Northwoods Friends of the Arts November 2025 Member Newsletter

Hello NWFA members and friends! Well, our clocks are rolled back, and preparations are underway for cooler temps and the holiday season! The gallery will be open Thursday – Saturday and will resume business on Wednesdays in April 2026.

Open Art Mondays will continue throughout the fall and winter. Join fellow artists each Monday to “do art” at the Gallery from 6 - 8 p.m. No registration required! Fun, friendship and creativity will be flowing! Read to the end for more opportunities and exhibits representing artists and organizations in our region.

Native American Art Exhibit November 6- 29 Opening Reception on Friday, November 7 from 5 - 7 p.m.

“Fall into Christmas” Saturday, November 8- from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. NWFA will join other shops in Cook and work in tandem with the Cook Community Center for the annual “Fall into Christmas” holiday shopping event on Saturday, November 8. The gallery will extend their hours to 4 p.m. that day and offer refreshments. Cathi Weber will be on hand to assist gallery visitors wishing to create holiday ornaments and cards.

Cook Genealogy Club with Cathi Weber/ CWeber531@gmail.com

Monday, Nov 17 1-3 p.m. The topic will be Immigration and Naturalization Records
Location: Northwoods Friends of the Arts, Cook MN - All are welcome.

Mary Lou Ellison “It Starts with an Idea” Exhibit December 4 – 27 Meet the artist at the opening reception on Friday, December 5 from 5 – 7 p.m. Mary Lou takes inspiration for her art from nature and her religion.

Attention Woodcarvers!  Join experienced woodcarver Howard Hilshorst on Thursdays, December 4, 11 & 18 from 10 a.m. to Noon at NWFA gallery. Learn, practice or improve upon your wood carving skills. Materials and tools will be provided or, bring your own project to work on.

Opportunities Available Now!

The Emergency Relief Fund Grant Program provides $500 or $1000 to individual artists who have had a critical need relating to healthcare, housing, equipment, or legal emergencies since January 1, 2024. This grant is intended to serve our community by addressing the pressing circumstances of artists in need. We can fund at least 36 artists in need with this program. Available: September 29, 2025

Deadline: November 9, 2025, before 11:59 p.m.

Emergency Relief Period: January 1, 2024 – Present (Time in which the emergency took place)

https://aracouncil.org/emergency-relief-fund

Creative Native Call for Art! This year, we want to see your art inspired by what is SACRED to you.  What is important to you and your community? Is it a place, person, a tradition, a story, the young people of your community? Is it a smell, a sound or a language? Creative Native is a call for art that supports young, Indigenous artists ages 5-24 by providing the opportunity for national recognition and awards up to $1,000. Submissions will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. EST on November 30, 2025.

https://www.cnay.org/creative-native/

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”.