December doings

Once again, it is December. At the Fosston Community Library Arts Center, the musical Annie was held last weekend, and there really aren’t a lot of special events scheduled for December.

The library book club will meet Tuesday, December 11, at 7 p.m. This month’s book is Still Life with Bread Crumbs, which tells the story of a formerly world-famous photographer who moves to a small country cabin and bonds with a local man. Everyone is invited to bring some holiday treats to share.

Writers’ group will not be meeting in December, but I decided to share the poem I wrote for our November meeting.

 

Why Am I Surprised Every Time I Look Out the Window?

I look out the window and what do I see? 

A white winter landscape – how can that be?
November’s not over; it still should be fall.
I really don’t like this – no, not at all.

 I step out the door and am hit with a blast

Of nasty cold wind. The summer is past.
The streets and sidewalks are now both so icy
That walking upon them is so very dicey.

 And don’t get me started on what I must wear –

We should cover up when out in the air.
Warm scarves and mittens, boots, hats and coats –
Whatever you do, you must cover your throat.

 But I must say, the snow really is pretty,

It’s dazzling white and not yet so gritty. 
A few more days and it is December
And after winter comes spring, you remember. 

 Looking ahead to January, there will be writers’ group, so if you’re interested in joining us, you can start thinking about what you want to write. (It doesn’t have to be poetry.)

                Also in January, the Sorenson Gallery will feature the work of several area metal artists – metal sculpture, forged iron and more.

                If you are interested in serving on the FCLAA board of directors, now’s your chance. Contact Bonnie Stewart at 435-6119 if you are interested.

                The library will be closed December 24 and 25 for Christmas. It will close at 5 on New Year’s Eve and will be closed New Year’s Day.

 

In the Sorenson Gallery

 

Paintings by Ta-Coumba

 

 

And Now It's November

November is here, although we seem to have had November weather through most of October. Does that mean we will have October’s bright blue weather in November?  Probably not, but we can hope. At any rate there are some exciting events scheduled at the Fosston Community Library Arts Center.

The musical Annie is in rehearsal, with four performance scheduled for the end of the month. Show times are 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 29, and Friday, Nov. 30. On Saturday, December 1, there will be a 2 p.m. matinee and well as a 7 p.m. performance. Tickets are available at Generations Clothing, downtown Fosston.

There will be a new exhibit going up in the Sorenson Gallery with artistic works by Ta-Coumba, a Twin Cities artist, arts administrator, educator and community activist who focuses on public art and collaborative projects. His works can be found in public and private collections including those of the Walker Art Center, General Mills, and Maya Angelou. In the 1990s he visited Fosston, where he worked with local art students to create the mural depicting the history of Fosston. The mural can still be seen on the side of the building west of the stoplight on Highway 2. It will be interesting to see what he will display in a smaller space.

Book club will meet Tuesday, November 13, at 7 p.m. to discuss The Dry by Jane Harper. A small town in Australia hides big secrets. There will be coffee and goodies and some good discussion.

Adult coloring club will meet November 25, at 6:30 p.m. Coloring sheets, colored pencils and gel pens will be provided.

Also on November 25, writers’ group will meet at 7:30 p.m. If you have been meaning to jot down your memories for your family, or if you feel that you are destined to write the great American novel, coming to this group might be just the motivation you need. Bring a sample of you writing to share or just come and see what it’s all about.

The October used book sale went well, bringing in nearly $800 to be used for library programming. If you missed it, there will continue to be a smaller on-going  sale at the library.

The library will be closed on Monday, Nov. 12, in observance of Veteran’s Day. (And I know Veteran’s Day is really November 11.) It will also be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, and will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 21.

October is here!

Once again October is here – often a pleasant month if we don’t think too often about what comes next. The Fosston Community Library Arts Center has plenty of activity going on this month to keep your mind off the w-word and the s-word.

