Winter Plein Air is an annual painting retreat hosted by the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota. Unlike the annual September Plein Air event, the winter retreat is not a competition. Instead, it is a painting expedition to YMCA Camp Menogyn, where artists can spend five days painting the beauty of the BWCAW and enjoying the camaraderie of other painters.

After the retreat, painters will head to Grand Marais, where they can display their work at the gallery! We will be hosting a public reception on Friday, February 28, 2025, from 5:00-7:00pm at JHP. The Winter Plein Air Exhibit will run from February 28 – March 23, 2025.

To learn more about the retreat, visit the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota website here.

To learn more about the Winter Plein Air Retreat, watch this short video from our friends at WTIP Community Radio.

Photo: Outdoor Painters of Minnesota

We kick off celebration of the Cook County Historical Society’s 100th year with our Permanent Collection Feature, 100 Years of Art in Cook County! We’ve curated an exhibition featuring artwork created in the 1920’s through today, highlighting the extraordinary breadth of talent that appreciates the wonders of Cook County.

Opening Reception is Friday January 10, 5-7pm. Complimentary refreshments will be happily offered.

Join us for the Opening Reception of our annual Dark Skies Exhibit, celebrating the dark skies of the BWCA, which has been named as one of only 17 certified International Dark Sky Sanctuaries in the world.

This year we feature Celestial Navigation from artist Kim Dayton. Dayton applies a variety of mediums to celebrate celestial objects, presenting a dreamy journey through the night skies.

Opening Reception is Friday December 6, 5-7pm. Complimentary refreshments will be happily offered.

Join us as we celebrate the opening of Love Your Neighbor a community exhibition presented by Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church. Love Your Neighbor features a collection of talented community artists working in a variety of mediums.

Opening Reception is Friday November 8, 5-7pm. Complimentary refreshments will be happily offered. Artist’s Panel to begin at 6pm.

Join the Cook County Historical Society for an afternoon of cookies, cocoa, and coziness during our 2024 Annual Meeting. 

The meeting will be held on October 12, 2024, from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery. While you enjoy a sweet treat from our hot cocoa bar and selection of cookies, we’ll highlight HCC’s newly configured strategic plan, share information about what Supporters can expect as we enter our 100th year, and read a few excerpts from our newly published book At the End of the Caribou Trail: Tait Lake and the Life of Cap & Billie Peterson.

Learn more and register here.

Join us for the Opening Reception of our latest exhibit, Splendor of the North Shore: By Land and Sea, featuring artist Tom Dimock. 

Displaying skill in both Plein Air and studio work, Dimock’s oil paintings transport you to the time and place to enjoy the incredible wonders of the North Shore. From the inland ‘sea’ of Lake Superior to the deep glens of the Boreal Forest, this exhibition promises to delight

Opening Reception will be celebrated Friday October 11th  5-7pm at JHP. Complimentary refreshments happily offered.

 Historic Cook County is excited to announce a date for its Public Art Project Unveiling and corresponding Artist Talk with Maeve Gathje.  Join us on Saturday, September 28th at 4 pm at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery (115 W Wisconsin St, Grand Marais, MN) to be among the first to see this incredible work of art. The Public Art, titled Biota Borealis, consists of three sand-blasted Minnesota granite stones displaying scenes of Northern Minnesota beauty.

The Celebration will begin with an Artist’s Talk, where Gathje will share photos and stories about her process of designing and working with the stones. Following a brief Q&A session, we will transition outside for the Grand Unveiling. 

This project was made possible through the generous support from the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation. 

Learn more about the project here.

Join us as we celebrate the opening reception for Plein Air Grand Marais 2023, a gallery exhibition featuring 60 artists competing for a variety of awards. Plein Air Grand Marais is a 20 year tradition bringing outdoor painters to the North Shore of Lake Superior for a week of painting, learning, competition, and camaraderie. From oils to watercolor to pastels and more, come view over 200 paintings, all painted in plein air!

Opening Reception is Friday, September 13, 5-8pm. Award Ceremony begins at 6pm. Complimentary refreshments happily offered.

Join us for the Opening Reception of our latest exhibit, Northwoods Quilts, featuring artist Beret Borson Nelson. 

