Create woven wall art using natural forked branches as a frame and simple, natural fiber materials. Prepare a branch for weaving, create warp threads between the branch points, weave yarn and fibers into patterns and textures, incorporate beads, ribbons, or feathers, and finish a wall-hanging piece.

Participants are encouraged to bring a branch that feels meaningful to them. A good branch for weaving is forked or Y-shaped, about 6–10 inches of weaving space, dry, and sturdy. Branches will be provided for anyone who cannot bring one.

Each participant will leave with a finished woven wall piece and the skills to continue weaving at home. No experience necessary.

Come see the art and craft of all the great people at the Folk School Building. Including works from Dovetail Cafe and Marketplace, Duluth Folk School, Voyageur Tattoo, Graphic Science, Friends of the Sax-Zim Bog, and Mosaic Massage.

Opening: May 23, 2026 | 5:30 PM

All Ages • Free
A beloved tradition. Stop in for a FREE, casual, creative art-making afternoon and learn to make simple, fun crafts that can be customized for artists of all ages.

The Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Logan Hudson, winner of the 2025 Grand Marais Plein Air "Best Body of Work" award, and first place in the 90-minute Birney Quick Paint. The exhibit will open with a reception on Friday, May 22, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and will run through June 14, 2026.

This exhibition highlights Hudson’s representational approach to the Midwestern landscape. Based in Fife Lake, Michigan, Hudson’s work is grounded in the belief that painting is a documentation of a search for truth within a subject. His technical discipline allows the natural environment to lead the narrative, resulting in compositions that balance atmospheric sensitivity with structural rigmarole.

Plein Air Grand Marais is a premier week-long competition where artists capture the rugged landscapes of the North Shore and the Gunflint Trail. The 2026 event runs from September 11–19, featuring an awards ceremony and exhibition opening on September 18, with the full gallery exhibit remaining on display through November 1.

Admission to the gallery is free, with donations graciously accepted.

The ARAC Board is responsible for setting and overseeing policy and setting strategic direction for the organization.

Board Meeting Dates:

August 21, 2025

November 20, 2025

February 19, 2026

May 21, 2026

Business meetings and orientation are from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. All business meetings take place over Zoom and are conducted in the spirit of the Open Meeting Law. Prior to each board meeting, board members receive important materials related to decisions and discussions for the meeting which can include financials, staff reports, panel funding recommendations, and any other items that require Board action.

All board meeting dates are open to the public unless otherwise stated. Meetings are held electronically.
To receive login information please email info@aracouncil.org

Explore your creativity in a laid-back atmosphere. Bring your headphones and creative ideas—art supplies provided, but bringing your own also welcome.

Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays (26 Sessions), April 2–June 30

Registration covers all sessions, but attending every session is not necessary.

Funded by the Minnesota State Arts Board

Explore your creativity in a laid-back atmosphere. Bring your headphones and creative ideas—art supplies provided, but bringing your own also welcome.

Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays (26 Sessions), April 2–June 30

Registration covers all sessions, but attending every session is not necessary.

Funded by the Minnesota State Arts Board

Creative Crafters & Artists Luncheon

May 19, 2026
12 PM (Noon)
Leech Lake Tribal College (Cedar Hall, Drum Room)
6945 Little Wolf Rd. NW, Cass Lake, MN 56633
FREE & Open to All

All are invited to this Creative Grafters & Artists Luncheon! Over a meal, we will discuss the importance of creativity and the arts to individuals and to the community. We encourage and support creators to share their art and to seek funding through grants and awards.

RSVP: Email Vicki at vicki@fwac.org or by calling 701-200-1375

Get Professional Photos of your Art!
Bring any artwork you would like professionally photographed to start or expand your portfolio. Photo sessions all afternoon by TJ Turner, sponsored by R2Arts.

Agenda:

• 12:00 Noon Welcome, Prayer

• Introductions

• Introduction to the Regional Arts Council services as we share a meal

• Community discussion led by a panel of Indigenous Artists

• Other grant and funding opportunities from McKnight Foundation, Springboard for the Arts, First Peoples Fund, and more!

• Drawings for door prizes all afternoon!

• Get your artwork professionally documented

Run Smelt Run Puppet Parade is a non-motorized, exuberant outdoor parade performance. A three week series of free workshops in parade arts create this celebration of the annual smelt run on Lake Superior. Hundreds of participants will arrive wearing their own sparkling creations. Magic Smelt will begin with a presentation of the Smelt Queen, her Royal Guard, and distinguished guests from the Smelt Kingdom. Music will be provided by the Brass Messengers, a 10 piece brass band. The parade will begin at 3:30pm, at the Aerial Lift Bridge. Everyone will be invited to join the moving party on the Lakewalk.

Following the parade will be a smelt fry and dance party at the Zeitgeist Arts Cafe.

