The Sirrup Likkers will play at the Local Musician's Showcase at the ACA at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, joining nine other bands and/or musicians. Pictured, from left, are Nathan Baker, Eric Frost, Jessa Wallendal, Bump Blomberg and Bill Hansen.
It will be a busy weekend, no doubt about that, and one with frosty fingers for Winter Plein Air painters, hot fingers for all the musicians playing in the Local Musician’s Showcase on Saturday.
Grand Marais plein air painter, Neil Sherman, regularly goes out to paint in the woods in winter. He's looking forward to the festival.
First up is the Winter Plein Air Festival which starts Feb. 24, (this Wednesday) and concludes with a gala opening at Gunflint Lodge on Saturday at 5 p.m. Artists from all over the region will participate in this fun event, getting out into the woods and on the trails to paint their hearts out. It should be perfect weather, too. Sunny skies and temps just below freezing are predicted for the next four days.
The event is sponsored by the Grand Marais Art Colony with a partnership with Menogyn YMCA Camp, which will provide housing and meals for participating artists, said Amy Demmer, Art Colony administrator. In all, 16 plein air artists have registered for the festival, which is probably the first one in the country to be held in the winter.
The idea of actually getting painters out into the woods in the middle of winter was inspired by Howard Sivertson’s talk at the Summer Plein Air Competition last year, she said. “He talked a lot about painting in the winter. People were just mesmerized by the concept.”
Local artists who will be participating in the event include Neil Sherman, Holly Johnson Beaster, Betsy Bowen, Tom McCann and David Hahn. Many painters from the region will be out there as well.
The paintings will be on exhibit at Gunflint Lodge through Sunday and will be transported to the Art Colony and be on exhibit there through April 3. The Art Colony is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Kiln-casting can create beautiful objects.
In other Art Colony news, there are still a few openings in the ceramics dinnerware class with Joan Farnam, which starts March 2, as well as in Steve Frykman’s class, “Introduction to Kiln-Casting,” which will be three days, March 6-7 and March 13.
In the kiln-casting class, students will design clay models, produce plaster molds, fill these with colored glass, kiln fire and divest their finished sculptures. Previous glass experience is helpful, but not necessary.
Pre-registration is also open for “Life Drawing Sessions,” which are held on Wednesday nights at the Art Colony from 6:30-9 p.m. March 3 through May 5. Cost is $120 for all 10 sessions, $15 at the door.
For more information and to register for any of these classes or events, call 387-2737 or visit www.grandmaraisartcolony.org.
There's plenty of snow on the Gunflint Trail for Winter Tracks this weekend, as this photo by Don Davison, "Easter Drift," shows. He and four other North Shore photographers open a show at the Johnson Heritage Post next Friday, March 5.
This is also the Winter Tracks Festival weekend on the Gunflint Trail, and there are all kinds of opportunities to explore ice skating, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, broom ball, snowmobiling and ice fishing, to name a few. There’s a dinner and dance at Windigo Lodge with Trail’s End Band on Saturday night and the Ice Fishing Tournament on Gunflint Lake on Sunday. Visit www.wintertracks.com for more info and the complete schedule.
Paul Pederson will be among the musicians performing at the Local Musician's Showcase.
Another highlight of winter is set for this weekend, too — The Local Musician’s Showcase. This year, there is a complete new line-up of players who can put Cook County on the map for local music. The concert is set for the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Musicians include Michael Hyde (Nashville-style singer/songwriter), Jim and Michelle Miller, (country, blue grass and Irish/Scottish music), Paul Pederson, (12-string blues) Jane Howard, (improvised piano), Philis Anderson (oboe) and Max Bichel, (violin) ( classical music), Stalemate, (a contemporary Christian rock band), David Demmer (harmonica, guitar and vocals), The Pincushion Warblers, (folk duo), Briand Morrison, (jazz guitar) and The Sirrup Likkers (bluegrass and old-time music.)
Local venues are featuring a variety of musicians this weekend, too. First up is singer/songwriter Bill Isles, who plays at Bluefin Bay in Tofte from 7-9 p.m. tonight. (Wednesday). Here are some fun videos of Isles and partner Kate performing.
James Moors plays the Poplar River Pub at Lutsen Resort from 6-8 p.m. Thursday and at Moguls at Caribou Lodge on Friday, from 3:30-5:30 p.m.
The GunFlint Tavern will feature “Cook County’s Most Wanted,” Rod N Real, on Friday and Saturday nights. Music starts at 9 p.m. Here’s a video of them playing last year.
Shane Martin plays solo at Papa Charlie's on Friday night. His band joins him on Saturday.
Papa Charlie’s is featuring comedian Bill Bushart at 8 p.m. Friday. Then the one-man acoustic band, Shane Martin, plays at 9:30 p.m. He’s also featured in the Apres Ski slot at Papa Charlie’s from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday. He and his band perform on Saturday night, too.
Bump Blomberg plays in the Main Lodge at Lutsen Resort on Saturday night from 7-10 p.m., too.
Then on Sunday, Two Many Banjos plays at Papa Charlie’s at 3:30 p.m. and a classical music piano concert with Samuel Black is set for Bluefin Bay from 7-9 p.m.
Early in the week, Joe Paulik plays at the Poplar River Pub at Lutsen Resort on Tuesday from 7-9 p.m. and Papa Charlie’s hosts Open Mic night at 7 p.m.
Next Wednesday, Michael Monroe plays from 7-9 p.m. at Bluefin Bay in Tofte.
And not to forget — Sivertson Gallery’s Fireside Chat series, which continues this Saturday with a presentation by landscape painter Adam Reef.
It starts at 6 p.m. Refreshments are served. The public is invited.
Lots to do, ah? Enjoy.
