Crescent moon in the morning by David Johnson.
Winter Storm by Sierra Parsons.
Greetings from the North Shore, where March has us under its thumb. Snow squalls and sweet, inspiring days are on the menu this month. We need the moisture, and we love the sun, so this month is welcome.
And art-making continues.
First up is the Art Counter Project at Joy and Company, an open invitation to the community to visit the shop from 3-5:30 pm on Thursdays, and make something cool. This week, it is accordion books.
Make an accordion book at Joy and Company on Thursday. File photo.
The workshop is free, and all supplies will be provided.
Also on Thursday, Trivia Night will be held at Up Yonder from 6-8 pm.
It’s Trivia Night at Up Yonder on Thursday.
This is a bar-style Trivia hosted by WTIP Community Radio. Prizes. Open to all.
On Friday, Cascade Restaurant and Pub begins celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a special menu, live music, and more.
St. Patrick’s Week at Cascade.
The celebrations continue through March 17, St. Patrick’s Day.
On Saturday, the Trout Derby, an annual fundraiser for the Cook County Snowmobile Club, will be held on West Bearskin Lake.
The annual Trout Derby is on Saturday at West Bearskin Lake. Photo furnished.
Registration opens at 9 am. All fish must be turned in by 2 pm. The fishing competition is by weight. Prizes will be awarded. The event will also feature free refreshments, games, and a bonfire on the ice. The public is invited.
Finding the Funny, a free writing workshop by Gina Ramsey, will be held at Studio 17 on Saturday, March 14, at 10;30 am.
Finding the Funny, a writer’s workshop with Gina Ramsey, will be held on Saturday, March 14 at 10:30 am. For more info, click here.
Gina Ramsey knows a funny story when she sees one… or when it smacks her world and leaves her both groaning and taking down notes for a future funny tale. Gina has published three anthologies under her “Burnt Gloveboxes”® series – and yes, the glovebox started on fire – highlighting how when things go bad, they often go funny, too. She will talk about humor and more at this workshop.
Artist Tim Vahle will hold an Open House at his gallery from 11 am to 5 pm on Saturday.
Guesthouse, oil, by Tim Vahle. He will hold an Open House at his gallery on Saturday.
Vahle will feature his latest landscape and portrait works as well as his prints. Refreshments will be served. The gallery is located at 9 W. First Ave. #2, Birch Alley (located directly behind the Gunflint Tavern.) The public is invited.
Also on Saturday, Bethlehem Lutheran Church will host A Feast of A Hundred Thousand Welcomes from 4:30-7:30 pm.
A Feast of A Hundred Thousand Welcomes is an Irish Dinner and fundraiser for Minnesota Non-Profits that are supporting immigrants and migrants through rent assistance, food delivery, and other important means of support. The menu includes corned beef and cabbage, vegan Irish stew, potatoes, Irish soda bread, and an Irish cake for dessert. All are welcome. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children.
The North Shore Music Association will present an intimate evening of music with S. Carey and Courtney Hartman on Saturday, March 14, at 7 pm at the Spirit of the Wilderness Church in Grand Marais.
S.Carey and Courtney Hartman will be in concert at the Wilderness Church on Saturday at 7 pm.
Set in one of the region’s most beautiful and acoustically resonant venues, the concert promises a quiet, moving night of songs and stories from two artists whose work is rooted in collaboration, craft, and emotional depth.
Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Sean Carey is widely recognized as the drummer, backing vocalist, and second-longest-serving member of Bon Iver. Joining Carey is Courtney Hartman, a Wisconsin-based, Colorado-born guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work across bluegrass, folk, and indie music communities.
Together, Carey and Hartman offer a rare opportunity to experience world-class songwriting in an intimate, listening-focused setting—music designed for connection and presence.
Sliding scale pricing tiers, free for k-12 students: nsma.simpletix.com. For tickets and more information, visit northshoremusicassociation.com.
BTW: The annual St. Urho’s Parade will be held in Finland at noon on Saturday.
St. Urho’s parade is in Finland on Saturday at noon.
According to Wikipedia, Saint Urho is a fictional saint of Finland, created and elaborated by Finnish Americans in Northern Minnesota in the 1950s, to celebrate their heritage and extend celebrations of Saint Patrick’s Day. His celebration day is usually set on the day before the March 17 feast day of Saint Patrick. This year, the celebration will be March 13-15, with the parade on March 14. Wear Purple and green if you go!
