News

January Newsletter
01/03/2012-10:35 AM



News: A new year, a new look

Happy New Year! With the start of a new year we are updating our e-newsletter look. We hope you like it!

We are diligently working on the 2012 course catalog, in the meantime get a jump start on your class planning by visiting the "Classes" page on the website where new classes are being entered daily. You can expect to receive the paper version in the mail in just a few weeks.

While many think of the Grand Marais area as a summer retreat, we think of winter is the ultimate introspective season. With a great curriculum of classes & events you will surely stay warm. As you scroll through this newsletter you will see that the Grand Marais Art Colony is bustling with activity, stoking the creative fire.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW the enewsletter.



Winter Arts Festival 2012
11/30/2011-03:00 PM

Winter Arts Festival : January 30-February 12, 2012

A celebration of snow, creativity and an exploration of the serene winter landscape.

Grand Marais, Minnesota – Few know the glory of winter better than a Northern Minnesotan. The splendor of the glistening winterscape is unmistakable, winter has more to offer than just Christmas and snowstorms.

In its 3rd year, the Winter Arts Festival is an invigorating breath of air in the cool Nordic climate. Comprised of two unique events, the Snow Carving Symposium & Winter Plein Air, rousing artists to dress warm and discover the joy of winter. The Snow Carving Symposium challenges artists to transform simple blocks of snow into ornate works of art. The carvings will be hosted by local businesses throughout Cook County and will be on display February 3-12 (weather permitting).

Winter Plein Air is one of the only outdoor painting events of its kind. Adventurous artists ski across a frozen lake teetering on the edge of the Boundary Waters (BWCA) chasing limited daylight and battling freezing temperatures to capture the scenic landscape. An exhibit of the work will be on display at the Grand Marais Art Colony from February 3-12, 2012. An opening reception celebrating the Winter Arts Festival is scheduled for Friday, February 3 at 6:00pm.

Share the story of winter, celebrate the color of white and delve deeper into the creative spirit. There are many ways to be involved in this fun and interactive festival. Be a participant, an observer, a student…just dress warm.

About the Grand Marais Art Colony
For over 65 years, the Grand Marais Art Colony has nurtured the relationship between outdoor recreation and artistic pursuit. Founded as the Outdoor School of Painting, a project of the Minneapolis School of Art (MCAD), the Art Colony has grown to offer a place for emerging and professional artists to seek creative guidance and instruction.

For more information please contact the Grand Marais Art Colony.
www.grandmaraisartcolony.org
events@grandmaraisartcolony.org : (218) 387-2737

120 West 3rd Ave : PO Box 626 : Grand Marais, Minnesota 55604
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WinterArtsFestival




Art Colony wins Touchstone Award for Generosity
10/20/2011-09:07 AM

The Grand Marais Art Colony was recently selected for a Generosity Award from the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation.

(Pictured from L-R front: Sharon Frykman, Gwen Lenz, Amy Demmer, Beth Kennedy; L-R back: Mary MacDonald, Jan Morris, Joan Farnam.  Not pictured: Kristine Bottorff)

Read the following article from the Duluth News Tribune on Oct. 18, 2011

www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/212262/

Published October 18, 2011 -  Duluth News Tribune

Touchstone Award Winners announced at Duluth Ceremony
The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation chose four winners from three categories: generosity, civic engagement, and inclusiveness.

Two groups that help feed the hungry, an organization that teaches sustainable practices and a group that brought together people from all 19 bands of Ojibwe on Madeline Island were named winners today of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation’s 2011 Touchstone Awards.

The foundation provided grants in 2009 for the work of each group. In addition, the award carries a $2,500 prize.

The four winners come from three categories: generosity, civic engagement and inclusiveness.

The two winners of the generosity category were the Grand Marais Arts Colony and Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank. Winner of the civic engagement category was Sustainable Twin Ports. Winner of the inclusiveness category was the Madeline Island Anishinaabeg Gathering.

“This is work that makes our community stronger and makes our community special,” said Holly C. Sampson, president of the Community Foundation.

“All nine of our Touchstone Award nominees this year offer great examples of the concepts of generosity, civic engagement and inclusiveness. They make this a better place to live.”

The Grand Marais Arts Colony was chosen for its Empty Bowls hunger awareness project, which helps stock the shelves at the Cook County Food Shelf each year. Area artists, students and community members craft ceramic bowls to be filled with soup and bread.

