Finlandia's Young Women's Caucus for Art to hold fundraiser Nov. 22 at Jutila Center

HANCOCK -- Finlandia University's Young Women's Caucus for Art will sponsor a fundraising event -- all the soup you can eat, music by Rhythm 203 and a silent auction -- from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, in the Jutila Center in Hancock.

Rhythm 203 -- from left, Sue Ellen Kingsley, Phyllis Fredendall and Norm Kendall -- will perform a variety of tunes during the Nov. 22 fundraiser for Finlandia University's Young Women's Caucus for Art. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

Help the Young Women's Caucus for Art in their quest to travel to New York City in February for the National Conference for the Women's Caucus for Art.

Musicians Sue Ellen Kingsley, Norm Kendall and Phyllis Fredendall will provide a variety of their harmonies as you enjoy homemade soup and a silent auction of art work.

Tickets are $10 and $7 for students.

Finlandia's Jutila Center is at 200 Michigan Street, Hancock.

UPEC to host 6th annual "Celebrate the UP" March 21-22 at Jutila Center, Hancock

HANCOCK -- The Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition (UPEC) will hold its sixth annual "Celebrate the UP" Friday and Saturday, March 21-22. All presentations will take place at Finlandia’s Jutila Center, Hancock. This is a free event and a great antidote to cabin fever, bringing together people who enjoy the region's outdoor environment.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, March 21, with "At Home in the Northwoods: Reflections on Belonging to a Place," a presentation by author and naturalist, John Bates.

Between 9:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, a variety of speakers will give three simultaneous one-hour presentations, with a break for lunch. The Kangas Café in the Jutila Center will be open all day Saturday for delicious snacks, lunch, desserts, and drinks.

At 3:30 p.m. Saturday three speakers will participate in a Panel Discussion: "50 Years of Wilderness."

The day’s event will conclude with a public reception from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Click here for the Schedule.

Finlandia's Young Women's Caucus for Art to hold "Soup and Art" fundraiser Feb. 1

HANCOCK -- Finlandia University's Young Women's Caucus for Art will hold a "Soup and Art" fundraiser -- all-you-can-eat soup and a silent art auction -- from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, in Room 323 of the Jutila Center in Hancock.

Soups will include Finnish fish soup, Thai soup, Black Bean Chili,  Cheese and Brocolli and more!

$8 donation at the door.

Finlandia's Jutila Center is at 200 Michigan Street in Hancock. For more information call Phyllis at 487-7376.

Finlandia Reflection Gallery calls for artwork on food; deadline for entries is Nov. 22

HANCOCK -- Finlandia University Reflection Gallery is looking for artwork inspired by food, the consumption of it, manufacturing of it, thoughts/ideas about it. Any media is accepted, including visual art, writing, poetry, performance, and installation. Collaboration is encouraged.

Entry Deadline and Delivery:
All artwork must be hand delivered to the Finlandia University Reflection Gallery on the 2nd floor of the Jutila Center in Hancock (200 Michigan Street) between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday Nov. 21, or between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22 or by appointment prior to Nov. 21. Please mark all work with an arrow to indicate the top of the work. There is no entry fee. Limit of three entries per person. All artwork must be suitable for gallery presentation. Gallery staff reserves the right to make final exhibition decisions.

Click here for details.  For more information email FinlandiaReflectionGallery@gmail.com or visit Finlandia Reflection Gallery on Facebook.

Reflection Gallery to host opening reception for "Hidden Artists of Finlandia" Oct. 3

HANCOCK -- The Finlandia University Reflection Gallery, Hancock, will host an opening reception for the exhibit "Hidden Artists of Finlandia" from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. this Thursday, Oct. 3.

The reception is free and open to the public; refreshments will be served.

This exhibit showcases the artwork of Finlandia University faculty and students who are not part of the university’s International School of Art and Design (ISAD). It is on display from Oct. 3 to Oct. 31, 2013.

The Reflection Gallery is located on the second level of Finlandia’s Jutila Center campus, 200 Michigan Street, Hancock.

For information, call 487-7375.