In Duluth, artist Carolyn Olson will launch her first picture book, “Pearl’s Garden,” at the Duluth Public Library on Saturday at 2 pm.
Pearl’s Garden, a book by Carolyn Olson. The book launch is at the Duluth Public Library on Saturday at 2 pm.
Olson will read from her book during the library’s story hour, and the Duluth Community Garden program will host activities and an information session about community gardening opportunities in Duluth. Free and open to all.
Exhibits:
The Winter Plein Air exhibit continues at the Johnson Heritage Post featuring work by 15 plein air artists who spent a week at YMCA Camp Menogyn pirating the light and the beauties of that place.
Turnaround, oil, by Logan Hudson.
Homage to Joan and Rockwell, oil, by Jocelyn Bassette Garlin.
Glimpse Into Eternity, oil, by Jocelyn Bassette Gorlin.
The exhibit continues at the Heritage Post through March 22. The gallery is open from 10 am to 4 pm Thursday through Saturday and from 1-4 pm Sunday. Free.
Eric Klepinger has opened an exhibit in the Great Hall at Tettegouche State Park.
Bear’s Spring Awakening, acrylic, by Eric Klepinger.
Spotted Muskie Ambush, acrylic, by Eric Klepinger.
Autumn Snail Trail, acrylic, by Eric Klepinger.
The exhibit continues through the end of March.
In Duluth, Alison Aune and Kirsten Aune are exhibiting paintings and textiles at the Prøve Collective.
Kirsten Aune’s textiles and paintings by Alison Aune are now on view at thePrøve Collective in Duluth. The artists are sisters.
The exhibit continues through April.
Upcoming:
The Cook County Potters will hold a Seconds Pottery Sale to benefit Care Partners at The Hub on March 21.
The Cook County Potters will hold a Seconds Sale at the Hub on March 21, a fundraiser for Care Partners, from 10 am – 2 pm.
The sale is from 10 am to 2 pm and is by donation only. The public is invited.
The Spring Ecstatic Dance session will be held at the Community Center Log Building on Monday, March 30.
Ecstatic Dance will be at the Log Building on March 30.
The event is free and open to the public. To find out more about ecstatic dance, click here.
Artists at Work:
Work in progress for the 2027 calendar by Betsy Bowen.
Nagamon Zhooniyaa Waagosh, Song of the Silver Fox, acrylic, by Robert Desjarlait.
Puffin, detail, wool, by Dani Ives.
Plein air in the morning, watercolor, by Sue Pavlatos.
Iceland, acrylic, by Layne Kennedy.
Untitled by Leah Fox is at the Free Range Food Co-op in Grand Rapids.
Muskoka Winter, acrylic, by Sylvia Kerschl.
Island Funeral, 1939, egg tempera and oil on hardboard by N. C. Wyeth, father of Andrew Wyeth.
The black cat confronts the masked intruder, watercolor by Jan Waldron.
Sisters We Are Here Holding the Key, acrylic, by Sue Rauschenfels.
An abstract study of a village area in Russia, acrylic, by Elizabeth Hlookoff.
Behind Blue Eyes, collage, by Kim Dayton.
Shards of Color, Day 64 of the 100 Day Project, acrylic, by Aaron Kloss.
Spring Shadows and Swallows, oil, by Alison Ingram.
Mountain hare, clay, by Gin Durham.
Online Findings:
Canadian Amateur Astronomer Captures Hot Spots on the Moon
Hot spots on the moon during the lunar eclipse (left) were taken by Wah, a Canadian amateur astronomer. To read more about it, click here.
