September happenings

September brings the end of summer and back to school, a time that is welcomed by some and maybe dreaded by others. However you might feel about it, it is here, and at the Aurora Center for the Arts/Fosston Library there are some good things happening. Music lessons at the art center 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 digital recording, 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) If you are interested in lesson, please contact the instructor directly. After taking the summer off, the Fosston Library book club will resume meeting on Tuesday, September 17, at 2 p.m. to discuss the book, The Red Address Book, by Swedish author Sofia Lundberg. And yes, the book has been translated into English, so you don’t have to read it in Swedish. I haven’t read it yet, but the book features Doris, 96 years old, who looks at the names written in her address book and remembers their importance in her life. It sounds like a good read, and I’m willing to bet there will be coffee and goodies at book club. On Friday, September 20, at 10:30 a.m., Minnesota photographer Doug Ohman will present a program on Minnesota State Parks. Many of you have probably attended one of his programs in the past, but if you haven’t, I highly recommend it. Minnesota has 65 (or 66) state parks, and I think he’s been to all of them. On Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 1 p.m., Minnesota author Jess Lourey will be at the library, Best known for writing the Mira James mysteries, Lourey’s books are a mix of humor and suspense. She currently lives in Minneapolis. I must confess I haven’t read any of her books, but I hope to remedy that before she gets here. And for the kiddos, there will be bingo on Wednesday, September 18, at 3:30.

Currently in the Sorenson Gallery - Carol Danielson

July!

July – the midpoint of summer? My husband used to say that once the Fourth of July was over, school started the next week. A bit exaggerated, but our summers are fleeting. We need to enjoy them while we can. One way we can do that is to attend the Music on the Porch concerts, sponsored by the Aurora Center for the Arts. Held on the back porch of the Larson House on the East Polk Heritage grounds, the concerts are free, held each Thursday evening at 7 p.m. July 11 through August 1. If you enjoy Americana/folk-type music, it’s a pleasant way to spend an evening. Performers on the schedule include Jordan Messorole from Iowa on July 11, Scott Jasmin from Park Rapids on July 18, Doyle Turner, originally from Naytahwaush, on July 25, and Accoustofiddle (Paul Nye and Jeff Menten) on August 1. Featured artist for July in the Sorenson Gallery is Carol Danielson of Fosston. Here’s what has been written about her: “Encouraged at a young age by her teacher to continue her drawings, by a friend who introduced her to a watercolor class, and by her family to transform the chicken coop of their farm into an art studio, Carol has continued throughout her life in her passion for art.” Stop by during library hours to view her paintings. Speaking of the Fosston Library, the summer reading experience, Explore!, continues through the month. There is still timefor children and teens to pick up a reading log and do enough reading to qualify for the prize drawings at the end of the month. There are also a couple of related activities. During the week of July 8-13, children and teens are invited to pick up a free take-and-make Minne-Mural poster. Then on Thursday, July 18, award-winning cartoonist Rick Stromoski will be live-streamed at the library for an outer space drawing class and watch party from 2:00-3:00 p.m. If you are looking for bargains, the library continues to have an on-going book sale. Nothing is over a dollar, and we can all agree, there isn’t much we can buy at those prices anymore. Of course, the library itself is the biggest bargain of all. With a library card, which is free, you can have access to thousands of books and DVDs for no charge (unless you fail to return them, of course.)

Just Because It's June

Just because it’s June (to quote the Rogers and Hammerstein song), activities are busting out all over at the Aurora Center for the Arts and the Fosston library. Music on the Porch, the summer concert series sponsored by the Aurora Center and held at the East Polk Heritage grounds, returns beginning Thursday, June 20, with free concerts every Thursday evening at 7 p.m. through August 1. Mark Fogelson opens the series with acoustic folk-style music and Dan Rodriguez will be here on June 27. Rodriguez has played in Fosston several times and is a crowd favorite. Bring your own chair or come early enough to get a spot at one of the picnic tables under the shelter. Summer youth art classes in the basement of the Aurora Center have already begun but there are still a few openings for students ages nine through twelve. Contact Kirby Vossler at Kirby.vossler@gmail.com Meanwhile at the library, the summer reading experience, Explore!, is just getting started. Children and youth are invited to read to win great prices and explore outer space with lots of fun events at the library. Pick up a reading log at the library to get started. The first special program is Wednesday, June 5, with a free screening of the children’s film, “Home,” at 2 p.m. at the Fosston Movie Theater. Admission is free, but if you want popcorn (or any other treat,) you will need to pay for it. On Wednesday, June 12, also at 2 p.m., a naturalist from Itasca State Park will help kids explore star stories found in the night ski. I guess everyone will need to go out after dark to see them. However, on Friday, June 21, there will be an opportunity to see what the night ski looks like with the Star Lab! The program is free, but registration is required. There will be two sessions – one at 1:30 and one at 2:15. This presentation is geared towards youth five and up. On Friday, June 28, magician Magic Bob will present a magic show, Lost in Space, at 2:00 p.m. Suggested ages are three through ten, although I suspect some of us who are over ten might enjoy it too. On Monday and Tuesday, July 1-2, there will be a opportunity for kids to create a book bag to take home. Supplies are provided. Kids under eight must be accompanied by a caregiver. Come either day, but maybe not both times so that everyone who wants to make a bag will have the opportunity.

