Mary Schliep displayed a portion of her intricate and beautiful rosemaling paintings she has done through the years at the North House Folk School last weekend. Rosemaling is a traditional form of folk art that originated in the rural valleys of Norway sometime in the 1750s. The folk school offered many traditional classes over the weekend that ran the gamut from broom-making to making wooden spoons and spinning wool for sweaters and scarves. Staff photo/Brian Larsen
Last weekend’s Unplugged 2018 was simply tremendous. No two ways around it, from start to finish the North House staff, volunteers, performers and instructors more than did their jobs.
In its seventeenth year of hosting the event, North House simply puts together enough events and activities disparate enough to please most anyone, young or old.
This year well over a thousand people took part in those festivities.
Greg Wright, executive director, reported: “The big top tent was truly put to good use, welcoming 220 people to Friday’s Birch Bark Bash and an additional 600-plus to Saturday’s featured Unplugged performance – two robust evenings filled with celebration, music, and storytelling.”
Any visitor to the campus understood that many additional people participated in the weekend’s Folk Artisan Marketplace, free public speaker series, music jam sessions and a community sing along. Over 25 classes and mini-workshops were layered together before, during and after the gathering as well.
Hilarious monologues by author, playwright and storyteller Kevin Kling (pictured in the inset) and a wide array of music performed by the singers and musicians of the band that accompanies him thrilled the 600 or so people who attended the Saturday, Sept. 15 Unplugged event held on the North House campus. Performing with Kling were Marc Anderson, Dan Chouinard, Bradley Greenwald, Prudence Johnson, Simone Perrin, Claudia Schmidt and Dane Stauffer. Photo courtesy of Carolyn Fritz
During the Saturday night concert Wright gave the audience a brief history about the iconic school located on the shore of Lake Superior.
“As many may remember,” said Wright, “Unplugged found its beginning back in 2001 when North House quite literally had $25 in its checking account and was working hard to rebuild the red building (after the nearly disastrous fire in March of that year), when Grammy Award-winning songwriter Jon Vezner journeyed to Grand Marais with his father to go fishing.
“Jon’s family roots in Minnesota and his love of the North Shore inspired him to get involved, and in 2002 he returned to North House to host the first Unplugged.
“That first year featured Michael McDonald (of the Doobie Brothers), Bernie Leaden (of the Eagles), Grammy Award-winning country singer Kathy Mattea (who is also Jon’s wife), and Cook County’s very own Michael Monroe. It was an inspiring beginning, and the past 17 years have built on its success.”
As guests arrived to pick up or buy their tickets for the Unplugged concert last Saturday they were treated to a free hour of toe tapping music by Cook County’s Plucked Up String Band. Staff photo/Brian Larsen
Wright noted, “One of the things North House relishes about Unplugged is how it gathers friends old and new, near to far! And while they come to campus to enjoy themselves, they also come to campus to support North House. Thanks to what can only be called spirited generosity there is good news to report.
“Friday’s Live Auction often featured items made at North House and generated just short of $10,000.
“In addition, Friday’s Live Fund- A-Need Auction secured support for multiple key projects: a new floor for the boat barn, work/study scholarship funding, next March’s featured artisan from northern Japan, a dishwasher, sewing machines and more. The total raised during Fund-A-Need was just under $40,000,” Wright said.
While Unplugged is under way on campus, a key online celebration, the Points North Online Auction is being held at the same time, said Wright.
“This year Points North included over 150 items that featured local businesses, North House instructors and more,” noted Tom Morse, North House’s development director. “Our goal is to at once tell the world about the beauty of the North while also supporting North House. Bottom line – 15,000 page views from literally all over the world, hundreds of bidders from 41 states, all learning about this inspiring place we all call home.”
Unplugged truly shines thanks to the spirited involvement of many, noted Wright.
“Over 50 community volunteers were involved this year, from hosting at the info table to moving straw bales, hanging twinkle lights to setting chairs,” said Wright.
“Visit Cook County served in a critical leadership role as lead sponsor. Many other local businesses stepped forward as well, including Voyageur Brewing, North Shore Winery, East Bay Suites, Aspen Lodge, Best Western, Wunderbar, Lutsen Resort, Sawbill Canoe Outfitters and Thrivent Financial.”
Event sponsors also included Fulton Beer, MN Public Radio, Superior Switchel, and the MN State Arts Board.
As Nancy Burns, board president, said from the stage on Friday evening: “North House shines thanks to you!”
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