Competition and Festival of Outdoor Painting on the North Shore of Lake Superior

See the final exhibition of 66 Plein Air artists!

Opening Reception
Friday, Sep 17th, 5-8pm (awards at 6:30 pm)

Gallery Hours
Monday, Wednesday – Saturday 10-4 (closed Tuesdays); Sundays 1-4

Fall in Cook County is a time of tumultuous beauty, so take some time to explore the colors and meet artists during the Fall Studio Tour!  Stops include home studios as well as galleries with guest artists.

Art Along The Shore map, descriptions and events

At the Grand Marais Art Colony, we exist to support the enduring human need for creative expression and inspiration. Artists and creative seekers of all levels come from across the country to learn from renowned instructors, create art, and engage together in artistic inquiry.

October Courses

5-8 :: From Block to Book: Woodcut Artist Books
5-9 :: Botanical Illustration
8-9 :: Painting: Process and Play
13-Dec 8 :: Beginning Clay {Wednesday evenings]
14 :: Art Journaling Re-invented
14-16 :: Fall Sampler: Print, Draw, Sculpt
15-16 :: Maiolica Tiles
15-16 :: Spontaneous Process Painting
19-Dec 7 :: Attachments in Clay [Tuesday evenings]

North House was founded in 1997 by a small handful of inspired locals passionate about traditional craft and cooperative learning.

October Courses

Sep 29-Oct 3 :: Autumn Nature Photography
4-5 :: Forging Tools for the Kitchen
1-3 :: Beginner’s Botanical Medicine
1-3 :: Chainsaw Safetty, Maintenance and Tree Felling
1-3 :: Celestial Navigation: Dancing with the Stars
1-3 :: Forging Traditional Scandinavian Composite Knife Blades

5-11 :: Basket Week

Winter Birch Bark Folded Baskets … Basket Making Sampler … Small Ash Market Basket … Crafting the Traditional Stake and Strand Willow Basket … Black Ash Hex Weave Basket … Handmade Whisk Brooms … Two Berry Birch Bark Basket … Pine Needle Basketry
7-10 :: Blacksmithing: The Basics & Beyond
14-17  :: Decorative Ironwork Intensive
14-17 :: Birch Bark Boxes
15-17 :: Handcraft A Wool Braided Rug
15-17 :: What’s This Rock? Unraveling the Geologic Story of the North Shore
16-17 :: The Cedar Hand Drum: Carving, Stretching, Drumming

22-24 :: Family Weekend

Found Object Art … Kids in the Woodshop [carving / tools & building] … Families at the Forge … Scandinavian Stories & Puppets … Fun with Plant Fibers… Intro to Woodturning …Make Your Own Flashlight … In the Kitchen: Apples … Old-Fashioned MN Kids Games

28- 31 :: Cedar Bentwood Boxes
28-31 :: Traditional Swedish Table-Made Hair Jewelry
29-31 :: Making Hide and Canvas Mukluks
29-31 Rosemaling; Valdres Style

Our featured photographer for the month of October is Roxanne Distad. “Photography at the Rock,” a rotating monthly photography show in the lobby of the visitor center at Split Rock Lighthouse, showcases landscape and wildlife photographers of the area.

October 9th, 10am-3pm : Meet Roxanne and talk with her about her work
October 1-31 : Her photographs will be on display at the visitor center.

Photographer biography: Roxanne Distad
Distad’s journey into photography blossomed when she received a Kodak Brownie camera for her 12th birthday. She spent many summer nights during her high school years road tripping and discovering the western half of the United States.

Her passion for photography has spanned many years and many cameras, from film to digital. She wants her images to transport you into the very moment she captured them, so you may also experience the magic, beauty, and mystery that embraces Lake Superior and the North Shore.

Join us for the official kick-off to Beargrease! Our Fur-K (5k) and DogtoberFest (Beer Festival) will be fun for the whole family!

The run will take place on the Erkki Harju Ski Trail. Register for the morning (8 am to noon) or afternoon (1-4 pm).

Blacklist Brewing Co. will be kicking off the DogtoberFest Beer Tasting Celebration serving samples of Bloody Beers!
Mystery Mobile Catering and Oasis Del Norte Food trucks will be selling on-site to sustain you from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
DogtoberFest Beer Tasting Festival and live music will run from 12:00 – 4:00.

Everyone is invited to stop by the weekly open air market. Vendors offer handmade and home grown items from pottery to woodwork to jewelry to fiber arts to flowers, veggies, jams, jellies and baked goods.

Learn a secret to the identification of skulls, as every skull has details that tells a story about their lives. Look at several skulls and see if you can tell what that animal ate.

In the Interpretive Hall of the Visitor Center

Locally grown – fresh from your neighbors.

2021 season details TBA

Father and son, Billy and Barry Larson, will be demonstrating jewelry making techniques in the backyard of Joy & Co. As time allows, visitors will also have opportunities to choose their own stones, design their own settings, and have Billy or Barry create one-of-a-kind jewelry. Both Billy and Barry will have many of their jewelry pieces available for purchase.

more info about Joy & Co

Join the Naturalist on a guided hike to Shovel Point and hear about the unique biology and geology of this famous landmark.

Meet by the Indoor Fireplace in the Visitor Center

From the blacksmith shop to the woodshop, there is always something happening on campus. Discover the rich folk school tradition, see craft in action, and hear the stories! Meet at the Yellow Building – no registration required. Free