Once again, the used book sale will be going on in the basement with books, magazines, DVDs and CDs. Nothing costs more than a dollar, and proceeds are used for library programing. If you need to do a little purging at home before you buy more books, donations of new and gently used items will be accepted until mid-month.

There are a couple of concerts coming up this month. On Friday, Oct. 5, at 6:30 p.m., The Lacewings, an acoustic duo from Minneapolis, will perform folk music interwoven with stories of some of Minnesota’s immigrant.  On Sunday, Oct. 14, at 2 p.m., Arna Rennan will perform Norwegian ballads from the Middle Ages, singing and playing the langeleik and the overtone flute. Both concerts are free, thanks to funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Book club will be meeting Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. to discuss Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. I haven’t read it yet and it suspect it might be one that I wouldn’t have read except for book club. There is always a good discussion, as well as coffee and goodies.

On Thursday, Oct. 11, Fosston’s Fall Art Crawl will take place from 3-7 p.m. at various sites. The event will conclude with a reception at the Sorenson Gallery at 7 for all artists and the public.

Writers’ group will meet Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m. New members are always welcome with or without a sample of writing to share.

Coloring club meets Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 6:30 p.m. Coloring sheets, colored pencils and gel pens are provided.

Family Fun time is scheduled for Wednesdays and 3:30 p.m. There will be games, puzzles, crafts, movies and more. (No Family Fun Time on Oct. 1 or Oct. 17.

Just a couple more things:

The winner of the tent for the summer reading experience was Quinten Lundell.

Also, the library will be closed on Monday, Oct. 8, for Staff Training.

Lynette Ross photography

September Days

The days may grow short when we reach September, but at the Fosston Community Library Arts Center, those short days are packed with plenty of activity.

School is starting, and music lesson will be resuming at the arts center. There will be an additional piano instructor this year. D’wana Carroll will be available with lessons for beginners and intermediate students. D’wana, who lives in Erskine, has played piano since she was five and has given lessons in a variety of places, most recently the Win-E-Mac school. She is a graduate of North Central University in Minneapolis with a B.S. degree in music and religious education. Her phone number is : 612-670-4522; email: dwana.carroll@gmail.com  Other instructors available for lessons are Jeff Menten, (violin, viola, cello, mandolin, upright bass and guitar)  218-255-0087 or jeffmentenmusic@hotmail.com; Kay Carlsen (piano) - aagekay@gvtel.com or 435-6710; and  Molly Peltier (piano and flute) mkcrane@gmail.com or 435-1200.

If you are interested in lessons for your child or for yourself, there will be an open house on Sunday, September 9, 3-5 p.m. Come and meet the instructors, sign up for lessons and enjoy some refreshments. If you can’t make the open house, feel free to contact the instructors directly.

The photography of Lynette Ross is currently on display at the Sorenson Gallery. There will be an artist’s reception for Lynette on Thursday, September 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Potter Tom Daly of Bemidji will be having an exhibit in the gallery beginning Sept. 24. Daly came to Bemidji from Rochester in the mid-80s to study art at BSU. He teaches pottery at the Headwaters School of Music and the Arts.

On Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m. there will be a special program at the library entitled “A Minnesota Love Story.” Come hear how two teenagers, parted during the 50s because of an unplanned pregnancy, reconnected years later and how they found their long-lost birth daughter.

September also brings the resumption of book club on Tuesday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. The book is Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. It’s the story of two families changed by a heartbreaking injustice.

Writers’ group will meet on Tuesday, September 25, at 7:30 p.m. If you haven’t been there, don’t be intimidated. Feel free to visit and see what goes on, and if you wish to share a sample of your writing, that’s okay too. That same evening at 6:30, the adult coloring group will meet so perhaps you want to check that out and then stay for writers’ group.
Family Fun Time will resume in September with Legos, bingo, puzzles, games and crafts. Children under the age of seven must be accompanied by a responsible caregiver age 12 or older

Art of Ric Sorenson and Fosston High School Alumni

Painting by Valerie Heide Martine, Class of 79

Work by Ric Sorenson

Work by Ric Sorenson