North Shore Arts Scene

Greetings from the North Shore. Late summer has arrived with a great garlic harvest, warm, gentle days, and some rain. We wouldn’t mind more of that, though.

Meanwhile, art-making continues. It’s likely very active in the studios participating in the Art Along the Lake Studio Tour, which starts Sept. 25.

The Art Project Counter at Joy and Company opens to the public at 3 pm on Thursday to make take-home art.

The art projects vary each week. Instruction and supplies are provided. It runs through 4:30 pm.The event is free with a suggested $5 donation.

The Grand Marais Farmer’s Market will be held in the parking lot of the Cook County Community Center from 4:30-6 pm Thursday.

This is the best time of the year to score locally-grown produce. Look for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, garlic, onions, broccoli and more at the produce stands. Artisan breads, bakery goods, homemade jams and jellies. Beautiful fresh flowers are also available. Open to all. Local maple syrup is also available.

 Sugar Loaf Cove Nature Center is hosting a birdbanding session from 7 am to 11 am on Thursday.

This is a great opportunity to learn about local and migrating birds. It is open to all and is free.

Also on Thursdays during the summer, Hedstrom Lumber holds sawmill tours at 10 am and 1 pm.

The tours are free and open to all. To find out more, click here.

On Friday, Marcia Roepke, who is exhibiting at the Johnson Heritage Post, will hold a free workshop for the public entitled “The Big Dumb Drawing Workshop.” The workshop is from 2-3:30 pm.

If you have ever struggled with the pressure of a creative block, this workshop is for you. This relaxed art session is geared towards helping artists overcome perfectionism by encouraging “bad,” silly, or weird art.

This session is part of JHP’s main gallery exhibition, “Painting Pictures with Words, Telling Stories with Paint,” which features work from Roepke and runs through Sept. 13.

A kids’ scavenger hunt is also set up in the gallery to use throughout the run of the show.

Roepke will host a second event at JHP entitled The Art of Noticing Writers Workshop on Friday, Sept. 4, from 2 – to 3:30 pm.

Also on Friday, Jill Terrill will teach her popular workshop, Wrapped Rocks, at Joy and Company from 1-3 pm.

Learn the art of turning ordinary stones into beautiful, wearable, or display-ready pieces using leather‑wrapping techniques.

This class covers:

• Material basics — choosing the right rocks, wrap, and tools ( please bring a rock if you have one you especially love, otherwise, rocks will be provided)
• Core wrapping techniques
• Design planning — how to choose a wrap style that fits each stone
• Finishing methods — polishing, securing ends, or display stands

Students leave with one or 2 finished wrapped rocks and the skills to continue at home. All materials included. For more information and to register, call 218-387-1004.  The workshop costs $20.

 The Gunflint Gratitude Gathering to benefit the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department will be held at Gunflint Lodge starting at 5:30 pm on Friday. The event is sponsored by the Gunflint Lake Property Owners Association.

The 2026 Gunflint Trail Canoe Races were postponed because protecting our community came first. While we missed gathering at the Gunflint Lodge waterfront in July, we never lost the reason we come together each summer—the people who make the Gunflint Trail such a special place. A meal will be available for purchase with entertainment by Moonshot.

The evening will conclude with the drawing of two special raffles:

• The Gunflint Trail Canoe Races Northstar Canoe Raffle, benefiting the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department.
• The Mid-Trail Association Quilt Raffle, featuring this year’s beautiful handmade quilt.

The public is invited.

Grand Portage will hold a Fishing Tournament on Aug. 21-23.

Participants will fish for Lake Trout and Salmon (King and Coho) to qualify.  Fishing will take place on Grand Portage waters in Lake Superior.

Boaters can put in at the Grand Portage Marina, which is adjacent to the Lodge & Casino.  Participants will register and pay their entry fee at the Grand Portage Marina prior to starting in the tournament.  Participants must follow Grand Portage Tribal regulations.

Participants must register on site at the Grand Portage Marina and pay for entry fees and/or fishing licenses prior to starting the tournament. Registration is now available at Grandportage.com.

In Duluth, the Flock Art Fest will be held in Bayfront Park Aug. 21-22.

The art festival features work by local and regional artists, demonstrations, food, music and more. Free and open to all. It will be held from noon to 7 pm on Aug. 21 and from 10 am to 4 pm. Aug. 22.

On Saturday, the Cook County Market opens in the parking lot of The Hub at 10 am.

