Gallery display by Mitch Hilliard

Mitch Hilliard currently has a number of beautiful photographs on display in the gallery.

October is here!

I’m not sure how it can be October already. Didn’t school just get out for the summer? What I do know is this: There are plenty of great activities scheduled this month at the Fosston Community Library Art Center.

There are three free events this month made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Dream of Owls Puppet Theatre did a show at the library On Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 3:30.
On Friday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet will be performing. This group has been here before ( a few years ago). Their repertoire includes everything from Bach to Prince.  The four musicians, Joseph Hagedorn, Maja Radovanlija, Ben Kunkel and Wade Oden, are described as “ambassadors of sound, style and substance.” It should be enjoyable.
On Friday, Oct. 27, at 6:30 p.m. living history performer Arn Kind will present “Minnesota in the Great War.” Kind has been an educator for 38 years, both in the classroom and through presentations to groups of all ages. He will make the history of World War I come to life.
The library book club will meet on Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. This month’s book is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a suitable selection for the month of October. There will be coffee and some good discussion, and if you want to just listen, that’s okay.
Teens are now invited to their own book club beginning Monday, Oct. 16, at 5 p.m. The book for the month is Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. There will be pizza!
Writers’ group will be meeting Thursday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m. We kicked off our season this month with a potluck supper and a presentation by Joanna Dymond on overcoming writer’s block. Even if you missed it, you are welcome to come anytime.
The youth chess club meets on Halloween (Oct. 31). They will have a special celebration although I’m not sure just what they will be doing. Maybe it will involve candy.
The used book sale will be going on the entire month of October. Books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, and this year, some other items as well, will be for sale at bargain prices. The sale is set up in the basement of the library.
One sad note – Fosston Branch Manager April Wedin is leaving to take a position with the City of Fosston. We are all sorry to see her go, but wish her well in her new venture.
Hopefully by the time you read this, there will be a new display in the gallery – photographs by Mitch Hilliard from Lengby.
Lastly, here are a couple of dates to mark on your calendar: Nov. 30-Dec. 3 – Performances of “It’s a Wonderful Life – the Musical”
Sunday, Nov. 26 – The Daisy Hagen Auction for the Arts.

 

September, September

September is here and we all realize that means back to school. At the Fosston Community Library Arts Center, it means back to music lessons and several other activities as well.

The following instructors will be available for music lessons:  Scott Paavola, (guitar) - 218-556-8669 scottpaavola@gmail.com;  Jeff Menten, (violin, viola, cello, mandolin, upright bass)  218-255-0087 or jeffmentenmusic@hotmail.com ; Orland Aspen (voice) - musicman56@gvtel.com or 435-6791; Kay Carlsen (piano) - aagekay@gvtel.com or 435-6710; and  Molly Peltier (piano) mkcrane@gmail.com or 435-1200. If you or your child are interested, please contact an instructor directly.

Family fun time resumes on Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome at these after-school activities, but children 7 and under must be accompanied by a responsible caregiver 12 or older. September’s activities include Bingo on Sept. 6, Legos on Sept. 13, games and puzzles on Sept 20, and crafts on Sept. 27.

Youth chess club (ages 10 and up)  will again meet on Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. This is for beginner, novice and intermediate chess players.

After taking the summer off, the library book club will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 12. The book is The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. There are always interesting discussions and did I mention there is coffee (usually decaf)?

There will be a movie night in the theater on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 6:30 p.m. with the showing of the PBS documentary Iris, the story of Iris Apfel, the quick-witted 93-year-old style maven from the New York fashion scene. Not sure if there will be popcorn.

Writers’ group will be meeting on Thursday, September 28, at 7:30 p.m. If you are looking for some motivation to get that family history written down, this just might do the trick. Bring some writing to share or just show up.

September is Library Card Sign-up Month so if you don’t have a library card, come in and apply for one. They are free to residents of the Lake Agassiz Regional Library area and will give you access to thousands of books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, and on-line resources. What a deal!

The last week in September is Banned Books Week so watch for a display on this. Some of the books that have been banned will surprise you.

Coming up Wednesday, October 4, at 3:30 p.m. is the Dream of Owls Puppet Theatre. Families will love this fascinating puppet show.

Remember to like the Fosston Public Library Facebook page to see more info about activities at the library.

Paintings by Arna Rennan

Paintings by Arna Rennan are currently on display at the Sorenson Gallery.

 

Let's build a robot

 

Summer reading program participants showed off their creativity when asked to build a robot from a variety of materials.

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.

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.