Second Harvest food bank was nominated for increasing food distribution in response to more urgent needs of recent years. From 2008 to 2010, Second Harvest encouraged more local giving, enabling the food bank to distribute 25 percent more food. That meant 4 million pounds of food went to those who most need it, while volunteer hours increased and financial contributions from individuals and businesses increased 32 percent.

Sustainable Twin Ports was honored for helping to create a sustainable community. The group teaches sustainability principles to local businesses and nonprofit groups.

The Madeline Island Anishinaabeg Gathering brought together more than 650 people from all 19 bands of Ojibwe for educational and celebratory event on the island on Sept. 25, 2009. Madeline Island is the sacred center of the Anishinaabeg world, though band members have seldom lived on the island in the past century. The gathering committee organized a day of presentations, traditional performances and feasts that revived that historical spirit. A similar event also was held this fall.

The other five nominees were Range Transitional Housing Inc, for the Hibbing Transitional Housing Project (generosity); the College of St. Scholastica, for its Alworth Center for the Study of Peace and Justice (civic engagement); Friends of the Finland Community, which built a community center (civic engagement); CHOICE Unlimited: BOLD Choice Theatre Company (inclusiveness); and the Duluth Task Force on Police Accountability (inclusiveness).


Prison Art Show Depicts the Rehabilitative Effect of Art
04/20/2011-02:29 PM


Prison Art Show Depicts the Rehabilitative Effect of Art

“I am Not a Number” is the title of the upcoming exhibit at the Grand Marais Art Colony which features art created by inmates at the Stillwater Correctional Facility. The intention of this show is to give viewers an opportunity to discover the role that art plays in rehabilitation while also getting a taste of the human experience of those incarcerated in the prison system.

The Pie Place Restaurant is sponsoring the exhibit which is open daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 2 – 12. According to Kathy Rice of the Pie Place, after meeting the art director of the program, Bill Murray, “the Restaurant started contributing supplies to the Stillwater Art Program, encouraging artistic expression of the inmates.” The restaurant staff continued to be inspired by the talented art work emerging from the program and felt the need to share it with others. The Pie Place approached the Grand Marais Art Colony about hosting the show and the exhibit was born. “These men used art as a way to express their raw feelings and emotions. That is the essence of artistic creation and it has transformative powers. I look forward to seeing what they created,” said Amy Demmer, executive director of the Grand Marais Art Colony.

Over the winter the inmates have been actively preparing for the show by creating new pieces and writing artist statements about their work which will hang with a photo of themselves next to their artwork.

Bill Murray will be the featured speaker during the Opening Reception on May 2 at 5:30 p.m. In addition to teaching the Art Program at the Stillwater Correctional Facility, he is a nationally recognized watercolor artist and owns the largest collection of Prison Art Work in the United States. 25% of the exhibit proceeds go to the Restorative Justice Program at the Stillwater Correctional Facility.





What's so special about the North Shore?
04/01/2011-10:40 AM

What’s So Special About the North Shore?
Biophilia: Sacred Inner and Outer Landscapes Exhibit

What’s so special about the North Shore? More than 60 local and regional artists will examine how these rocky shores and glistening lakes nurture their souls in an upcoming spring theme exhibit at the Grand Marais Art Colony, April 10 – 24. Entitled Biophilia: Sacred Inner and Outer Landscapes, the exhibit captures why the North Shore is a powerful landscape.

“We are excited to see how the artists communicate the deep sense of place we experience on the North Shore because we ponder these questions ourselves,” said Amy Demmer, executive director of the Grand Marais Art Colony and co-curator of the exhibit. The North Shore is home to a higher percentage of artists than most rural areas and every year a large number of visitors come here to soak in the visually inspiring terrain.

Minnesota naturalist and author Sigurd Olsen also mused on this subject. He wrote, “We all carry restlessness within us, an impatience with things as they are, which modern life with its comforts and distractions does not seem to satisfy.” So we search for what he called “the singing wilderness” to satisfy “the hunger that all of us have for a time when we were closer to lakes and rivers, to mountains and meadows and forests, than we are today.”

Perhaps this is why so many are drawn to the rugged landscape of the North Shore; it allows us to connect with something greater and more meaningful. However, capturing that essence enters into the artist’s realm where they can explore the intersection between the geographical environment and their inner spirituality, developing a sense of place for both the artist and the audience.

Each participating artist will work in their media of choice – paintings, photography, mosaics, sculpture, beadwork, ceramics, collage, and fiber, to name a few. The exhibit is curated by the Grand Marais Art Colony and Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church, an unusual annual collaboration dedicated to using art to express the intangible.