Reflection Gallery to host closing reception for graphic design exhibit Mar. 28

Prospect Exhibition poster by Collin Hover, Amanda Connelly, Amy Gehling, and Ashley Palmer. (Poster courtesy Finlandia University)

HANCOCK -- The Finlandia University Reflection Gallery, Hancock, will host a closing reception for "Small Spaces, Significant Sway," an exhibit of professional graphic design work, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 28.

The reception is free and open to the public; refreshments will be served.

Curated by Robert Grame, Finlandia associate professor of graphic design, the exhibition highlights diverse and thought-provoking work from designers across the United States.

"'Small Spaces, Significant Sway’ explores the power of small design artifacts that deliver incredible and indelible impact," Grame says.

The Reflection Gallery is located on the second level of Finlandia’s Jutila Center campus, 200 Michigan Street, Hancock, MI 49930. For additional information, call 906-487-7500 or e-mail finlandiareflectiongallery@gmail.com.

UPDATED: Kevin Hodur, write-in candidate for Hancock City Council seat, offers expertise in community planning, development

By Michele Bourdieu

Kevin Hodur, a write-in candidate for the Hancock City Council at-large seat on the Nov. 6 general election ballot, chats with a customer, Hancock artist Kanak Nanavati, in his art and writing supply store, Keweenaw Archive, in the Jutila Center in Hancock. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

HANCOCK -- On Nov. 6, 2012, Hancock voters will have an opportunity to vote for a young write-in City Council at-large candidate with a progressive vision for their city.

Kevin Hodur, Ph.D., is offering voters his expertise in community development, business and city planning.

Hodur is a busy, energetic college instructor and small business owner who recently completed his doctorate in Rhetoric and Technical Communication at Michigan Tech University, where he now teaches a Perspectives class for first-year students titled "People and Their Places," based on his major field of study, urban geography and community development.

"What I teach is the same idea I'm running on: The development decisions that we make now will be in place for generations," Hodur said. "For the sake of our children and our grandchildren it's vital that we get them right."

Hodur also applies the communication part of his training in courses on public speaking and sports broadcasting that he teaches at Finlandia University and in his friendly manner with customers who frequent his small shop of art and writing supplies, the Keweenaw Archive, located in Finlandia's Jutila Center for Global Design and Business, a business incubator in Hancock.

Baraga resident Susan Ruddy, who also resides on Isle Royale, where she works for the National Park Service in the summer, purchases some art supplies at the Keweenaw Archive from owner Kevin Hodur. "Everyone's an artist," Ruddy said with a smile.

Hodur's wife, Cynthia Hodur, assistant manager at the Keweenaw Co-op, in her spare time, helps him with the Keweenaw Archive, which is conveniently located in the same building as Finlandia's International School of Art and Design.

Hodur and Bonnie Holland, Jutila Center executive director, as well as former Hancock Mayor Barry Givens, applied to fill temporarily the at-large councilor seat vacated by the resignation of Jim Hainault, who recently moved out of the City of Hancock. At a special meeting on Sept. 12, 2012, the Hancock City Council nominated Givens and voted, by a vote of four to two, to appoint Givens to fill the seat temporarily -- for the September and October meetings.*

Givens and Hodur each filed a declaration of intent form by Oct. 26 to run as a write-in on the Nov. 6 ballot for a two-year term ending in 2014. Holland decided not to run, although Councilor Lisa McKenzie had nominated her at the Sept. 12 meeting.*

Hodur, who has a good relationship with Holland, said he consulted with her before he decided to run for the seat as a write-in on the Nov. 6 ballot.

"She (Holland) has some excellent ideas about developing our downtown, which I think are important," he said.

Hancock City Councilor John Slivon, who is running for re-election to the Council, expressed his support for Hodur's candidacy.

"I think it's time to get some more forward-looking people on the Council," Slivon said. "I hope we both win."

Hodur's write-in opponent, Barry Givens, was Mayor of Hancock at the time his employer, Moyle Inc., built the controversial condominium on the Portage Lift Bridge, which many residents have criticized for its effect of blocking the viewscape.

"I think there are some transparency questions there," Hodur said about the project. "I don't know enough about Barry to call it a conflict of interest, but it did take a public vista and made it a private space."

As for his own candidacy, Hodur believes he can make a positive contribution if elected to the Council.

"As a citizen of Hancock -- and being very happy to live here -- I feel I should do my part with the expertise that I have," Hodur noted.

