20 years of Art on the Shores of Lake Superior

Planning for the Grand Marais Arts Festival is well underway. And this year we are celebrating 20 years of art on the shores of Lake Superior. Yes, 20 years!

With the rugged beauty of Lake Superior and the enchanting boreal forests of the Boundary Waters, it is no wonder that people journey here to capture the scenery. It is a visually inspiring place to experience. It is here that art and nature collide.

And so, every year, we celebrate that inspiration of fine art and scenic beauty. We celebrate our artistic community. We celebrate our creative souls. This is the heart of the Grand Marais Arts Festival. We invite you to celebrate with us!

In addition to over 60 artists booths, this year's festival will feature live music, art books on sale, painting and fiber demonstrations and even a sword fight courtesy of the Grand Marais Playhouse!

Join us for this jam-packed weekend of art affairs! You will fall in love again and again with the local artists and scenic Grand Marais.

Activities jump- start on Friday night with an anniversary reception potluck dinner at the Art Colony (120 W 3rd Ave). Meet the artists and celebrate fabulous 20 years! Afterwards, stroll over to Betsy Bowen's studio and groove to live music while checking out new artwork for the Summer Art Underground.

Just think, that's just Friday's schedule! Visit our website for a full list of activities.

Generously, Birchbark Books & Gifts (11 W. 1st Street in downtown Grand Marais) will be throwing the Art Colony a fundraiser on Saturday, July 10 for our Empty Bowls Events. A silent auction featuring art and lodging packages will be open from 9 am - 8 pm. From 6 - 7 pm, join us for a meet and mingle with complimentary wine and desserts ($5 donation) and stay for a presentation ($10 donation) by local artist Betsy Bowen entitled, "How I Got to Be a Writer By Learning to Draw."

With all that festival excitement, it is nice to be able to bring it back to campus. Last week the Founders Hall was filled with the pitter-patter of tiny shoes as youth learned about the great art masters. Students practiced live flowers in the style of Monet, they expressed themselves in the colors of Van Gogh.

I debated getting the kids donuts before class like we do for adults, but I was worried the sugar would rile them up. On the contrary, these kids were so focused on their artwork, I hardly heard a peep. In fact, I think the adults are more rowdy! Regardless, it was refreshing to watch these open, creative minds unfold as they were challenged to express themselves and further their abilities. What a gift.

This is the first of many classes we are offering for youth this summer. For the 8 weeks of July and August, students ages 5 - 11 will join us to learn a variety of mediums from professional artists in our Kids Art Program. In August, artists Kelly Dupre and Jo Ann Krause will host a 3 half day workshop for kids. All this art will culminate in an exhibit entitled Young Picassos at the end of the summer. I am sure the exhibit will surprise and delight us all!

Jump Start Summer Art - family art fun!

Every year Memorial Weekend marks the start of summer in Grand Marais. Families, visitors, hikers and painters all travel to Grand Marais for their start-of-the-summer dosage of fresh blue water and rugged boreal forests.

At the Art Colony we wanted to celebrate this kick-off weekend with family fun art activities in what we called Jump Start Summer Art. It was a bustling campus with every studio being used for the creation of art!

In addition to 2 fantastic art classes (Torch-work Borosilicate Glass and Awakening Your Creative Genius: Mixed Watermedia and Collage), we had a card-making activity in our Print Studio, a Raku glazing and firing in our Clay Studio, live music by local musicians in our private artist studios AND a fantastic Art Colonists Exhibit featuring work by GMAC instructors and students!
Our fabulous Board Member/volunteer/artist David Hahn set-up shop downtown in Harbor Park painting en Plein Air (outdoors) while spreading the word about activities at the Art Colony. This brought over 75 people out to celebrate and participate in Jump Start Summer Art at GMAC!

Whether glazing bowls made by Art Colony potters or stamping/coloring/collaging hand-carved wood-block cards by Art Colony printers, everybody got into the art-making spirit and had a rocking good time!

Card-makers, young and old, donated some of their hand-crafted cards to be sold as a fundraiser for kids' programming at the Art Colony! Stop by and pick out your favorite.

If you missed the festivities, don't worry, we hope to do it again soon!

Check out this video The Playlist made as a preview for Jump Start Summer Art!

A Big Thanks to All our Volunteers!!!

Joyce Yamamoto - print artist

Jerry Riach - print artist

Margery & Skip - hands on deck

Sandy & Morris - hands on deck

Joan Farnam - ceramic artist

Ann Ward - ceramic artist

David Hahn - Plein Air painter

Tristan Beaster - musician

David Demmer - musician

Kiln Surgeons to the Rescue Amidst the Onset of Summer!

