Memorial Day Weekend Is Here

Lots of  things to do this weekend, the official launch of the summer season in Cook County.

Memorial Day Weekend offers live music, special exhibits, food events and the opening of the Cross River Heritage Center.

On Friday, Betsy Bowen’s Studio Spring Open House begins on Friday at 11 a.m. and continues through the weekend.

The show will feature a variety of new prints by Betsy Bowen as well as woodcuts by Noah Prinsen. A collection of work by John Peyton will also be on view as will jewelry and photographs by Stephan Hoglund. Refreshments, including sweets from Lola’s Sweet Life Bakery will be served.

On Saturday, there will be live music by Shanty Camp & Friends. The open house continues on Sunday. Everyone invited.

Also in Grand Marais on Friday, Sivertson Gallery will kick off  the Memorial Day the weekend with The Sivertones  (John Koscilak, John Gruber, Don Bauer and Liz Sivertson) playing in the gallery from 4-6 p.m.

And the Grand Marais Art Colony opens a special exhibit in its mini-gallery that day, too.

“Minnesota Potters: Sharing the Fire” with pots by Bob Briscoe, Jason Trebs, Linda Christianson, Jil Franke, Warren MacKenzie and Guillermo Cuellar will be on view throughout the month. Briscoe and Trebs will be at the Art Colony on June 22-23 where they will show a film and hold a ceramic workshop.

For more info, call 387-2737 or click herel

In Schroeder, the Cross River Heritage Center opens for the season on Friday.

This year, the exhibits include historical photographs by William F. Roleff on loan from the St. Louis County Historical Society.  Roleff’s photos depict the lumber industry operations and daily life for loggers in northeastern Minnesota.

An exhibit entitled “Mapping Schroeder Area History” is installed in the lower level of the Heritage Center as well.

June artists of the month include fiber artists Nancy Hansen, Mary Brislance and Mary Jane Huggins. The Heritage Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 1-4 p.m. Sundays throughout the season.

There are lots of live music opportunities this weekend, see the music schedule, below.

For a preview, listen to WTIP’s The Roadhouse on Friday night from 5-7 p.m. Steve Belxrud and the Thunderheads will be on at about 6:15 p.m. They’ll talk about their music and play a few tunes.

Photographer Bryan Hansel leads off the day on Saturday with a photography walk on Artist’s Point. Meet in the Coast Guard Station’s parking lot at 6 a.m.

At 9 am., the Cook County Farm & Craft Market opens for the season in the Senior Center Parking lot. (The World’s Best Donuts is open now, too.)

At 11 a.m. on Saturday, Valerie McFalane of Luna-Sea Beadworks will be at the Superior Trading Post.

At noon, Last Chance Gallery in Lutsen opens “The Art of Time” exhibit featuring hand-crafted, watches and other works addressing the subject of time. This should be a very interesting show. Refreshments will be served and fingerpickin’ blues master Gordon Thorne will play from 2-4 p.m.

Also as noon, The Splinters play at the Garage in downtown Grand Marais.

Lonnie Dupre will be the guest author at Drury Lane Books at 5 p.m.. on Saturday. He will discuss his new book, “Life on Ice.”

Also, not to forget the Marie Westerman’s weaving exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 1-4 p.m. on Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday, the Spring Open House at Betsy Bowen’s Studio continues from 11 a.m .to 5 p.m. and Valerie McFarlane returns to the Superior Trading Post.

There are lots of family activities over the weekend, too. To find out more, click here.

Memorial services on Monday:

• 10 a.m. – Memorial service at Maple Hill Church
• 11 a.m. – Ceremony honoring veterans at Cook County Courthouse
• Noon – Lunch at the American Legion – vets dine free, everyone is welcome

.If you’re going to be in Duluth on Sunday, don’t forget to stop by the Amazing Grace Cafe in Duluth’s Canal Park  for the 17th annual Battle of the Jugbands. Bands from all over the region come to play at this fun event.

Everyone is invited to bring their favorite instrument , anything from spoons to guitars, and join in. The festivities begin at 1 p.m. An open jugband jam is set for Saturday night starting at 7:30 p.m.

In other art news, Tom Christiansen was on WDSE’s The Playlist last week. He was interviewed about his latest commission as well as held a bronze pour. Take a look at the footage here. 

North House Folk School has reprinted its award-winning book, “Celebrating Birch.” It is  available at the school’s bookstore as well as at local booksellers. Click here for more info.

Birchbark Books also has a great selection of new children’s books as well as the latest best sellers.

Photographer Layne Kennedy posted suggestions on how to take great iPhone photos on his blog this week. Read about it here.

Here’s the live music schedule for the weekend:

Wednesday: May 23

• Pete Kavanaugh, Birch Terrace Lounge, 7 p.m.

Friday: May 25

• The Sivertones, Sivertson Gallery, 4 p.m.
• Don Bauer, Harbor Light Supper Club & Bar, 6 p.m.
• Community Music Circle, What’s Upstairs above Betsy Bowen’s Studio, 7 p.m.
• The Thunderheads, Gunflint Tavern, 9 p.m.
• Michael Monroe, Bluefin Grille, Tofte, 9 p.m.

Saturday, May 26

• The Splinters, The Garage, Grand Marais, noon
• Ron Occhino, Harbor Light, 6 p.m.
• Briand Morrison, Lutsen Resort, 7 p.m.
• Michael Monroe, Log Cabin Concert, rural Grand Marais, 7 p.m. Reservations at 387-2919
• Joe Paulik, Cascade Lodge Pub, 7:30 p.m.
• The Thunderheads, Gunflint Tavern, 9 p.m.

Sunday, May 27

• Joe Paulik, Harbor Light, 5 p.m.
• Steve Blexrud, Gunflint Tavern, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, May 28

• Joe Paulik, Gunflint Tavern, 6:30 p.m.
• Eric Frost, Bluefin Grille, Tofte, 9 p.m.

We found some interesting photos this week.

Michael Furtman found a hooded merganzer box and was there when the babies left the nest.  Here’s one of the shots he took that day.

Here’s how he describes getting this shot:

“(The hen merganzer) stuck her head out of the box 30 minutes after I set up this morning, and stayed in that position for over three hours, making sure all was safe for her ducklings. She had a heckuva lot more patience than me. I had no sooner taken a break when she departed, started calling, and the ducklings started leaping. In all, 11 ducklings made the leap, but I missed several of them because I wasn’t ready!”

If you “friend” Furtman on Facebook, you can see his work. This series can be found here.

And here’s another youngster shot, this one taken by Melissa Wickwire when her daughter was exploring the mysteries in garden soil.

Layne Kennedy captured this incredible shot taken during the partial eclipse of the sun as seen in Minneapolis.

Here’s another sun exposure .. this time by Don Davison on Devil Track Lake.

Therese Misgen caught this rainbow shot recently.

And last, but not least, here’s a sunset shot by Amy and Dave Freeman as they kayak with friends on Lake Superior on their way to Florida in their North American Odyssey project for Wilderness Classroom.

Enjoy your weekend!