Sparky’s last week of Birding in Newfoundland
Online Music:
Live Music:
Thursday, March 12:
- Timmy Haus, Moguls Grille & Taproom, 4-6 pm
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
- Billy Manzik, Raven Rock Grill at Skyport Lodge, 6-8 pm
- Jim Miller, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
Friday, March 13:
- Dan Israel, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 3-6 pm
- John Gruber, Moguls Grille & Taproom, 4-6 pm
- Joe Paulik and Pat Flack, Birch Terrace Supper Club & Lounge, 5-7 pm
- Briand Morrison, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- Pete Kavanaugh, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
- Timmy Haus, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 8:30-11 pm
Saturday, March 14:
- Tina and Drew, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
- Dan Israel, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 3-6 pm
- Frozen Britches, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Joe Paulik, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- S. Carey and Courtney Hartman, Spirit of the Wilderness Church in Grand Marais, 7 pm
- Border Crossing, Up Yonder, 7-10 pm
- Timmy Haus, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 8:30-11 pm
Sunday, March 15:
- Pete Kavanaugh, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
Monday, March 16:
- Matt Griswold, Voyageur Brewing Company, 5-7 pm
- Gordon Thorne, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- Jim Elverhoy & Jon Cron, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
Tuesday, March 17:
- Eric Frost, North Shore Winery, 4:30-6:30 pm
- Open Stage hosted by Pete K, Up Yonder, 6-8 pm
- Pat Eliasen, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- Community Singing, Log Cabin at the Grand Marais Community Center, 7 pm
- Bump Blomberg, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
Thursday, March 19:
- Gordon Thorne, North Shore Winery, 6-8 pm
- Jim Miller, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- North Shore Swing Band, Up Yonder, 7-9 pm
Friday, March 20:
- Nicolas David, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 3-6 pm
- Jim Miller, Moguls Grille & Taproom, 4-6 pm
- Pete Kavanaugh, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Briand Morrison, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- Jim Miller, Bluefin Grille, 7-9 pm
- Timmy Haus, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 8:30-11 pm
Saturday, March 21:
- The Skally Line – Music & Stories, Grand Marais Public Library, 12:30 – 1:30 pm
- Nicolas David, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 3-6 pm
- Mike Lewis and Barbara Jean, North Shore Winery, 3:30-5:30 pm
- Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund, Cascade Lodge Restaurant & Pub, 6-8 pm
- Joe Paulik, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
- EricKaoke, Karaoke hosted by Erick Steey, Up Yonder, 8-1 am
- Timmy Haus, Lofty Gondola at Lutsen Mountains, 8:30-11 pm
Sunday, March 22:
- Pete Kavanaugh, Charlie’s Alpine Bistro, 6:30-9 pm
Photographs:
Here is a selection of photographs we found this week:
Wildlife:
Canada Lynx kittens in 2025 by Thomas Spense.
The first Sandhill Cranes arrived in central Minnesota. Photo by Bill Marchel.
Nesting season has begun, by Bill Marchel.
Goldeneyes by Paul Ostrum.
Grounded by the fog by Dale Johnson.
Hawk Owl by Jill Lovro Beim.
Grand Portage Bison hanging out by Trish Francis.
White on white by Paul Ostrum.
Pileated in flight by Paul Ostrum.
A busy time of year by Thomas Spence.
Male American Widgeon in the Grand Marais harbor by David Johnson.
Bald Eagle fishing for herring. Salish Sea at the border by John Cannell.
Potpourri:
Morning in Vietnam by Layne Kennedy.
Soaking in the beauty by Matthew Pastick.
A run under the moon by Josh Capps.
An old fall photo from the archives by Don Davison.
A winter coating by Jill Lorvro Beim.
Landscapes, Icescapes, Skyscapes & Waterscapes:
Milky Way revisited by Hayes Scriven.
In Two Harbors by Adam Malmanger.
Icy Beauty by Travis Novitsky.
Ice mountains at dawn by Ken Harmon.
Split Rock Lighthouse by Keith Christensen.
Moon Star over Storm-Driven Ice Cliffs, by Ken Harmon.
Moonrise over Artist’s Point by Paul Sundberg.
Spring music on the Lester River by Tim Beaulier.
Harbor Sunrise by Paul Sundberg..
Morning Light and some amazing ice piles leftover from the recent blizzard by Thomas Spence.
Winter Lighting by Cindy Hagley.
Chunks are mounting up on the shore, Duluth, by Marie Zhuikov.
A crazy pattern on Lake Superior by Bryan Hansel.
Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
PS: We are grateful to everyone for their contributions to NorthShore ArtScene.If you would like to contribute, too, just click on the icon below. It really makes a difference! Thank you!
We are so grateful for the help and support from Jeremy Lopez for his Live Music schedule and tech support, and Yvonne Mills for her great proofreading. Thank you, both! And to Visit Cook County for its outstanding Events Calendar.