On Tuesday afternoon 3 fabulous volunteers gathered to re-wire the large electric kiln and replace some of the chipped bricks. It was quite the endeavor as nobody in the trio had ever re-wired a potter's kiln before, but fearlessly, they proceeded into the great unknown!

Brian Sherburne, John Franz and Jim uncoiled the tuckered-out wires and slowly worked the new ones in. They slowly pushed the old bricks out and gently set in the replacements.

That evening, the Spring Clay Class fired that sucker up and found that the replacement was successful, everything turned out great! So, our kiln is back up and running, just in time for summer art-making! Thank Goodness!

On another note, the summer solstice is quite a ways off, but here at the Art Colony it feels like summer has arrived! The sky is so blue and the trees have sprouted into brilliant light greens - the sprigs of new life. The breeze is actually warm and the sun makes me wish I were a cat so I could roll onto my back and purrr.... Pull up a chair, and join us on the Art Colony deck; with views of the lake and the sun shinning down, it is the perfect picnic spot to soak up the sun!

But what really makes it feel like summer here is that Artist Instructor Elizabeth Erickson and her 12 dedicated students arrived this morning for a full four days of intensive art exploration.

I love listening to the bustle of artists at work. Chairs creak, papers rustle and I imagine the brushstrokes as they are decisively placed on the page.

Summer has arrived, and it feels good.

Clowning Around in Business Class...?!

The Artist Business Class invited me to come to their final session last week to watch their project presentations. In most Business Classes, one would expect to hear about cash flow projections, profit and loss statements and, of course, the balance sheet in a final summation... but an Artist Business Class, is no typical business class!

It was clear that in the past 4 weeks, these artists spent some serious time becoming fluent in business jargon, but more important, they grappled with melding what seemed to be vastly different worlds: art and selling it. The final presentations invoked a sense of joy as the artists described exactly what they needed to move forward. They were empowered by their new knowledge that laid the groundwork to tell their art story to a patron or navigate tough next-step decisions. I laughed and cried as I listened to their journeys and by the end, I was inspired by these creative souls who realized their art could be fully incorporated into every aspect of their life - including the financial side. They boldly took on business classes - and succeeded!

A special thanks to Mike Lattery, our golf course artist from the Northeast Entrepreneur Fund who collaboratively hosted this class with GMAC.

On another business note, GMAC has new hours: Everyday 9 am - 4 pm! Thanks to grants from the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation and the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, we were able to hire Gary Atwood, marketing and volunteer coordinator, and extend our hours! Stop by and see us soon!

Ceramic Explosion & New Staff Extraordinaire!

The "Ceramics Dinnerware" class just wrapped up after 8 weeks of non-stop pottery-making! Featured here (L to R) students: Brian Sherburne, Rick Skoog, Ann Ward, Jeff Stark and Bridget Nies. Each student had their own advanced projects in mind - from creating bowls to look like stones to an alter set for a local church to a set of matching dishes as a present for the potter's spouse. This talented group produced large quantities of high quality work - a true Ceramic Explosion in our clay studio!

Next up, a 4-week class, "Spring Clay" and then in June "Play with Clay" will run for 6-weeks and be co-taught by Joan Farnam and Ann Ward. We are excited to see all the fabulous work produced in the upcoming weeks. (There is still space available in "Play with Clay" don't miss this great opportunity to be mentored by both Joan and Ann.

In other Art Colony news, we have a fabulous new staff member! Gary Atwood is joining us for the summer to get out the word about everything going on at GMAC! Gary brings years of marketing and design experience as well as a trained artistic eye. We are delighted to welcome him to the team and hope you get a chance to meet him.

Hope all is well with you out there, we hope to see you soon at the Colony.

Drawing Nudes...

It's hard to believe that for the last 20 weeks, artists and models have gathered together in the Founders Hall to participate in Life Drawing sessions.

Models held short gesture poses and longer extended poses while artists honed skills of composition, perception and hand-eye coordination.

The first 10 sessions breezed by and participants clamored for more. With the relaxed atmosphere and diverse age groups that included rank beginners to seasoned artists, the sessions provided a comfortable place to practice and share art basics. The group grew familiar with each other as the weeks flew by and together their dedication and focus flourished into pages of nude drawings.

So, now as the artists wrap up the last few sessions, the Art Colony is celebrating with an exhibit highlighting the artist' favorite pieces.