The North Shore Artists League (NSAL) is pleased to announce its 7th Annual Member Show, "Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," hosted at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery.

The exhibition will open with a public reception on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and will remain on display through May 17, 2026.

This year’s theme, "Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," invites regional artists to explore the transition of the northern landscape. The collection features a diverse range of mediums including oil and acrylic painting, photography, fiber arts, glass, and woodworking, reflecting the unique creative community of the Arrowhead Region and the North Shore of Lake Superior.

On view: April 24 – May 17, 2026

Get involved in the fun of puppet parade art! Prepare yourself and the Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe for the Run Smelt Run Puppet Parade at one of their six parade workshops leading up to the parade on May 17th!

Workshops:
Wednesdays - May 6 & 13 (6–8pm)
Fridays - May 8 & 15 (6–8pm)
Saturdays - May 9 & 16 (3–6pm)

The North Shore Artists League (NSAL) is pleased to announce its 7th Annual Member Show, "Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," hosted at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery.

The exhibition will open with a public reception on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and will remain on display through May 17, 2026.

This year’s theme, "Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," invites regional artists to explore the transition of the northern landscape. The collection features a diverse range of mediums including oil and acrylic painting, photography, fiber arts, glass, and woodworking, reflecting the unique creative community of the Arrowhead Region and the North Shore of Lake Superior.

On view: April 24 – May 17, 2026

Nerds Doing Good 2 explores the efforts of local Ghostbusters cosplayers and scare actors to inspire positive change in the Arrowhead region, and features local nonprofits like Ronald McDonald House, Goodwill, and CHUM. It will premiere as the first film screened at the 2026 Junk Food Film Festival, during the AM family-friendly programming block.

Individual Artist Project Grant is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

About Junk Food Film Festival:
5/15/2026 – 5/16/2026

Are you tired of the same stuffy, stale film festivals? Sure, those festivals are chock full of thought-provoking cultural and social nutrients, but don't you wish there was another kind of festival?

Now there is!

Introducing the Junk Food Film Festival, brought to you by the team behind Midnight Movies at 7. You won't find any documentaries about somebody's war-hero grandpa here. All empty calories and no moral fiber, Junk Food Film Fest serves up only the most entertaining cult classics, schlock, and so-bad-it’s-good trash. JFFF brings you a unique theater experience with audience participation à la screenings of The Room, drinking games, trivia, and tons of giveaway prizes at each screening. Offering a variety of flavors from bold, weird, irreverent, and edgy.

Get involved in the fun of puppet parade art! Prepare yourself and the Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe for the Run Smelt Run Puppet Parade at one of their six parade workshops leading up to the parade on May 17th!

Workshops:
Wednesdays - May 6 & 13 (6–8pm)
Fridays - May 8 & 15 (6–8pm)
Saturdays - May 9 & 16 (3–6pm)

The North Shore Artists League (NSAL) is pleased to announce its 7th Annual Member Show, "Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," hosted at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery.

The exhibition will open with a public reception on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and will remain on display through May 17, 2026.

This year’s theme, "Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," invites regional artists to explore the transition of the northern landscape. The collection features a diverse range of mediums including oil and acrylic painting, photography, fiber arts, glass, and woodworking, reflecting the unique creative community of the Arrowhead Region and the North Shore of Lake Superior.

On view: April 24 – May 17, 2026

Explore your creativity in a laid-back atmosphere. Bring your headphones and creative ideas—art supplies provided, but bringing your own also welcome.

Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays (26 Sessions), April 2–June 30

Registration covers all sessions, but attending every session is not necessary.

Funded by the Minnesota State Arts Board

The North Shore Artists League (NSAL) is pleased to announce its 7th Annual Member Show, "Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," hosted at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery.

The exhibition will open with a public reception on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and will remain on display through May 17, 2026.

This year’s theme, "Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," invites regional artists to explore the transition of the northern landscape. The collection features a diverse range of mediums including oil and acrylic painting, photography, fiber arts, glass, and woodworking, reflecting the unique creative community of the Arrowhead Region and the North Shore of Lake Superior.

On view: April 24 – May 17, 2026

Get involved in the fun of puppet parade art! Prepare yourself and the Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe for the Run Smelt Run Puppet Parade at one of their six parade workshops leading up to the parade on May 17th!

Workshops:
Wednesdays - May 6 & 13 (6–8pm)
Fridays - May 8 & 15 (6–8pm)
Saturdays - May 9 & 16 (3–6pm)

ARAC Workshop: Legal Speak for Creatives- Contracts, Copyright & Intellectual Property Law

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 | 5 – 7 PM | FREE, VIRTUAL, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 

Featuring: Springboard for the Arts, Andy Sturdevant - Artist Resources Manager & Brian Lukasavitz, Assistant Professor of Business Law (University of MN Duluth), & Licensed Minnesota-based Arts & Entertainment Attorney 

Join the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council & Springboard for the Arts to learn more about contracts, copyright, and intellectual property law from Arts & Entertainment Attorney and Assistant Professor of Business Law Brian Lukasavitz. With an artist-driven approach, learn from a local expert on how to protect your creative capital and strengthen your overall legal literacy.

