Visit Bluff Country

Beckie Kronebusch of Plainview, Minn., stands next to the brand new kayak that she won in a recent contest.

On June 30, 2020, Visit Bluff Country Magazine conducted the second prize giveaway drawing of the summer, which was a brand new kayak. As the magazine celebrates 35 years as the premier tourism publication of Historic Bluff Country (a.k.a. The Driftless Area), they will be conducting prize giveaways each month from June through September. Prizes include kayaks, a Grizzly cooler, and a Green Mountain Grill (with WiFi).

Elissa Johnsrud and her son Jackson, of Chatfield, Minn., won the first kayak giveaway of the summer.

The next drawing for a brand new kayak will be July 31, 2020. Please go to www.visitbluffcountry.com/thebest to enter this drawing.

Elissa Johnsrud and her son Jackson, of Chatfield, Minn., stood next to their brand new kayak they won in a recent contest.

On June 22, 2020, Visit Bluff Country Magazine conducted the first prize giveaway drawing of the summer, which was a brand new kayak. As the magazine celebrates 35 years as the premier tourism publication of Historic Bluff Country (a.k.a. The Driftless Area), they will be conducting prize giveaways each month from June through September. Prizes include kayaks, a Grizzly cooler, and a Green Mountain Grill (with WiFi).

The next drawing for a brand new kayak will be June 30, 2020. Please to go www.visitbluffcountry.com/thebest to enter this drawing.

Lanesboro Arts presents the 2020 Emerging Artist Exhibition featuring the artwork of three talented early career artists working in a variety of media: Rose Weselmann, Alan Wiltgen, and Sally Podein. The show opens with a reception featuring all artists on Saturday, February 1, from 6-8 p.m., and runs through March 29. The reception will include wine and hors d’oeuvres, as well as live music by Savvy History (aka Michelle Lynn) of Decorah, Iowa. Always free and open to the public, winter gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Emerging Artist Exhibition was developed in 2015 to meet the needs of artists with burgeoning new talent; this juried show provides emerging artists selected in a jury process an opportunity to display work in a professional gallery setting.

Rose Weselmann received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Luther College of Decorah in 2013. After graduation she moved to the Twin Cities, residing in both St. Paul and currently in Minneapolis, where she explores her passion for the arts. She is now a painter and mixed media artist working out of the Casket Arts Building near her northeast home where she focuses on process and the exploration of materials and their natural capabilities. Rose describes her process as such: “Each piece begins with a gestural mark or puddle, settling with unpredictability due to the nature of my materials. The process of laying down marks, patience in waiting for them to take their final form, acceptance and flexibility has allowed me to learn to build compositions based on the infusion of spontaneity and intentionality.”

Based in Minneapolis and originally from Harmony, Minn., Alan Wiltgen’s path as an artist started out with sketching, primarily with charcoal or ink. From there, he moved into installation pieces and collage. Five years ago, Alan picked up a paintbrush. He is primarily self-taught, although he did take classes under artist Simon Huelsbeck at RCTC, Rochester, Minn. The characters he paints generally bridge the gap between German Expressionism and animated cartoons. German expressionist painters such as Max Beckman and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner have heavily influenced Alan’s work. As he says, “I continue to paint not only to expand my curiosity and growth as an artist, but for therapy and meditation. Painting has become a process of communication with creativity. My ego gets to vanish and I get to help something formless come into form.”

Sally Podein is a Minnesota artist who began drawing and painting at a young age. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University, N. J. After graduating Sally moved to Minnesota, where she currently works at Mayo Clinic as a Motion Graphics Designer. She has been creating stained glass mosaics for several years. Her works are mostly of wildlife, pets and landscapes, and she says, “Capturing the character and soul of the animal is very rewarding to me.” As Sally says of her stained glass work, “The infinite colors, shades and textures of glass help me to create depth, form and detail.” Sally’s work can be found at the SEMVA Gallery in Rochester, Minn.

The exhibit is sponsored by the 2020 Frozen River Film Festival, February 5-9 in Winona, and made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Handicapped accessible and free to the public, the exhibition gallery is located at 103 Parkway Ave N. in Lanesboro, Minn.

 

lanesboroarts.org

Dr. Nicolas Mink, CEO and co-founder of Sitka Salmon Shares, will be the featured speaker at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center’s Dinner on the Bluff event on Leap Day, Saturday, February 29.