Join us for the opening of the Life Drawing Exhibit on Friday, April 16 at 7 pm in the Studio Building Gallery. Visit with artists and experience what Life Drawing has to offer in its simplicity and style. The exhibit will remain through May 15, Monday - Saturday, 10 am - 4 pm. See you soon!

Artwork by: above, David Hahn; below, Holly Beaster

Still Life Painting in Oil Continues...

Still Life Painters spent 5 weeks working on creating paintings of meaningful objects. This class wrapped up on Friday, but the painters decided they wanted more!

So, we are continuing the class for 5 more sessions, starting April 13, and giving new painters an opportunity to join the fun.

This class provides students with a step-by-step method to capture objects on canvas with oil paints. Steps include arranging objects, drawing out them out, painting in shadows and color and refinement.

Instructor Neil Sherman is a favorite who breaks down the painting process in a fun and informative manner!

Still Life Painting: Session 2
April 13 - May 11
5 Tuesday evenings
6 - 9 pm
Tuition: $150
Multi-purpose Room

Register Today! 218-387-2737 or arts@boreal.org

Stations Inspire Many

When artwork began arriving for the Stations of the Cross Exhibit, we knew we had something powerful on our hands. The artist journey to express a traditional theme in a contemporary and local context produces emotive imagery that moves audiences beyond the religious realm and into deeper reflection.

The Stations address universal issues such as empathy for strangers, mob mentality and strength in adversity, something that we can all relate to in this complex world.

Over 125 people attended the opening last Sunday and dozens more have dropped by since, including many repeat visitors. People have shared with us how exciting and relevant they have found the exhibit.

Don't miss the exhibit, open daily 10 am - 4 pm through Sunday, April 4. We have some extended hours coupled with live music to offer a more contemplative experience. If you are unable to visit the show, we have posted photos of the pieces on our website, click here to see them. http://www.grandmaraisartcolony.org/photos.cfm?pid=169&eid=19

We hope to see you soon!
Extended Hours:
Tuesday, March 30: Walk the Stations
6-9 pm live music by Alex and Daniel Ditmanson, cello and violin

Friday, April 2: Good Friday
open 10 am - 4 pm
7 - 9 pm live music by Tristan Beaster, classical guitar

Sunday, April 4: Closing Reception
12 - 4 pm live music by Briand Morrison, jazz guitar

What's on your Playlist?

Duluth' PBS Station WDSE has created a new program all about the arts called The Playlist. They are calling it a local arts variety show. The Playlist airs it's first episode on April 1st. Expect good music, humor and a spot on the Art Colony's Stations of the Cross Exhibit!

The producers of the Playlist have a vision of artists engaging with the audiences on their own turf and in their own styles. So, they are handing out flip-cameras for people to use. The footage will be used as "commercials" throughout the show as well as being posted on their website and facebook page.

Producers Karen Sunderman and Steve Ash came to the Art Colony today to teach interested artists on how to use the cameras and upload the clips to the Playlist. They have left a flip-cam at the Art Colony for artists to check-out. Even if you were unable to attend the training, you will still be able to check out the camera.

So, give it a shot, let the Arrowhead region know what you are up to! As they are saying, what's on your playlist?

Mats Abound

Instructor Neil Sherman hosted a successful class on Thursday night entitled, "Mat Your Artwork". Students were trained on the large Art Colony mat cutter, a requirement to rent the cutter ($5/day). The class also touched on color selection and mat techniques.

There was so much interest in the class we are thinking of offering it again soon. Let us know if you are interested so we can arrange another session.

Excitement Brews for the Stations of the Cross Exhibit

Artists have been dropping by all day to turn in their Stations of the Cross Exhibit artwork.

This show is a collaboration between the Art Colony and Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church.

Hung at the Art Colony, 120 W. 3rd Ave. Grand Marais, MN, the Stations of the Cross Exhibit is open daily from 10 am-4 pm, March 21-April 4.

The exhibit explores biblical themes in contemporary art and is a representation of how our community expresses this in a local context.

Almost 30 artists, of a variety of spiritual backgrounds, have created original artwork for the show in mediums ranging from woodblock prints to watercolor, glass to textile, photography to wood, and clay to oil paints.

Don't miss the opening of this exhibit on Sunday, March 21st at the Grand Marais Art Colony. From 12:30 - 3 pm, local musician Nathan Baker will play his upright bass as the public walks the stations and reflects on the journey of both artist and Jesus. From 3 - 4 pm, Lisa Palchick will give a lecture on icons in art entitled, "Writing the Icon: A Journey into Another World." Light refreshments will accompany the Exhibit Opening.