Voters must write in the name of an eligible write-in candidate in the NONPARTISAN section of the ballot, under "COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE, Partial Term Ending 11/12/2014. Vote for not more than 1."

Both Kevin Hodur and Barry Givens are eligible write-ins because they submitted their declarations of intent by Oct. 26, 2012. According to Hancock City Clerk Karen Haischer, they are the only ones who submitted declarations for this position by the deadline.**

Notes:

* See our Sept. 18, 2012, article on the Sept. 12 special meeting of the City of Hancock.
** Click here to read the Michigan law for write-in candidates.
Click here and fill in the required information in order to see your own sample ballot.

Michigan requires voters to bring to the polls an acceptable form of voter photo identification or a signed affidavit attesting that you do not have a photo I.D. Click here for details on voter identification.

UPDATE: Learn more about Kevin Hodur and his commitment to Hancock on his campaign Facebook Page. It is open to all. No need to be a member of Facebook. Just CLICK HERE.

Ceramics by Derik Spoon at Reflection Gallery in November

HANCOCK -- The Finlandia University Reflection Gallery, Hancock, will host a ceramics exhibit by local artist Derik Spoon from Nov. 1 to Nov. 30, 2012.

Ceramic art by Derik Spoon. (Photos courtesy Finlandia University)

An opening reception for the artist will take place at the gallery from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1. The reception is free and open to the public; refreshments will be served.

Spoon’s exhibit, "Live Through This," is a collection of ceramic art that illuminates his fascination with disassembly.

Before he studied art, Spoon worked as a bicycle mechanic, a job in which he needed to determine what worked and what didn’t. To do this, he learned to disassemble objects and diagnose problems through evaluation of those individual bicycle components. Now he applies those skills to his art.

Artist Derik Spoon teaches ceramics at Finlandia University.

"Everything that I make is taken from the aspect of breaking down the piece as a whole and then assembling it from parts," says Spoon. "My hand-built ceramic pieces are
indicative of this process. They are sketched out and broken down mentally before I touch the clay."

Spoon, who teaches ceramics at Finlandia University, has also worked as a slip-casting and ceramic glaze technician and taught ceramics at Tacoma Metro Parks, Open Arts Studio, and Manitou Arts Center.

The Reflection Gallery is located on the second level of Finlandia’s Jutila Center campus, 200 Michigan Street, Hancock.

For additional information, call 906-487-7500 or e-mail finlandiareflectiongallery@gmail.com.

Jutila Center to host "Conversations about Design" multi-media event Oct. 17

HANCOCK -- For its second annual SeeDesign seminar, the Finlandia University Jutila Center for Global Design and Business will present a multi-media, interactive installation and presentation titled "Conversations about Design" at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 17, in the Jutila Center lobby.

The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Funded in part by a mini-grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts, "Conversations about Design" will showcase how design and creativity can influence business decisions and contribute to overall business success. The mini-grant is administered by the Copper Country Community Arts Center, Hancock.

"The purpose of the installation is manifold," says Bonnie Holland, director of the Jutila Center. "First, it will demonstrate some of the many ways small businesses can use creative resources to contribute to their bottom-line success. It will also introduce some of the creative designers in our region, showcase their services, and illustrate the ways in which these creative businesses collaborate."

Holland adds that "Conversations about Design" will also show Finlandia students and others some of the creative careers one might pursue.

In a display of lighting design and engineering, the Jutila Center building will be illuminated Wednesday evening.

The highlighted creative services include graphic design, photography, videography, voice-overs, editing, sign making, light engineering, architecture, and marketing.

The creative firms and professionals featured in the installation include The Upper Peninsula Marketing Department, Inc.; IG Graphics; Monte Consulting, Inc.; Opusweb.com; Brassard Media; Brockit.com; OHM, Inc.; On Air Voices; Gary Brown; and Lester Brent.

Finlandia International School of Art and Design graphic design seniors Cait Spera and Audrey Small, both of Iron Mountain, have conducted interviews with area designers, photographers, marketing firms, videographers, and other creative specialists. The results of these investigations, also part of "Conversations about Design," will illustrate how the overall creative design process works and present the interviewees’ ideas about the part creativity can play in driving strategic decisions.

