Monday, July 31, 2017

August is upon us


“I’m so glad that it’s August” is not a statement you will hear very often, at least not coming out of my mouth. The fact that summer is two-thirds over always makes me a little melancholy. Looking on the bright side, we still have a whole month of summer left and some wonderful things going on at the Fosston Community Library Arts Center.
Come and see the paintings of Arna Rennan currently on display at the Sorenson Gallery. Arna, who lives in Duluth, has been painting plein aire for 25 years. (I actually had to look that up to make sure I was interpreting the term correctly, but it means painting pictures outdoors.) She received training at the National Academy of Art in Oslo, Norway, and spent four months in Paris and southern France seeking out Cezanne and Van Gogh’s favorite places to paint. The winner of several plein aire competitions, she has held painting workshops at the Grand Marais Art colony.

Build a Better World, the summer reading program for children and teens, continues through the end of the month. It’s not too late to sign up and do enough reading to qualify for the big prize drawings. There are two Wednesday afternoon programs scheduled for August. On Wednesday, August 2, working in teams, kids will have a chance to build a robot from recyclable materials. The finished products will be on display at the library so stop by and see them.

On Wednesday, August 9, at 9 p.m. there will be a pool party at the Fosston Civic Center. Meet at the pool with swim suit and towel for 45 minutes of fun with the library staff. There will be snacks and door prizes. Signed permission slips are required and preschoolers must be accompanied by an adult. Nonswimmers are required to wear a life jacket. Civic center lifeguards are on duty for this event.

On Tuesday, August 29, at 6:30, Rhonda Carlin will be giving a presentation on Flower Art. Here’s your chance to learn about making beautiful decorations for your home. She did the first installment of this earlier in the summer (or spring), but even if you missed that session, you are welcome at this one.

Just a couple of reminders:
There will be no story time on August 25, and the library will be closed on Monday, Sept. 4, in observance of Labor Day.

Monday, July 10, 2017

July Happenings


It’s July, a great month, except for the fact that once the Fourth is over, it seems as if school will be starting within the next week or so. While summer is still here, enjoy it by taking advantage of the events going on at the Fosston Community Library Arts Center.

First, there is a unique display in the Sorenson Gallery. Julie Johnson, sister-in-law to FCLAA board member Barb Johnson, is co-founder of a nonprofit that sells products made by women from around the world who are trying to support their families. They make a variety of fashion accessories – jewelry, bags, etc., and some of these will be on display at during the month. Items will be available for purchase. It’s a great cause so be sure to stop by and take a look. The company is called Elevat (with a long a). You can check out their Web site at www.elevatingtheglobe.com/

The summer reading program, “Build a Better World,”  continues through the month of August so if your child hasn’t yet signed up there is still time. Everyone who completes a reading log will receive a prize and be eligible for the prize drawing at the end of the summer. Remember that there is a summer reading program for adults too – through the end of July. Read four books and you may win a prize too.

Special programs continue  on Wednesday afternoons at 2 p.m. These programs are free and open to everyone and include a door prize drawing for a DQ Treat compliments of the Fosston Dairy Queen.

 On July 12, staff from the Agassiz Environmental Learning Center, which is located in the Sand Hills near Fertile, will do a presentation entitled “Save Our Species”, telling about endangered species in Minnesota and elsewhere. Learn what would happen if they no longer existed and what you can do to help. On July 19, there will be a special visit from a Minnesota State Trooper, who will talk about being safe on the road and in our community. On July 26, a beekeeper will share what he does throughout the year, as well as what the bees do. On August 2, everyone will be given a box of recyclable materials and invited to create their own robot. The robots will be displayed in the library for everyone to admire.

One bit of bad news – the teen talent show, which I announced in last month’s column, has been cancelled.