Extended hours include:

Tuesday, March, 30:
Walk the Stations
6 - 9 pm: Live music by
Alex and Daniel Ditmanson,
cello and violin

Friday, April 2:
Good Friday Meditation
4 - 9 pm: Exhibit open
7 - 9 pm: Live music by
Tristan Beaster,
classical guitar

Sunday, April 4:
Closing Reception
12 - 4 pm: Live music
and Easter celebration

See you there!

Ubiquitous Book Prints

Illustrator Beckie Prange is in the Print Studio today working on images from her newly-published children's (and fun for adults too) book Ubiquitous.

Ubiquitous features biology-themed poems written by Joyce Sidman, a Duluth poet coupled with Beckie's illustrated prints.


Don't miss this great new book or these talented artists, I believe more books are in the works for both of them. And don't forget to take advantage of renting our Print Studio. It is one of the only non-toxic Print Studios in the Midwest. If you have a project in mind, this is a great resource for you.

Many Hands Make the Work More Fun!

A big THANK YOU to all our volunteers who helped make the catalog and catalog mailing possible! We couldn't have done it without you!

We sent out 5,200 catalogs this year!! More than double our usual amount. WOW!

Catalogs should be in your mailbox today, if you haven't received it already, contact us today and we will pop one in the mail for you. arts@boreal.org or 218-387-2737.

The cover for the catalog is a fused glass piece by instructor Sharon Frykman entitled "Northern Lights Alert."

Sharon will be teaching multiple classes this year including, "Slumping and Sagging Glass: Creating 3-D Pieces" in May, "Slumping II: Glass Plates, Platters or Bowls" in July, "Fused Glass Tiles: Introduction to Glass Fusing" in August and "Art Images in Fused Glass" in September.


3-D Slumped glass vase







This glass platter is an example of what students will make in "Slumping II"









Imagine a wall of your own hand-made glass tiles like these!

Or design your own image in the medium of glass like the crows pictured below.

A Weekend Filled with Woodblock Printmaking & Glass Sculptures

Nick Wroblewski hosted "Woodblock Printmaking"as a collaborative class between the North House Folk School and the Grand Marais Art Colony this past weekend!

Nick is a talented woodblock printmaker from Madison, WI. Click here to check out his website and beautiful artwork. You can view his work here in Grand Marais at Sivertson Gallery. Pictured left is Nick using the Art Colony's Intaglio press to emboss the wood-cut image onto the paper.

Students spent the first day of class carving blocks at the Folk School before coming to the Art Colony to print them off. Featured left a student carves out her image. Next the printmaker applies color and then rolls it out on the press.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the glass studio, Steve Frykman taught "Introduction to Kiln-Cast Glass."

On the first day of class, students created plaster molds which they then filled with glass pieces to create glass sculptures. This 3-day class started this weekend and continues next Saturday when the kiln will be opened to see what the glass sculptures look like. Stay tuned to see the finished pieces!

Pictured here is Instructor Steve Frykman answering a question about filling the plaster molds.

I will leave you with this final image one of the printmaking students created. This print truly captures the sentiment here in Grand Marais; Spring Has Arrived!

First-Ever Winter Plein Air Painting Festival

For our first entry of the Grand Marais Art Colony's blog, we decided to feature our first Winter Plein Air Painting Festival. Nothing like firsts, here at the Art Colony!

Plein Air is a french term referring to a painting executed entirely outdoors.

For four days, 16 talented artists braved the cold to capture the serene winter landscapes of the Gunflint Trail. Yes, you heard correct, painting outside in the WINTER in northern Minnesota!

To give you a sense of the high adventure check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr80ZtK7mLw&sms_ss=blogger

Artists retreated in the evenings to YMCA Camp Menogyn where they were treated to 3 delicious hot meals a day, cozy twig leather furniture and a warm wood stove. Staff was even willing to model for an after-dinner painting session.

Capturing the beauty of winter was a main topic of conversation amongst festival participants and ultimately, it was decided that the element of light was most essential to a compelling painting. Painters relished the warm afternoon light as the sun-set behind whimsical pines and a vivid blue sky. Each canvas exploded with colors one expected from a scene of summer wildflowers, acknowledging that winter is just as creatively inspiring and boldly beautiful as any warm-breezed day.
Mark your calendars for next year, because you don't want to miss this spectacular event that celebrates art and winter in the best of ways! Paintings from the Festival are on exhibit at the Grand Marais Art Colony Gallery through the month of April, so, stop by and check out these gems.

The Art Colony is located at 120 W. 3rd Ave in Grand Marais, MN