Finlandia University associate professor of graphic design Robert Grame is coordinating the overall presentation of the "Conversations about Design" installation. Todd Brassard of Brassard Media, Hancock, is technical coordinator for the installation. Finlandia University Art and Design seniors Eric Hinsch (Hancock) and Erika Gerstner (Sagola) are involved in the overall installation design and ambiance.

For additional information, please contact Bonnie Holland at 906-487-7344.

Lego Robotics Day Camp for youth comes to the Keweenaw Aug. 21-23

HANCOCK --  MTEC SmartZone and Finlandia University are teaming up with Michigan Works! the Job Force Board to bring Lego Robotics to the Keweenaw, for area youth ages 7-12. Students will assemble Lego Mindstorm NXT models and learn programming skills using touch, light, and sound. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to build an interest in engineering, computer science and physics.

The three-day camp runs from Tuesday, Aug. 21, to Thursday, Aug. 23, at Finlandia University's Jutila Center for Global Design and Business, in Room 603. Two three-hour sessions are available each day: Session 1 is from 9 a.m. -12 noon, and Session 2 is from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Parents can register their kids at www.jobforce.org. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on your session of choice. The fee for the three-day camp is $30. Sign up soon as space is limited!

For more information about Lego Robotics Day Camp, contact Jeni Spaulding at (906) 286-3316.

For more information about MTEC SmartZone please call (906) 487-7000.

Folias Flute and Guitar Duo to perform at Jutila Center June 24

HANCOCK -- The Jutila Center Community Performance Hall in Hancock will host a fantastic flute and guitar performance and an art/informational display at 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 24.* 

Folias Flute and Guitar Duo will perform a concert at 5 p.m. Sunday, June 24, at the Jutila Center Community Performance Hall in Hancock. Click on poster for larger image. (Poster courtesy Pat Valencia)

Folias Flute and Guitar Duo have played many venues across the U.S. and other parts of the world. The flute and guitar duo's performance will present original compositions influenced by their many journeys and adventures in Michigan and around the Great Lakes region. The husband and wife group are from Grand Rapids, Mich., and are involved in many music groups and programs. Carmen Maret is a music educator and Pearl Flute representative. Andrew Bergeron is a guitar teacher at three colleges in the Grand Rapids area.** 

During this event the Copper Country Guatemala Accompaniment Project (CCGAP) will have a display of Guatemalan ethnic handicrafts and information highlighting the organization's humanitarian efforts within Guatemalan communities. Handicrafts will be available for purchase and donations are welcomed.*** 

Fee at the door is, $5. A short reception will follow the performance.

This event is sponsored by Valencia Estudio.

* Click here for directions to Finlandia University's Jutila Center Global Design.

** Take a look and listen at Folias Music.

*** Click here to learn more about CCGAP.

Finlandia's Reflection Gallery to host book illustration exhibit Feb. 2-27

HANCOCK -- The Finlandia University Reflection Gallery, Hancock, will host an exhibit of book illustrations by artists Margo Anderson, Sarah Anderson, Rebecca Langlais, and Mallory Torola, from Feb. 2 to 27, 2012.

Illustration by Margo Anderson of Hancock. (Photos courtesy Finlandia University)

An opening reception for the artists will take place at the Reflection Gallery from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2. The reception is free and open to the public; refreshments will be served.

Margo Anderson will exhibit her children’s book, Being Different. The book is about Anya, an ebony oriental shorthair cat who has dichromatic eyes (two different colored irises.)

"Anya is abandoned in a vacant house, locked in without food or water," Margo explains, "She’s been left there because some believe that Anya is a 'bad cat' due to her unusual eyes. One day, however, a stray dog named Dixy stumbles across Anya and frees her. Dixy takes Anya to live with a wise blind cat who teaches Anya that she’s perfect the way she is."

Margo says that she was teased herself as a child and hopes that her story will help children understand that it’s okay to be different, and that differences make the world a more beautiful place.

Margo graduated from Hancock Central High School and is a junior at Finlandia University, striving to complete her bachelor of fine arts (BFA).

Rebecca Langlais, a senior Art and Design student from Norway, Mich., will exhibit several illustrations from her book, Beginning Paths, which is inspired by Rebecca’s vivid dreams and strikingly emotional experiences.

