Art by Ivy Bailie

October

October is here, the leaves are beautiful, and as I write this, there is a freeze warning, the first one of the season. At the Aurora Center for the Arts, there are several exciting opportunities coming up. On Tuesday, October 13, singer/songwriter Annie Humphrey will present a concert at 7 p.m. She will be joined by a poet (Sorry, I don’t have a name) for a spoken word piece. Her concert was originally scheduled as part of the summer Concerts on the Porch series but was postponed until now and of course moved indoors. Because of licensing restrictions, the winter musical has been changed from “Matilda” to “Glitz – the Little Miss Christmas Pageant Musical.” The new show features backstabbing mothers and competitive daughters, but truth, honesty and love prevail. There will be a second round of auditions coming up soon. Contact Abby Pearson at 218-280-0595 for more information. The show will be presented Dec. 4-8. Meanwhile, at the Fosston Library, a workshop on Kinusaiga, the Japanese art of quilting without thread, will be offered on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 5 p.m. It’s free and supplies will be provided. Unfortunately, the limited number of spots are already spoken for, but you can call the library at 218-435-1320 to get on a wait list. You might get lucky. The library book club meets on Tuesday, October 20, at 2 p.m. This month’s book is The End of Drum Time by Hanna Phyläinen. Set in a remote village on the Scandinavian tundra in 1851, the characters include a Lutheran minister and Sami reindeer herders. It should be interesting. Contact the library for a copy of the book. On Wednesday, October 28, cookbook author Sarah Peterson will be at the library at 2 p.m. to talk about her latest book, Dish and Tell. The book features time-tested recipes and includes the stories behind them. Enjoy her recipes – and think about your own. Bingo for kids five and up will be Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 3:15. There are always prizes. Preschool story time for the little ones and their parents is scheduled for Mondays at 10:30 a.m. No story time on October 12 (Indigenous Peoples’ Day) as the library will be closed.

September is here

September is here, bringing a little sadness for the end of summer, but also lots of excitement for the beginning of the school year. Music lessons at the Aurora Center for the Arts will be resuming this month so now is the time for your child or yourself (no upper age limit) to learn to play an instrument or brush up on those skills you already have. Instruction is available for piano, strings, guitar and drums, as well as music production and songwriting. Instructors are Kay Carlsen, piano (aagekay@gvtel.com, 218-435-6710 or 218-289-3968), Jeff Menten, violin, viola, cello, mandolin and guitar (jeffmentenmusic@hotmail.com or 218-255-0087) and Eric Olson, guitar, drums, music production and songwriting (ericolsonator@gmail.com or www.spawnpoint.com) Contact an instructor directly to schedule lessons. Acoustofiddle (Jeff Menten and Paul Nye) will present a free concert on Friday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m. They were originally scheduled to perform at a concert on the porch, but the concert was cancelled because of threatening weather. This performance will be at the Aurora Center theater. An exhibit of Ivy Bailie’s paintings will be on display at the Sorenson Gallery. Her watercolor class is set for Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 10 a.m.at her studio patio. If you want to learn to paint a carpet of autumn leaves, sign up at Ivy Bailie Water Class 2026 auroracenterforthearts.org. Tryouts for “Mathilda” will be Sunday, September 20, at 3:30 and 6:30. Aspiring cast members of all ages are asked to prepare a short monologue and 16 bars of music. The show will be performed Dec. 4-8. Meanwhile, at the Fosston Library, story time for preschoolers will resume Monday, Sept. 14, at 10:30 a.m. and will be held every Monday. Tuesday, Sept. 15, will be a busy day with book club at 2 p.m. discussing The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. This novel is historical fiction set in 1950s Washington, D.C. It should be an interesting read. That same day, at 6 p.m., photographer Doug Ohman will do a presentation entitled “Shaping the Nation: Minnesota Stories at 250.” His programs are excellent – you won’t want to miss this. Wednesday Sept. 16, there will be Bingo for the kiddos at 3:30 p.m. Fun and prizes – sounds good. One more great event that same week (Friday, Sept, 18, at 3:30) is a reading by author Kent Estey. The native-written and illustrated children’s picture book, “Picking Sweetgrass,” recalls a cherished childhood memory of gathering sweetgrass with his grandmother. This event is sponsored by the Firefly Center for Art and Wellbeing.

