dog race is on Jan.7.
This popular event is a continuous race consisting of two legs of equal distance, separated by a mandatory layover. There are two classes in the race: a 12-dog, 100-mile race and an 8-dog, 65-mile race. Trail Center is open and invites everyone up to enjoy this exciting race. Prizes will be awarded. for more information about the race, click here.
Also this weekend, the Norpine Fat Bike Classic Full Moon Tour will be held on Friday, Jan. 6 at 5:30 pm.
The Norpine Fat Bike Classic Full Moon Tour begins at 5:30 pm at the North Shore Winery on Friday.
Enjoy an evening group ride by the light of the moon illuminating the trail (but bring a headlamp or light just in case), starting and finishing at North Shore Winery. Registration for the Full Moon Tour is $25. For more information, click here.
The lodges and resorts in the county have organized a number of guided outdoor opportunities this winter including walking frozen rivers, sleigh rides, night skiing, and more. To find out more, click here.
There are also lots of opportunities to listen to live music, too. (See the Music Schedule below.) Nest weekend.the North Shore Music Association will bring Dennis Warner and his band, ‘The D’s’, to the Arrowhead Center for the Arts for a concert on Jan. 14 at 7 pm.
For tickets and more information, click here.
Exhibits:
The Duluth Art Institute is exhibiting a number of shows including Susan Hensel’s “Bending Toward Beauty.“
With limited color palettes and basic techniques, Minnesota artist Susan Hensel creates textile sculptures and mixed media works.
Chromatic Wave 4, digital embroidery by Susan Hensel.
Spanning a wide range of sizes, Hensel investigates a variety of forms: folded embroidery, movable vessels, free-standing sculptures, and large-scale wall installations. Each piece celebrates the physics of light and encourages viewers to move through the gallery to witness colors mix, vibrate, and interact.
The exhibit continues through March 13. On Jan. 12, the Art Institute will hold an Art Night Out Talk & Reception at 7 pm with Hensel, Martin DeWitt and Laura Manney, who also have ongoing exhibits there.
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery will open three new exhibits at a reception at the gallery at 7 pm Friday, Jan. 13. The exhibits include A Path or Gap Among the Trees; NWO, NOW Juried Exhibition 2023; and Waabigwanii-we-Aadizookewinan– Legends of the Flowers.
NWO, NOW Juried Exhibition has a wide variety of genres and media including painting, sculpture, beadwork, digital media, birchbark, textile arts, and more.
Mystic, watercolor, by Beverly Turpin, is one of the pieces in the upcoming exhibit at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery that opens Jan. 13.
Upcoming:
Cook County Higher Education has a number of events coming up in the next few months: Here’s a brief listL
- January 12, 19, 26 | 6-7 pm | Ojibwe Language Translation of The Little Prince (Ogimaans) – January Series | $80-Free (Book Included) | Zoom
- January 25 | Noon-1pm | Lunch & Learn – Creative Aging: Getting Artsy for Health & Wellbeing | Free Event | At CCHE | Partner: Care Partners of Cook County
- January 30 | 11:30am-1 pm | Lunch & Learn: Meet Regional Grantors | Free Event | Free Event | At CCHE & Zoom | Partner: Cook County Community Fund.
The Community Read for January and February is “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett, The public is invited to read the book and join the discussion on Jan. 18.
“The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett is the January/February Community Read.
The book discussion and a potluck are set for Jan. 18 from 5:30 pm-7:30 pm Register here.
Fiber Week at North House Folk School is Feb. 13-20 this year and celebrates all manner of fiber arts. The event features speakers, demonstrations, community gatherings, and coursework from long-time North House instructors as well as new guest artisans.
Three-dimensional felting works by Elise Kyllo. She is one of the instructors during Fiber Week.
This year’s featured guest instructor is Leon Ozaawaagosh Valliere, a recognized elder, spiritual leader, and teacher from Lac du Flambeau in Northern Wisconsin. He was raised in a traditional Ojibwe hunting and gathering culture. Ozaawaagosh will offer a course in traditional Anishinaabe finger weaving.
To find out more about this event, click here.
