The Grand Marais Arts Festival brings hundreds of people to downtown Grand Marais to explore the offerings of 70 artists. Left: Festival visitors can make a special Arts Festival T-shirt. Above: Mary MacDonald will be back this year with her loom.
Ever since it was founded in 1947, the Grand Marais Art Colony has been the hub of a bustling art community on the North Shore. One of the Art Colony’s premier events is the Grand Marais Arts Festival, held in downtown Grand Marais with beautiful Lake Superior as a perfect backdrop. This year’s event takes place July 12 – 14 and in addition to the amazing artists set up along Wisconsin Street, there are activities all over Grand Marais.
A number of businesses get into the spirit of the Arts Festival, such as The Garage at 16 First Avenue West. This former Chevrolet garage, turned antique store, turned community gathering place, offers art classes for kids—free—every Friday from 9 – 11 a.m. There is art in every shop and restaurant and on the Arts Festival weekend, Sivertson Gallery is hosting its Trollbeads National Summer Trunk Show on July 12 – 14. Stop by the gallery and check out the exquisite Trollbeads and local and regional art.
Sivertson Gallery is also the location of the Friday night “Meet & Greet Soiree.” Stop by the gallery to meet local and exhibiting artists before the festival booths open. Grand Portage guitarist Briand Morrison will be playing.
There is live music in Harbor Park, courtesy of the Grand Marais Art Colony, as well as music at venues all over the county throughout the weekend. On Saturday, July 13 at 7:30 p.m. the place to be is the Arrowhead Center for the Arts to see the April Verch Band in concert. That concert is hosted by the North Shore Music Association.
But of course the main attraction of the weekend is the tents lining Wisconsin Street, filled with over 70 local and regional artists exhibiting their drawings, painting, ceramics, metalwork, woodwork, print and photography, jewelry, sculpture and more. For two days these talented artists showcase their unique handcrafted work and provide insight into their artistic process through demonstration and dialogue.
Throughout the weekend, some special pieces will be on display at the Grand Marais Art Colony building—each artist enrolled in the Arts Festival is asked to provide something for sale. Funds from this amazing sale support the ongoing work of the Grand Marais Art Colony.
Also occurring during the Arts Festival is a return of an old Art Colony tradition, the Clothesline Art Sale Fundraiser. Artists from around the region contributed 5×7 works, which will be on display at the Art Colony booth for sale. Don’t miss this chance to purchase some amazing artwork for a good price and a good cause.
To learn more about the Grand Marais Arts Festival or the Art Colony, visit www.grandmaraisartcolony.org.
Weekend Events
Friday, July 12
9 – 11 a.m. | The Garage, 16 First Avenue West
Kids’ Art Classes
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | North House Folk School
Craft on the Commons: Live Demonstrations
2 p.m. | Grand Marais Art Colony
Clay demonstration with Joan Farnam
6 p.m. | American Legion Post 413
Dance to classic country band Portage
7 – 9 p.m. | Sivertson Gallery
Meet & Greet Soiree
with music by Briand Morrison
Saturday, July 13
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Wisconsin Street
Arts Festival booths open
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Arts Colony Booth
Clothesline Art Sale Fundraiser
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Wisconsin Street
WTIP Radio live broadcast
10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Art Colony Booth
Screen-print your own T-shirt
11 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Johnson Heritage Post
Cook County Hospital Auxiliary Pie Social
12:30 – 2:30 p.m. | Harbor Park
Live music
1 – 3 p.m. | Lake Superior Trading Post
Book signing The Pie Place Cookbook
2 p.m. | Harbor Park
Shore—a dance, music, storytelling event
2 p.m. | Grand Marais Art Colony
Historical Facility Tour
3 – 5 p.m. | Harbor Park
Live music
5 p.m. | Drury Lane Books
Writer’s Salon: Tom Berg – Minnesota’s Miracle
7:30 p.m. | Arrowhead Center for the Arts
April Verch Band
9 p.m. | GunFlint Tavern
Pete K Group performs
Sunday, July 14
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Wisconsin Street
Arts Festival booths open
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Art Colony Booth
Clothesline Art Sale Fundraiser
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Art Colony Booth
Create your own screen-print T-shirt
11 a.m. | The Garage, 16 First Avenue West
Felting & Weaving with Raven’s Beak Design
12 – 2 p.m. | Harbor Park
Live music
2 p.m. | Harbor Park
Emily Johnson performs
2 – 4 p.m. | Harbor Park
Live music
9 p.m. | GunFlint Tavern
The Brothers Burn Mountain perform
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