August is usually quiet

August is usually quiet at the Aurora Center for the Arts after some busy times earlier in the summer. However, the Kids Drama Camp is coming up the week of August 17-21. Students from third through eighth grade will have the opportunity to spend the week rehearsing some Shakespeare, learning stage combat, scene work, costuming and design. At the end of the week, they will perform for family and friends. The student art exhibit in the Sorenson Gallery will remain for most of the month so if you haven’t seen it yet, you still have the opportunity. The summer reading program at the Fosston Library came to an end July 31. However, kids still may turn in their reading logs until August 8. Prize drawings will be held the following week. Library book club meets Tuesday, August 18, at 2 p.m. The book for the month is James by P. Everett. It is a retelling of the Huckleberry Finn story from the point of view of Jim, the runaway slave. I have a conflict and won’t be attending, but I intend to read the book anyway. It should be interesting. The new seats have been installed in the Aurora Center theater and they are beautiful. There are still seats available for sponsorship. Contact Abby Pearson at hello@auroracenterforthearts.org. Honor a loved one, celebrate your family or simply show your support. Coming up at the Aurora Center in September: -Annie Humphrey concert rescheduled from early July. It will most likely be at the theater rather than at the Heritage Center. -State Arts Board art class with Ivy Bailie - Tryouts for winter show, “Mathilda” Watch for further information on these coming events as dates have not been confirmed. One last thing – if you are suffering from the heat, it’s nice and cool at the library, and there’s nothing better than a good book

Mosaics by DeeDee Narrum

July - It must be summertime

July – it might be summertime when the living is easy, but there is plenty of activity at the Aurora Center for the Arts and the Fosston Library. Music on the Porch, sponsored by the Aurora Center and held outdoors at the East Polk Heritage Center, is back, with five concerts during the month of July. These free performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday evenings. The lineup includes Annie Humphrey on July 2, the Scott Jasmin Band on July 9, Jordan Messerole on July 16, Aurora Musical Showcase on July 23, and AcoustoFiddle on July 30. Back at the Aurora Center theater, 24 talented young performers in grades three-six will be rehearsing throughout the month for “Olympus; the Greek Rock Musical,” which will be performed July 30 and 31 at 7 p.m. and August 1 at 3 p.m. The story follows a group of Greek gods who interact with a group of mortals out on a hike. There are catchy songs and plenty of humor. It should be great fun. Director is Kirby Vossler. Kirby also taught some summer art classes at the center. Student works are currently featured at the Sorenson Gallery. Stop in and take a look. Meanwhile, at the Fosston Library, the summer reading program continues through the month. There is still time for kids, ages 0-18, to pick up a reading log, do some reading or listening, and have a chance at some great prizes. There are other activities as well. Wednesday, July 8, teens may make a micromosaic pendant from noon to 4 p.m. There is no change for this project although registration is required by calling the library (218-435-1320). The following week (July 15-23) the Learning Express Trailer from Prairie Public TV will be available with lots of fun activities all day. On Wednesday, July 22, “Let’s Make Bread and Butter! This program is held at the East Polk Heritage Center at 2:00 p.m. On Tuesday, July 28, also at 2:00 p.m., “Pint-size Polkas” will be held on the library grounds (or at the elementary school gym if it rains). For the adults, library book club will meet on Tuesday, July 21, at 2 p.m. This month’s book is Sandwich by Catherine Newman. Contact the library to obtain a copy. And, of course, the library will be closed on July 4th. Happy 250th birthday to the USA!

June!

June! All of a sudden, we are in full-blown summer, with green grass, flowering trees and 80-degree temperatures. At the Aurora Center for the Arts and the Fosston Library there are plenty of great summertime activities. Rehearsals are underway for “Sound of Music,” which is scheduled to be performed June 24-28. The show features students in 7th-12th grades, and so many kids turned out for audition, the entire show was double cast. Watch for details about tickets. The roof remodel is still pending, so the new seats will probably not be installed by the time of the show. Chairs are still available for sponsorship. Check auroracenterforthearts.org for more information. The Summer Art Classes will be held during the month. Kirby Vossler will be teaching these classes for ages 5-12. Students will paint, draw and sculpt with a variety of media. Contact Abby Pearson at hello@auroracenterforthearts.org for more info. Meanwhile at the Fosston Library, the summer reading program, “Reading Is Timeless,” kicked off June 1. Kids of all ages (or their parents) are invited to pick up a reading log at the library and track their reading time to be eligible for some great prizes. In addition, there are some free events scheduled throughout the summer. June 8-13 students are invited to pick up a let’s paint kit. Small cement sculptures or sun catchers are available to take home and complete. All materials are included. Staff from Itasca State Park will be at the library on Wednesday, June 24, at 2 p.m. with a presentation entitled “Nature Is Timeless,” and on Monday, June 29, also at 2:00 p.m. Stephanie Frisk of McIntosh, with some help from her daughters, will do a presentation called “Living Like Laura.” That’s Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House on the Prairie) which should appeal to fans of those books. Preschool storytime will continue at 10:30 a.m. Mondays through June 22. Weather permitting, it will be held at Berge Stafford Park on June 8, 15, and 22. For the adults, book club will continue through the summer, meeting this month on Tuesday, June 16, at 2 p.m. This month’s book is Dear Jacob by Patty Wetterling. Contact the library to obtain a copy. The library has a state park pass that may be reserved a week in advance if it’s available. There is only one, so it may be in use, but it doesn’t hurt to check.