Artists At Work:
A winter welcome by Cathy Quinn.
Night Harbor by David Johnson.
Storm leaving Pincushion Mountain by Paula Gustafson.
A paper cut of an American Burying Beetle by Ellen Sandbeck, is one of the illustrations for a new book.
Snow on the Shore by Aaron Kloss. Kloss’ work can be seen at Sivertson Gallery.
Rose Falls, oil, by Neil Sherman. He is participating in the Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale in Denver.
Happy New Year by Alison Aune-Hinkel.
Online Findings:
We found some interesting posts this week. Some are fairly long.
The Reading Room at the Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. This is one of 30 photographs of world architectural wonders. See them here.
Online Music:
Live Music:
Friday, Jan. 6:
- Al Oikari & Friends, Cascade Restaurant and Pub, 6-8 pm.
- Briand Morrison, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
- Ski Party at Papa Charlie’s, 9-12 pm
- Fenixdion
- Early Eyes
- Night Moves
Saturday, Jan. 7:
- Ski Party at Papa Charlie’s, 9-12 pm
- Lanue
- Charlie Parr
- Mae Simpson
Monday, Jan. 9:
- Southpaws Duo, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
Tuesday, Jan. 10:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
Friday, Jan. 13:
- Pete Kavanaugh, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
Saturday, Jan. 14:
- Dennis Warner and his band “The D’s”, Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 7 pm
Monday, Jan. 16:
- Boyd Blomberg, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
Tuesday, Jan. 17:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
Wednesday, Jan. 18:
- North Shore Swing Band, North House Folk School, 6-8 pm
Friday, Jan. 20:
- Joe Paulik, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
Photographs:
We found some interesting photographs this week. Here’s a selection:
Wildlife:
My, what beautiful eyes you have by David Johnson
Portrait of a Humpback Whale by Paul Nicklen.
A way too friendly great grey owl. Photo by Lee Cogswell.
An Evening Grosbeak’s eye lashes by Laura Erickson.
Someone is enjoying the storm by David Johnson.
A bald eagle convention was held on Vancouver Island after a recent snowfall by Brittney Caldwell.
The Snowy’s have arrived by Richard Hoeg.
Howling lesson by Debbie DiCarlo.
A polar bear encounter by Paul Nicklen.
Potpourri:
Canal Park all dressed up for Christmas by Jeffrey Doty.
This dumpster found its way to World’s Best Donuts after reports of it running a stop sign. Photo by Kalli Hawkins.
Yep, blizzard warning, but this orchid decided to bloom anyway by Bob LaMettry.
Sliding under the Bong Bridge. Photo by Jeffrey Doty.
Extreme Jobs by Christian Dalbec.
Landscapes, Skyscapes, waterscapes, and Moonscapes:
The High Falls at Grand Portage State Park by Travis Novitsky.
Brrrr by David Johnson.
Christmas Eve sunset by Tor Torkildson.
Breaking wave by Roxanne Distad.
Artist Point tonight by Debbie Benedict.
Passage on Lake Superior by John Heino.
Two Harbors by meinMinnesota.
Winter woods by Kristofer Bowman.
A rock, Lake Superior sunrise by Bryan Hansel.
Grand Marais Harbor by Nathan Klok.
Grand Marais sunrise by Paul Sundberg.
The Art of Superior. Lake Superior at sunrise by John Heino.
Stay safe and warm by John Keefover.
Happy winter solstice by David Johnson.
Dawn at the Little Spirit Tree by Nicholas Narog.
Have a good week, everyone!
Donations to NorthShore ArtScene help make it thrive. You can donate by clicking on the icon below or mail us at NorthShore Artscene, PO Box 1232, Grand Marais, MN 55604. And Thank You!
A special Thank You goes out to all our contributors and supporters who were extra-generous with their year-end donations. And Thank You to the artists and arts organizations that make this blog possible. I am also grateful and thankful for the behind-the-scene volunteers for live music listings, music videos, corrections, proofreading, and technical support. They include Jeremy Lopez,Yvonne Mills, Kari Carter, and M Baxley. Thank you!
The next issue of NorthShore ArtScene comes out on Jan. 19. See you then!