Dr. Mink’s talk, “Climate Change and the Fish on Your Plate,” will explore the complex relationship between commercial fishing, climate change, and sustainable foods. He will highlight the challenges facing modern fisheries and detail how a community-supported fishery model can increase transparency in the fishing industry, build sustainable fishing communities in Alaska, and protect at-risk fish populations in our seas.

Global fisheries are in peril, facing threats of pollution, overharvest, habitat loss, and impacts from a changing climate. Mislabeling in the fish industry is rampant, leading to confusion for consumers and degradation for the oceans and globally important fisheries. The community supported fishing model, similar to community supported agriculture, connects consumers in the midwest to independent fishermen who use sustainable harvest methods. In a future where global fisheries and Alaskan communities alike are increasingly imperiled by the impacts of climate change, developing resilient models of commercial fisheries that build bridges and preserve the oceans are essential.

“As Midwesterners, it could be easy to say that what’s happening to the oceans or Alaskan fisheries is not our problem, but that could not be further from the truth,” Eagle Bluff Adult Education Manager Henry Whitehead said. “The oceans and their wild creatures, including fish, are a resource shared by all people. Understanding the nuanced relationship between fish, coastal communities, and us as consumers is a necessary first step to making informed ecological decisions.”

Dr. Mink’s speech will be preceded by a three-course dinner featuring sockeye salmon provided by Sitka Salmon Shares. Doors open at 5 p.m. Guests may choose to bring an adult beverage of their choice. Tickets for this event are $30. For more information or to register, visit eaglebluffmn.org/dinner or call (507) 467-2437.

Dinner on the Bluff is sponsored in part by the Southeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership through the University of Minnesota and the Lanesboro Community Foundation. Eagle Bluff’s “Dinner on the Bluff” speaker series, now in its 16th year, is designed to give thought-leaders and experts in the environmental field the opportunity to discuss issues with the broader Eagle Bluff community.

Located in the scenic bluff country of southeast Minnesota, Eagle Bluff is a nonprofit, year-round residential environmental learning center providing education programs and outdoor adventures to more than 16,000 children and adults each year.  Through transformative hands-on experiences we aim to increase environmental awareness and appreciation for the natural world, and empower people to care for the earth and each other.

Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in Lanesboro will host its 23rd annual fall banquet fundraiser, Banquet on the Bluff, on Saturday, October 12. The event raises funds that support Eagle Bluff’s year-round outdoor environmental education programming. Eagle Bluff serves more than 16,000 students, adults and families every year, providing outdoor-focused experiences that empower people to care for the earth and each other.

For many children, Eagle Bluff offers the rare opportunity to experience nature and the environment first-hand while supplementing their classroom learning in history, language arts, and the sciences. The Eagle Bluff curriculum adheres to the state of Minnesota academic standards and reinforces STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) objectives. Attendees of Banquet on the Bluff will be making these transformative experiences happen for children with their generous support.

“We offer students the chance to self-discover the natural sciences hands-on,” Eagle Bluff Executive Director John Torgrimson said. “Imagine learning geology by studying our karst region first-hand, or calculating the velocity of arrows while shooting archery, or navigating the night sky by studying constellations.”

This year Eagle Bluff welcomes Murt Boyum from the Lanesboro Sales Commission as the evening’s featured auctioneer. Guitarist Kerry Klungtvedt will serenade guests while they enjoy an exquisite main course of beef top sirloin medallions, garlic herb mashed potatoes with mushroom sauce, and seasoned tri-colored carrots followed by a dessert of poached pears and cranberries. Vegan and gluten-free meal options will be available. Doors open with beer, wine and appetizers at 5:00pm.

Fun and entertainment will round out the evening as guests try their hand at various drawings, a game of heads-or-tails, and bidding on many unique auction items. The following is just a taste of what the auctions have to offer:

• Half-day Guided Drift Boat Tour
• Custom Eagle Bluff High Ropes Experience
• Bluff Country Airplane Tour
• Rustic Cabin Getaway Weekend
• Overnight Hunting Experience on Private Land
• Community-Supported Fishery Share

The event is Saturday, October 12, 2019 at the Eagle Bluff Dining Hall on their campus in Lanesboro. Tickets can be reserved online at eaglebluffmn.org/banquet or by calling 507-467-2437. Ticket packages range from $60, which includes dinner and drinks, to a Patron package of $100 (valued at $140) which includes dinner, drinks, a drawing ticket package, and specialty Eagle Bluff recycled ChicoBag. The evening is presented by F & M Community Bank.

Located five miles northwest of Lanesboro, Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is empowering people to care for the earth and each other.