Putting on display just how versatile thread and fabric can be, this collection celebrates the many things that make northern forest unique, from the birds that soar overhead to the rocks that pebble our rivers.

Opening Reception will be celebrated Friday August 16th 5-7pm at JHP. Complimentary refreshments happily offered.  

The Cook County Historical Society is pleased to once again present STORIES THAT MATTER: Women of Cook County. Join us as we share the stories of three Cook County women who have made numerous contributions that have shaped the area into what we know and love today.

This year, we will be telling the stories of Darragh Aldrich (writer, author, and radio commentator) who was the first woman columnist in Minneapolis, and used her husband's middle name to write books; Andrea Peterson (teacher, mayor, author), award-winning teacher, and Grand Marais's first woman mayor; and Betsy Bowen (artist, co-op founder, gallery owner), whose art is recognized as a staple along the North Shore, and was one of the founders of the local co-op. 

Join us on August 1, 2024, from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm at the Johnson Heritage Post in Grand Marais to learn more about stories that matter.

Missed last year’s STORIES THAT MATTER: Women of Cook County event? You can see a replay on our YouTube Channel here.

Join us for the Opening Reception of our latest exhibit, Of Place and Time, featuring local artists Paula Gustafson and Linda Ricklefs Baudry.

Celebrating light, life, and the vibrant landscapes we all love here on the North Shore, Baudry and Gustafson have put together an expansive collection featuring the wide range of their carefully honed talents.

Opening Reception will be celebrated Friday July 19th 5-7pm at JHP. Complimentary refreshments happily offered.  

Join us for an Author Talk featuring Tom Toftey’s debut book, Unexpected Gifts. Unexpected Gifts accounts the heartwarming story of Tim and Tom, an unexpected diagnosis, and the development of an irreplaceable friendship.

Talk will begin at 4:30pm, Friday June 28th, and will include an opportunity to chat with the author.

Join us for the Opening Reception of our latest exhibit, Found Horizons: Imagined Topographies from Duluth artist Karen Nease.

Nease’s artwork highlights her devotion to the land and water, with images that bridge the gap between familiar and fantastical.

Opening Reception will be celebrated Friday June 21st 5-7pm at JHP. Complimentary refreshments happily offered.

Karen Owsley Nease is a fiscal year 2024 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Join us for the Opening Reception of our latest exhibit, Between Earth and Sky from artist Kim Gordon.

Using dynamic landscapes to connect with the world, Gordon contrasts classical oil paintings with the unique batik style, presenting a must see collection.

Opening Reception will be celebrated Friday May 24th 5-7pm at JHP. Complimentary refreshments happily offered.

Join the Cook County Historical Society on Sunday, May 19, from 1-3 pm to help complete some spring cleaning tasks inside the Chippewa City Church, which is set to open on May 24 for the season.

All materials will be provided, but please bring your own work gloves if possible.

Join us for an Artist’s Talk with current JHP exhibiting artist Tanya Piatz, beginning at 5pm Thursday May 16th.

Piatz is a self-taught artist who focuses on raising awareness for habitat conservation, and how the habitat directly impacts the diversity of species found in the environment. She does this by illustrating birds that we see every day, as well as lesser-known species, that are found on Minnesota's DNR's "Species of Special Concern" list.

The Artists Talk will center around Piatz’s work and will include at Q&A opportunity.

Join us for the Opening Reception of our latest exhibit, Species of Special Concern from artist Tanya Piatz.

Piatz is a self-taught artist who focuses on raising awareness for habitat conservation, and how the habitat directly impacts the diversity of species found in the environment. She does this by illustrating birds that we see every day, as well as lesser-known species, that are found on Minnesota's DNR's "Species of Special Concern" list.

Opening Reception for Species of Special Concern will be Friday, April 26th, 5-7 pm. Complimentary refreshments happily offered.

Piatz will also be giving an Artist’s Talk on her work on Thursday, May 16th, starting at 5 pm.

Join the Cook County Historical Society on Saturday, April 13, from 9-12 pm to help do some spring cleaning at Bally’s Blacksmith & Metal Shop. We will also be removing invasive tansy on the lot to help prevent further spread.

All materials will be provided, but please bring your own work gloves if possible. The event is family-friendly.