The Splinters play for an early Halloween Party at What's Upstairs on Saturday night. Music starts at 7 p.m., bring a snack to share. Family friendly. (Photo by Stephan Hoglund.)
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year which means lots of goblins and witches on the streets as well as some fun parties.
The first one is at the Cook County Community Center from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, preceded by a skating party. The Spook House opens at 4:30 p.m. There will be lots of games, food and fun things for kids to do.
Then, at 7 p.m. The Splinters play at What’s Up Stairs above Betsy Bowen’s Studio. They’re calling it “The Back from the Grave Tour,” and it’s a kid-friendly event. Prizes for the best costume.
Then, an hour later and just down the street, there will be a spooky poetry night at the Grand Marais Art Colony, also kid-friendly. Bring poetry and snacks to share.
The big Halloween bash for adults is at the Gunflint Tavern starting at 9 p.m. Bicycle Army will play.
In Thunder Bay, Downchild Blues Band plays at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium on Saturday night. For tickets and more info, click here.
Not to be confusing, but on Friday, Oct. 30, Max Bichel, Bump Blomberg and Chris Gillis play at the Gunflint Tavern. There’s also a Halloween Dance at the Grand Portage Lodge & Casino on Friday night.
In other art news, Kelly Dupre will teach a 2-day class in making holiday cards Nov 7-8 at the Art Colony. This class is open to every skill level.
Dupre will teach linoleum block printmaking, and participants will have the opportunity to try a variety of techniques during the class.
The next week, Nov. 14-15, Dorian Beaulieu of Lake Superior College will teach a two-day class in building and using a wood-fired raku kiln.
Glazing, loading, firing, unloading and post firing techniques will be taught and students are encouraged to bring 5-10 small to medium size bisqued raku pieces to be fired. Wheel demonstrations will be provided as time permits.
Beaulieu also plans to teach a wheel-throwing class this spring, which he tentatively called “Bigger than Big.” The official title of the class is now “Making Very Large Vessels.” Here is a video of him throwing a 60-pound pot . Click on the Big Pot video.
For these classes and more, call 387-2737, or visit www.grandmaraisartcolony.org. You can sign up for newsletters at the site as well.
Dobro master Rob Ickes will be the featured artist in residence at the 19th Master’s Weekend at Lutsen Resort Nov. 13-15. Visit the North Shore Music Association’s Web page to find out all about it.
A detail from a new painting by Dave Gilsvik
Two Harbors landscape painter Dave Gilsvik has new work at Sivertson Gallery. Included is a piece that is so “fresh” it doesn’t have a title yet. He has a variety of other landscapes on display as well.
The Women’s Book Group at Drury Lane Books is reading “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” by Lisa See this month. To find out more, call 387-3370. The staff at the bookstore regularly posts books they recommend. Check it out at www.drurylanebooks.com.
Ann Mershon is “testing” her new book,“ Istanbul’s Bazaar Quarter ~ Backstreet Walking Tours” with Sally Nankivell, who is visiting her in Istanbul, Turkey this week. To read about the adventure, visit Ann’s blog.
Photographer and jewelry designer Stephan Hoglund will be opening a new photography studio next to Superior North Outdoors Center in the next few weeks. He will also keep his shop, Superior Designs, open.
Michael Monroe is touring this week. He performed in St. Louis on Tuesday night and played in Nashville on Wednesday night with Jon Vezner and Kathy Mattea. He will also perform in Asheville, N.C. and Oldwick, N.J. at the Skyroad Farm Barn Gallery for a benefit for the community watershed before traveling on to Toronto, Ontario to finish off his tour. Michael Monroe’s Thanksgiving Log Cabin Concert is Saturday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.
Here’s a neat video on how Monroe plays his music, and here’s a song.
Birchbark Books & Gifts has received the latest Skippy John Jones book by Judy Schachner. Another popular children book which has just arrived is “The Last Olympian” by Rick Riordon.
Kah Nee Tah Gallery in Lutsen has wood-turned votives, bowls and more by Wayne Johnson, who is a new artist in the gallery.
Stay tuned next week for a listing of all the great films which will be screened at this year’s Winterer’s Gathering, Nov. 19-22, at North House Folk School, which has just launched a new Web site. Check it out here.
Want to have input in programs offered to artists through the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council? ARAC and other arts organizations in the state will receive an increase in funding next year, thanks to the constitutional amendment that was passed last year. To help determine the best way to use these new funds, ARAC (which funds artists, art organizations and art projects in seven counties in the Arrowhead) has created a short online survey to give regional community members an opportunity to suggest new programs and offer input on existing programs and services.
The survey will take just a few minutes to complete and is for information gathering purposes only. Your responses will be confidential and anonymous.
And last, but not least, here is an unusual Web site with lots of music. Hovland resident Rick Skoog, who lived and worked in Nashville for five years, writes music for film and television with co-writer Dave Werhane. So far, they have placed songs in five films in Canada. The site contains an incredible array of songs they’ve written. Take a listen here.
And then there’s this blues jam session with Etta James, Keith Richards and Robert Cray.
Have a good weekend.