About the Presenter: Brian Lukasavitz is a musician, artist, attorney, and educator. My goal has always been to share my passions for the arts and for intellectual property law, while encouraging curiosity and creativity. One of my favorite sayings, often attributed to Picasso, is that "The meaning of life is to find your gift...the purpose of life is to give it away". I am still looking for my true gift, but I am eager to share what I have found so far. 

Explore your creativity in a laid-back atmosphere. Bring your headphones and creative ideas—art supplies provided, but bringing your own also welcome.

Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays (26 Sessions), April 2–June 30

Registration covers all sessions, but attending every session is not necessary.

Funded by the Minnesota State Arts Board

The North Shore Artists League (NSAL) is pleased to announce its 7th Annual Member Show, "Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," hosted at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery.

The exhibition will open with a public reception on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and will remain on display through May 17, 2026.

This year’s theme, "Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," invites regional artists to explore the transition of the northern landscape. The collection features a diverse range of mediums including oil and acrylic painting, photography, fiber arts, glass, and woodworking, reflecting the unique creative community of the Arrowhead Region and the North Shore of Lake Superior.

On view: April 24 – May 17, 2026

Julie Benett-Hume and David Luther Concert

Open Range Concerts is an intimate house concert style music series. We provide venues for artists and music lovers to come together and share the experience of amazing acoustic music that creates magic.

Get involved in the fun of puppet parade art! Prepare yourself and the Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe for the Run Smelt Run Puppet Parade at one of their six parade workshops leading up to the parade on May 17th!

Workshops:
Wednesdays - May 6 & 13 (6–8pm)
Fridays - May 8 & 15 (6–8pm)
Saturdays - May 9 & 16 (3–6pm)

A beginner-friendly fiber art workshop. Learn to weave colorful wall hangings using circular embroidery hoops or metal rings. Learn how to warp a circular weaving frame, weave basic over-under patterns, and build texture using yarn, ribbon, and fabric, add fringe, beads, feathers, or hanging strands. Explore one of the oldest art forms practiced globally across cultures as a creative practice that encourages slowing down, focusing the mind, and working intentionally with our hands.

Each participant will create a unique woven wall piece using colors and materials that resonate with them. No prior experience is required.

Bring yourself, the kids, and your whole family to The Depot for a great, and also FREE, day of science, technology, engineering, art, math, and music. We’ll have hands on experiments, interesting exhibits, and interactive activities from some amazing local organizations.

Additionally, the Lake Superior Railroad Museum will be celebrating National Train Day by providing free admission from 10am to 3pm. Enjoy food from the Top Food Truck, Speeder rides to the Northshore Scenic Railroad shop, shop tours, model railroad demos, and more with a our National Train Day collaboration!

The North Shore Artists League (NSAL) is pleased to announce its 7th Annual Member Show, "Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," hosted at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery.

The exhibition will open with a public reception on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and will remain on display through May 17, 2026.

This year’s theme, "Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," invites regional artists to explore the transition of the northern landscape. The collection features a diverse range of mediums including oil and acrylic painting, photography, fiber arts, glass, and woodworking, reflecting the unique creative community of the Arrowhead Region and the North Shore of Lake Superior.

On view: April 24 – May 17, 2026

Get involved in the fun of puppet parade art! Prepare yourself and the Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe for the Run Smelt Run Puppet Parade at one of their six parade workshops leading up to the parade on May 17th!

Workshops:
Wednesdays - May 6 & 13 (6–8pm)
Fridays - May 8 & 15 (6–8pm)
Saturdays - May 9 & 16 (3–6pm)

The North Shore Artists League (NSAL) is pleased to announce its 7th Annual Member Show, "Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," hosted at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery.

The exhibition will open with a public reception on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and will remain on display through May 17, 2026.

This year’s theme, "Beneath the Snow: What Winter Hides, Spring Reveals," invites regional artists to explore the transition of the northern landscape. The collection features a diverse range of mediums including oil and acrylic painting, photography, fiber arts, glass, and woodworking, reflecting the unique creative community of the Arrowhead Region and the North Shore of Lake Superior.

On view: April 24 – May 17, 2026

Explore your creativity in a laid-back atmosphere. Bring your headphones and creative ideas—art supplies provided, but bringing your own also welcome.

Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays (26 Sessions), April 2–June 30

Registration covers all sessions, but attending every session is not necessary.

Funded by the Minnesota State Arts Board