The opening reception is at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 10 and will include a performance by award-winning poet and essayist Gary Holthaus and internationally acclaimed musician Lauren Pelon called: “The Story of Music, Stories from Home.” According to Pelon, “the music and readings offer unique perceptions of the natural world, and celebrate our sense of place, community and home.” They received an Arts Tour grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board to perform their renowned program for free at the exhibit opening. “We wanted to give the audience an opportunity to experience the theme through all their senses,” said co-curator Rev. Mary Ellen Ashcroft, Vicar of Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church.

The Grand Marais Art Colony is Minnesota’s oldest Art Colony and is dedicated to providing services to artists, offering art education and nurturing creativity on the North Shore. The exhibit and performance are free and open to the public and located at 120 West 3rd Avenue in Grand Marais, Minn. For more information, call 218-387-2737 or see www.grandmaraisartcolony.org.

Lauren Pelon is a fiscal year 2011 recipient of an Arts Tour Minnesota grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is funded, in part, by the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the Legacy Amendment vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.





Inuit Artists come to Grand Marais in March!
01/21/2011-11:00 AM

Press Release from Sivertson Art Gallery

11th Annual Inuit Premiere
Featuring David Ruben Piqtoukun and Kavavow Mannomee

Sivertson Gallery opens their 11th Annual Inuit Premiere in Grand Marais on Saturday, March 19th with two world renowned Inuit artists, David Ruben Piqtoukun and Kavavow Mannomee. “With the polar bear identified as the poster child of global warming there is a growing consciousness about the Arctic that has brought the beauty of it’s resources, creatures, arts and culture to the forefront,” says gallery owner, Jan Sivertson. “Both of these artists have experienced first hand the dramatic social, cultural, and environmental changes that have taken place in the Arctic in the last half century.” The opening weekend events at Sivertson Gallery are free and open to the public and the exhibit continues through the end of April. In addition, workshops taught by these master artists will be offered through the Grand Marais Art Colony and North House Folk School.

To escape the harsh realities of life on the arctic tundra, at the urging of the Canadian government Inuit people began leaving their traditional nomadic lifestyles to live in communities in the 1950’s. With few other economic opportunities, creating artwork was encouraged as one way for the Inuit to earn an income. Situated well above the tree line in the high arctic, Inuit artists had no access to traditional materials such as wood for sculpting or block printing. Forced to use local materials, soapstone was embraced by the innovative spirit of Canada’s indigenous people. In addition to carving sculptures, flat slabs of soapstone are used to create relief style block prints.

Master soapstone Sculptor David Ruben Piqtoukun (born in Paulatuk, NWT) lived the traditional migratory life with his family along the Mackenzie River Delta. At the age of 5 he was sent away to one of the infamous residential schools where he received “an education in forgetting” for the next 12 years. “I lost my language and Native Eskimo ways. Living in the south made my identity difficult to comprehend. I was lost between two worlds.” With original instruction from his brother, noted sculptor Abraham Apalark Anghik Ruben, he began to carve soapstone at the age of 22. “I began to explore my native roots, collecting stories from my travels home in Canada’s Western Arctic. I was fascinated by my own culture.” Nearly four decades later, Ruben’s work has been featured in many group and solo exhibitions across North America and Europe. In 1988 he was named to the sculptors Society of Canada. His work can be found in many public and private collections, including the National Gallery of Canada, parks and public spaces around Canada, as well as at Canadian embassies around the world.

“David Ruben’s work balances his concern for the loss of his culture and language with a profound optimism, rooted in the shamanic beliefs of his ancestors.” – Dr. George F. MacDonald, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation.

An accomplished and precise printmaker, Kavavow Mannomee is one of the very few Inuit artists who is trained as a master printmaker at Kinngait Studios, the co-operative print shop in Cape Dorset. Since 1959 the co-op has produced an Annual Print Collection which is eagerly anticipated by collectors from around the world. Each year artists from the community submit drawings for consideration for the annual release. Images that will be made into prints are chosen by consensus and small editions are printed. Etching, lithography, and stencil methods are used in addition to the stone cut technique, which is unique to the Inuit artists of Cape Dorset. As a master printmaker, Mannomee is one of the rare Inuit artists who not only contributes imagery, but also cuts the images into the stone block and prints editions. His thematic concerns include depictions of Inuit legends and mythology, Arctic wildlife and an interest in some of the more contemporary aspects of Inuit life. Mannomee’s imagery nicely combines his naturalist’s eye with his graphic sensibilities. His work has been exhibited since 1988, in Canada, the United States, France, Belgium, and Germany.

