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Hello NWFA Members and Friends!
As the crisp autumn air settles in and the days grow shorter, NWFA invites you to warm up with our Susan B. Martin Memorial Member Show which is extended through Nov 14, featured artists and upcoming events. 

Important Dates:

· Daylight Savings Time Ends on Sunday, Nov 1 at 2 a.m. local time, when clocks “fall back” one hour to 1 a.m. Remember to set your clocks back!

·  Winter Hours begin November 5! The gallery will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

·  Attention Woodcarvers! Beginning Nov 6, Howard Hilshorst’s woodcarving group will resume each Thursday* from 10 a.m. to Noon at the NWFA Gallery. You can learn, practice, or improve your wood carving skills. Materials and tools will be provided, or you can bring your own project to work on.

· Cook’s “Fall into Christmas” Shopping Day is Sat, Nov 14 and our closing time has been extended to 3 p.m. as we participate along with other local shops and vendors. Everyone who visits the store will have an opportunity to make and take a holiday ornament or card. The complete list of participating shops is posted in the gallery.   

·  *The Gallery will be closed Thursday, Nov 26 in observance of Thanksgiving Day.

·  NWFA will be participating in Give to the Max Day 2026, which will take place on Thursday, November 19 with early giving starting on Nov 1. Look for our social media posts detailing how to participate. 

·  Our December Exhibit will feature the Range Fiberart Guild. The exhibit will premier on Thursday, Dec 3 with the opening reception on Friday, Dec 4. More details to follow.

·  Open Art Mondays will continue throughout the fall and winter seasons. Join fellow artists every Monday from 6 to 8 pm at the Gallery to "do art." No registration is required! Fun, friendship, and creativity will be flowing!

Please check our website nwfamn.org for updates throughout the month and let us know if you have any news to share and add to future newsletters.

Each Monday artists are invited to "do art" with others at NWFA gallery from 6 to 8 p.m. No registration required. Hope to see you there!

The popular Wings Mural in Cook City Park by the Library and gazebo, has been duplicated and set back in place! The original was made up of feathers painted by children during NWFA Summer classes . Thanks to Lyn Reed and Lauren Nelson. The mural is up now, go check it out!

MN Public Radio Art Hounds…2025

From July 17 2025 Art Hounds interview MPR:

Live music by the lake

"Jeanne O’Melia, who lives on Lake Vermilion, makes her way to Cook, Minn., every Wednesday evening — often by boat — to enjoy the free live music at the gazebo downtown. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets. In the event of rain, concerts move indoors to the VFW.

The music runs from 6–8 p.m. on Wednesdays throughout the summer. Next week, central Minnesota cover band JustUs takes the stage. On July 30, Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame inductee Keith Secola performs.,,,,mprnews.org/podcasts"

https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2025/07/17/art-hounds-shakespeare-music-and-pottery-all-outdoors

ListenMPR News“On fabric, dragons and freedom”

Listen to this broadcast here.  If you select “Cecilia Rolando” online within the article you will see Rolando artwork.

Jan. 16 2025 Art Hounds on MPR News

A stitch in time

Lyn Reed is a former art teacher and a ceramic artist living in Orr, but she made the trip to the Northwoods Friends of the Arts in Cook, Minn., to take in the joyful colors and compositions of fabric artist Cecilia Rolando of Ely.

Entitled “Piecing it Together,” the exhibit runs through Jan. 31. Several small quilts designed and sewn by NWFA’s Round Robin Quilt Group are also on display. 

Lyn Reed offers this look around the gallery, where the colors and textures provide a welcome burst of inspiration in January.

Lyn says: She calls it fabric collage, and that’s exactly what it is. She must have just an incredible resource of fabrics because I notice fabric from Southeast Asia … Japan … she’s used doilies, antique lace, gingham …There’s a piece I really like that’s red and white spiral.

She cuts different pieces of different sizes, and she’s collaged those together. You can see that she’s layered them. She’s using all different types of stitching, and the lines actually look as if they’re in a drawing. The compositions are really beautiful. 

It’s like a cornucopia of all different types of fabrics from around the world. If you love fabrics, you will enjoy Cecilia’s work.

— Lyn Reed

Thank you to artist and NWFA member, Lyn Reed, for volunteering to be interviewed by MPR News “Art Hounds”.