Look for all kinds of work by local artists and artisans, including paintings, pottery, jewelry, baskets, hand-dyed fabrics, fused glass, beeswax candles, and more. Live music this week by Boyd “Bump” Blomberg.

Sam Zimmerman is exhibiting work at Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center with an opening reception from 2-4 pm on Saturday. The title of the exhibit is  Zagaandagaa-Anishinaabeg, People of the Thick Coniferous Forest.

 

The event will feature guest speakers, music by Briand Morrison, sweet and savory treats, and refreshments. Members of the design team and muralist Sam Zimmerman will be available to answer questions and share their experience with visitors.

“Gaa-zagaandagaag-zaaga’igan” is the Ojibwe word for the lake now known as “Saganaga”, the lake on which Chik-Wauk sits at the very end of the Gunflint Trail. Zagaandagaa-Anishinaabeg delves into the history, culture, and experiences of the native people of the border lakes region.

The exhibit contains nine new exhibit zones, including an interactive borders map, the story of Chief Blackstone’s Last Walk animated by Jonathon Thunder, illustrations and paintings by Carl Gawboy, prehistoric and Fur Trade era artifacts never previously displayed, an area that invites visitors to listen to stories of Trail living passed down through generations of families, and the popular Voyageur pack lift.

At the heart of the exhibit is a beautiful new mural created by local artist Sam Zimmerman and an activity-based Turtle Island sculpture.

 The public is invited.

On Monday, the Cook County Soil and Water District will present the last in the series, The Wonder of Watersheds.

The topic is Woods and Water and will feature a guided forest walk exploring forest health, native species, and their connection to water quality. Open to all. Free

Exhibits:

Marcia Roepke’s exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post continues.

Through her artwork, Roepke paired with stories from “Trail Time,” her radio show on WTIP North Shore Community Radio. The work is her personal response to the landscape of the North Shore and the wilderness along the Gunflint Trail.

The exhibit continues through Sept. 13.

The Heritage Post is open from 10 am to 4 pm Thursday through Saturday and from 1-4 pm Sunday. Free.

Deborah Birkeland is exhibiting paintings at Tettegouche State Park this month.

Birkeland’s work is inspired by the beauties of the North Shore.

The Minnesota Museum of American Art is featuring works by Zamara Cuyún.

Zamara Cuyún welcomes members of the public traversing the skyways into a sacred dreamscape based on an actual Maya landscape in Guatemala. A vibrant series of images leads viewers along a continuum of colorful design from warm tones, aimed at energizing the spirit during the cold Minnesota winter, to the cool blues of primordial waters encouraging moments of contemplation and relaxation.

Travelers meet a series of characters on their short journey through time and space. As they move from the midday sun of the Guatemalan Highlands, they descend through mountains and volcanoes to the lush green coast and into nighttime waters. On one end, the sun, represented as a barrilete (kite), soars above the mountains. As viewers continue, the mountains gradually become the body of Itzam Kab Ain, the earth caiman, rising to the surface of the feathered waters of Gucumatz, the feathered serpent. Finally, the waters unfurl to reveal the young moon goddess, Ixchel, holding her rabbit.

To read more, click here

Upcoming:

The Cook County Historical Society to hold a Planked-Trout Dinner Sept. 1, honoring a centuries-old tradition.

The dinner and fundraiser will be held at 5:00 p.m. at North House Folk School. The event brings the community together to honor a centuries-old cooking tradition, enjoy an evening of fellowship, and support the ongoing work of the Historical Society

To find out more, click here.

The North Shore Artists’ League 2nd annual Conference will be held on Oct. 24.

The conference will be held at Bluefin Waves of Superior Ballroom in Tofte and feature speakers, workshops, and more. Sivertson Gallery owner Jan Sivertson will be the keynote speaker. She will speak to the question: What happens when profound artistic vision meets an unstoppable entrepreneurial spirit?

To register, click here.

Opportunities:

The Grand Marais Art Colony has a great selection of classes and workshops this fall.

 Artists at Work:

Online Music:

Photographs:

 Here is a selection of what we found this week:

Wildlife:

Potpourri:

Landscapes, Skyscapes and Waterscapes: 

And, there’s this:

Have a great weekend, everyone!

If you enjoyed NorthShore ArtScene this week, please consider contributing. Just click on the icon below to show your support. And Thank you!

 

Here’s a big thank you to Jeremy Lopez, Live Music schedule and tech support, and Yvonne Mills, proofreading, for their help this week. And a special thank you to Visit Cook County for its great Events Calendar.