For more info about Kavavaow's Mannomee's Inuit Stonecut Print class click here
and for Inuit Stencil Prints click here.




GMAC Call for Snow Sculptors featured on a North Woods Blog
01/03/2011-01:48 PM

The Grand Marais Art Colony recently put out a call for snow sculptors for our upcoming Snow Carving Symposium.

Groups of 1-4 carvers are invited to participate in carving a snow sculpture at a Cook County Business.  A stipend and lodging are provided.  Some experience is necessary and groups must bring their own carving tools.  See here for more info.

Blogger Andy Wright writes a blog about all things in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.  He featured the Call for Snow Sculptors in his most recent post.  View it here:

http://upnorthica.com/2011/01/03/winter-tracks-fest-is-seeking-snow-sculptors/

To participate as a snow carver, contact the Art Colony at 218-387-2737 or arts@boreal.org.



CALL for ARTISTS - Biophilia: Sacred Inner & Outer Landscapes
12/08/2010-12:39 PM

Biophilia: Sacred Inner and Outer Landscapes
“Exploring the Intersection between the North Shore Environment & Inner Spiritual Terrain”

Exhibit dates: April 10 – 24, 2011
Registration Deadline: Jan. 14
Artwork (ready to hang), Artist Statement & Artist Picture DUE: March 31, 2011

Biophilia means human affinity for nature and the living world. As physical/spiritual beings, we are drawn to certain environments that deeply affect us. For many, the North Shore is that kind of landscape which roots us in something greater and more meaningful.

In this themed show and sale, we invite artists to use the media of your choice to explore the interplay between the geographical outer world and the inner spiritual terrain. Here are a few things to think about as you prepare: How does the landscape of the North Shore inform your life internally/externally? What is the sacred meaning of the North Shore landscape and why does it inspire you? How does it contribute to your sense of place, home and community?

We hope to keep the theme broad enough for a wide variety of interpretations and creativity, but, for further prompts or information, contact the Art Colony at 218-387-2737 or arts@boreal.org



Call for Artists
12/03/2010-12:32 PM

Join the Grand Marais Art Colony for a Q&A Discussion about the Grand Marais Arts Festival.

Thursday, December 16 at 6 pm at the Grand Marais Art Colony.  120 W. 3rd Ave.

Find out more information about the Historic Grand Marais Arts Festival and how you can be involved.

Contact the Art Colony with questions: 218-387-2737 or arts@boreal.org


Empty Bowls Dinner & Silent Auction - Nov. 11, 11 am - 2 pm & 5 - 7 pm
10/25/2010-03:48 PM

As the weather turns dreary, thoughts turn to warm meals and cozy evenings. Unfortunately, not all families have such luxury here in Cook County. 10% of our population receives some type of food support every month. The Cook County Food Shelf has seen an increase in usage and served 100 children and 169 adults in one month, up from 75 families per month last year. For this reason, annually, the Grand Marais Art Colony hosts the Empty Bowls Dinner and Silent Auction, a community fundraiser for the food shelf.

This year’s dinner is Thursday, November 11 with 2 servings, 11 am – 2 pm and 5 – 7 pm at the 1st Congregational UCC, located at the corner of 2nd Street and 3rd Ave. West. For a suggested $10 donation, pick out your favorite hand-made bowl and fill it with delicious soup donated by local restaurants.  There is plenty of soup and bowls for everyone to enjoy at both seatings!

The Silent Auction, which supports putting on Empty Bowls, will feature a variety of items including artist made bowls, artwork, gift certificates to local businesses and hospitality items.  Items will be available for a Buy It Now price or you can take your chances in a bidding war, closing at 6 pm SHARP!

There is still time to participate in the community events to prepare for the Empty Bowls Dinner. Join the Art Colony for Paint-a-Bowl on Sat., Oct. 30 at 1 pm to paint pre-made bowls - $5 participation fee.

We are also looking for donations for the Silent Auctionr. Donations could include a handmade bowl of any material, a piece of artwork, gift certificates or hospitality items. Please contact the Art Colony about donations – 218-387-2737 or arts@boreal.org. The Art Colony is located at 120 W. 3rd Ave. in Grand Marais.

Hope to see you at this community fundraiser where neighbors support neighbors!