Looking ahead to May

Even though it’s been a mild winter, I’m still looking forward to May – green grass, tulips and daffodils, and leaves on the trees. At the Aurora Center for the Arts and the Fosston library, there are other things to look forward to as well. There will be music in the air on Sunday, May 12, at 3 p.m. when Kay Carlsen’s piano students and Jeff Menten’s guitar and string students present their annual recital. This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. At the Sorenson Gallery, the May exhibit will feature photographs by Monika Lawrence in “Heritage Through Image” sponsored by the East Polk County Heritage Center. The display highlights 11 individuals captured taking part in their craft, interests and passion for the history and culture of our region. Come and see who you recognize. The Gallery is open during library hours and during the music recital. At the library, on Tuesday, May 7, at 2 p.m., there will be an author visit by Candace Simar, a Minnesota poet and author from Pequot Lakes, who has written several historical novels set in Minnesota. She will discuss her latest novel, Sister Lumberjack, which is set in the northern Minnesota forests. Book club for May will follow a slightly different format in that instead of everyone reading the same book, participants are asked to pick a book with a summer theme. (Check with your friendly local librarian for suggestions.) There will be conversation, coffee, and goodies, and it hopefully won’t be too reminiscent of oral books reports in school. You may come on Tuesday, May 14, at 7 p.m. or Tuesday, May 21, at 2 p.m. You could even attend both sessions if you wish – there will be different books discussed. Preschool storytime will continue through Monday, May 13. There will be a break through the month of June. Watch for storytime to resume sometime during the month of July. The Summer Library Experience, “Explore!” will begin June 1. Kids of all ages will be able to read to win great prizes and explore outer space with events at the library. The first program will be Wednesday, June 5, at 2 p.m. Held at the Fosston movie theater, the children’s film “Home” will be shown. Admission is free, although concessions are not. One last reminder: the library will be closed on Monday, May 27, in observance of Memorial Day.

We move into April

As always, the burning question as we move forward into April is “Will the April showers be rain showers or snow showers?” That remains to be seen, but I can tell you a few things about the Aurora Center for the Arts and the Fosston Library. Kip Fontaine is one of the new board members for the Aurora Center. A graduate of Concordia College and the University of Minnesota Law School, Kip and his wife Sheila live on Maple Lake with their German Shepherd Lilah. He is a very active volunteer in the region, currently serving as chair of Alluma and as president of the United in Christ Lutheran Parish, just to mention a couple of his interests. He is interested in theater, having acted in plays during his high school days in Red Lake Falls and in community theater productions. During his career as an attorney, he served as assistant Polk County Attorney and as Clearwater County Attorney for several years. Now retired but still busy, he sometimes provides fill-in daycare for his grandchildren. There are 10 of them, with nine of them being five and under. He enjoys photography, reading, traveling and being out on the lake. Kip says he is excited to be on the Aurora board to listen and learn about the arts in the area. Also new to the board is Mike McColl, who is currently the art teacher at the Fosston High School, his alma mater. He and his wife Janette live in Lengby, in the old Lengby School building where they offer art classes, artists’ retreats, and a summer day camp for kids. They share their home with three cats. Their combined family includes three sons and a daughter, as well as two grandchildren, with one more on the way. Mike was originally from the Twin Cities area, but lived here from the time he was 13 until he graduated from high school. After a stint in the navy, he worked in a variety of occupations, including cabinetmaking and managing night clubs and housing. He attended Augsburg College and the U of M, graduating from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. His ethnic heritage includes a grandfather who came from Greece, which makes him kind of a minority around here. Mike says he is looking forward to serving on the Aurora Board. On Saturday, April 27, there will be a reception for artist Pam Edevold at the Sorenson Gallery from 11-12:30. Her exhibit, “Preserving Local Indigenous Heritage through Regalia,” will be at the gallery through the month of April. Information about 2024Aurora memberships is available at auroracenterforthearts.org If you are a member, watch for the Spring/Summer newsletter which will be coming out some time this month. Meanwhile, at the Fosston Library, book club is scheduled for Tuesday, April 9, at 7 p.m. and Tuesday, April 16, at 2 p.m. This month’s book is Chronicles of a Radical Hagby Minnesota author Lorna Landvik. Check with the library to get a copy of the book. Wednesday, April 17, is the day for kid’s bingo. Time is 3:30. On Wednesday, May 1, Doug Ohman, photographer and storyteller, will present “Name That Town: Journey through Northern Minnesota.” The presentation is sponsored jointly by NELL and LARL. The program is at 9:30 – doors open at 9:00.

Currently in the Sorenson - works by Pam Edevold