"I see art as a major means of therapy for myself," Rebecca says. "And I strongly believe that it can be for others, as well. Within this book is a snippet of these ideas and personal inspirations."

Rebecca’s previous work was displayed in both the 2010 and 2011 Juried Student Exhibitions at the Finlandia University Gallery. Beginning Paths is a precursor to Rebecca’s senior diploma works project, which will be displayed at the Finlandia University Gallery in April.

Senior Mallory Torola, Calumet, will exhibit her illustrations from Richard Goode’s Rosie O’Grady and Flash Magee, Dog Detectives -- a children’s book about two crime-fighting canines.

Sarah Anderson, a 2011 Finlandia BFA graduate, will show her original comic, Legend of Helga, a humorous and colorful tale of a young girl who becomes a hero.


Illustration by Sarah Anderson. (Photo courtesy Finlandia University)

The Reflection Gallery is located on the second level of Finlandia’s Jutila Center campus, 200 Michigan St., Hancock.

For additional information, please contact Yueh-mei Cheng, professor of studio arts, at 906-487-7375 or e-mail FinlandiaReflectionGallery@gmail.com.

"Reading with Kids: A Workshop for Parents" to be held Nov. 11 at Jutila Center

HANCOCK -- The Copper Country Reading Council will sponsor "Reading with Kids: A Workshop for Parents" from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, at Finlandia University's Jutila Center (the old hospital), 200 Michigan St., Hancock.

Share success stories of parents who've experienced trials and tribulations with their own readers! Gather great tips from educators and parents on how to continue supporting literacy at home. Learn what current literacy research says about reading and learning. Collect the Copper Country's TOP 10 FAMILY READS for different age levels. Then, browse the North Winds Books display in the lobby to pick up some great gifts for your reader. Go home with a door prize and encouraging ideas for Reading with Kids!

Age-level break-out sessions will last 30 minutes. Sessions will run twice (15-minute intermission between). Age levels include Birth, preK, K - 2nd grade, 3rd - 5th, Middle School, High School.

Childcare activities will be provided by Finlandia Education Students.

Co-sponsored by Michigan Tech's Department of Humanities. For more information on this event, contact Evelyn Johnson at 487-2982 or email evjohnso@mtu.edu.

Jutila Center to host SEEDesign Forum and Expo Sept. 15

HANCOCK -- The SEEDesign Forum and Expo, hosted by the Finlandia University Jutila Center, will take place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. this Thursday, Sept. 15 in the Jutila Center.

All activities take place in the Jutila Center Auditorium on the main level of the Jutila Center building. The event is free and open to the public, and attendees are welcome to come anytime.

The Forum and Expo showcases the considerable impact that creative disciplines have on the Copper Country and western Upper Peninsula region. The events share information and tools for business innovation and offer opportunities to network with area leaders in business, design and marketing.

From 11 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., a Speaker Forum will feature several lectures, each beginning at the top of the hour. The presenters include Matthew Monte, president of Monte Consulting, Houghton, and Katrina Aho, interior designer for Gartner's Gallery, Hancock.

At 2 p.m. Keynote Speaker Maureen Monte, leadership and strategy consultant for IBM, will present a talk titled, "Driving Creativity and Innovation in the Workplace through Strengths-based Leadership."

At 4 p.m. three design teams of professional designers and marketers, each team matched with a local business, will unveil their makeover concepts for that business; and the winner of this Business Makeover Challenge will be announced. The design teams will be on hand to answer questions.

From 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. the Expo portion of the event includes information booths from the area’s copy editors, web developers, architects, landscape designers, large format printers, graphic designers, videographers, and interior designers.

From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce will host their monthly Business After Hours event. Both Chamber members and non-members are welcome. Beer and wine will be served, along with hors d’oeuvres prepared by Kangas Café and Catering of Hancock.

The SEEDesign Forum and Expo is an initiative of the Finlandia University Jutila Center for Global Design and Business. Funding has been provided, in part, by the Finlandia University Campus Enrichment Committee, Thrivent Financial, and Monte Consulting. It is supported by the Copper Country Community Arts Council and is a program of the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

For more information, visit www.finlandia.edu/seedesign or contact Fred Knoch at 487-7510.