First Friday in Calumet offers art for Spring April 5

CALUMET -- Calumet galleries and the Calumet Art Center will be open First Friday evening, April 5. You're invited to celebrate Spring with local artists and art lovers!

Butterflies of Maasto Hiihto at Copper Country Associated Artists

Butterfly near Maasto Hiihto trails. (Photo © and courtesy Miriam Pickens)

April showers bring May flowers -- and, when the flowers are out, the butterflies will come. The Copper Country is summer home to many species of butterflies, and some even live here year round. Miriam Pickens of the Copper Country Associated Artists (CCAA) is an avid collector of butterflies. Armed with a camera, she has taken photos of around 35 different types that live in West Hancock near the Maasto Hiihto trails.

From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on First Friday, April 5, at CCAA, Pickens will present a slide show and will discuss the identification and behavior of these butterflies, plus the techniques she uses to photograph them. The talk will be free and open to the public. Photos, cards and pottery with images of the critters will be available for purchase. The gallery will be open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The CCAA is located at 205 Fifth Street in Calumet.

Celebrate Superior Spring at Ziyad and Co.

The sun is out, snow is melting and Spring is in the air at Ziyad and Co. art gallery! Spring in the Keweenaw is a beautiful time of year; the Superior Spring show gives artists an opportunity to express their visions of spring.

Painted driftwood by Susan Robinson. (Photo courtesy Ziyad and Co. art gallery)

Join Ziyad and Co. in celebrating Spring and enjoy the photography, water colors, pastels, pottery and wood that express the brilliance of Spring along the shores of our wonderful Lake Superior. An opening reception will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on First Friday, April 5, at Ziyad and Co. art gallery at 109 Fifth St, Calumet. For more information call 906-337-5970 or email at ziyadgallery@gmail.com.

Gallerie Bohème to present "Good-bye Winter; Hello Spring!"

Gallerie Bohème is mounting a show of images that relate to the winter work period, some inspired by the the winter season and some by the longing for spring. Stop by and check these out from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday April 5, have a bread and cheese, a dram of punch, say hi to friends and join the dance for spring!

The exhibit continues through May 2, 2013. Gallery hours are Friday and Saturday 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. The Gallery is at 423 Fifth St. in Calumet. For more information call Tom Rudd at 906-369-4087.

Omphale Gallery and Café to feature work by Randy Wakeham

Just a couple doors up Fifth Street from the Gallerie Bohème, visit the Omphale Gallery and Café on First Friday evening to see "Home Is Where I Want to Be" -- a retrospective of work by Randy Wakeham. The festivities will include art, music, refreshments and an art chat by the artist.

Visit the Omphale Gallery and Café on Facebook for more information.

Gallerie Bohème to host opening reception for new exhibit Jan. 4

"Frosty Night" (detail), by Georgi Tsenov. (Photo courtesy Gallerie Bohème)

CALUMET -- Gallerie Bohème in Calumet will host an opening reception for their January exhibit of works by professional artists Georgi Tsenov, Stuart Baird, Margo McCafferty and Tom Rudd from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. TOMORROW, First Friday, Jan. 4.

"We will have a loaf of bread, homemade wine, cheese, (maybe some leftover Christmas cookies), some non-alcoholic punch and lots of good company," says artist Tom Rudd.

Gallerie Bohème is at the north end of Fifth Street, near the Omphale Gallery and Café, in Calumet.

For more information call Tom Rudd at 906.369.4087.

First Friday in Calumet: Galleries feature local artists, unique gifts

CALUMET -- Calumet galleries will be exhibiting hand-made art works for sale this month with First Friday evening, Dec. 7, openings and receptions. Take advantage of this opportunity to find unique holiday gifts for the special people on your list!

Ziyad and Company: Glorious Gifting

Ornament by Jack Oyler, one of the artists whose work is featured at Ziyad and Co., Calumet. (Photo courtesy Ziyad and Co.)

The art work of local and Michigan artists will be featured for this season of giving. The Ziyad and Co. gallery will be filled with wonderful one-of-a-kind handmade unique gifts. Don't miss their December Glorious Gifting show! Choose from over 75 different artists and find the perfect Holiday gift.

An open reception will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on First Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at Ziyad and Co. art gallery at 109 Fifth St, Calumet. For information call 906-337-5970 or email ziyadgallery@gmail.com. Happy Holidays from Ziyad and Co. art gallery!

Copper Country Associated Artists: Gifts and Door Prizes

Winter pillow by Jeanne Rosemurgy. (Photo courtesy Copper Country Associated Artists)

The Copper Country Associated Artists (CCAA) will be celebrating the Christmas Season with a Holiday Open House on the evening of Dec. 7, the last First Friday of 2012. The Gallery will be filled to the brim with creations made by over 25 artists who call the Copper Country their home. From watercolor leaves by Ginny Douglas to colorful quilts by Millie Little, there will be a broad selection of gifts available for purchase. Every half hour a door prize will be called. Thanks to the CCAA Artists, you'll have a chance to win one of the following prizes:

*    a Matted Print donated by Photographer Mark Upton,
*    a Fused Glass piece by Nancy McCabe,
*    a Ceramic Pot by Miriam Pickens,
*    a Wire Wrapped Pendant by Pam Hecht,
*    a Print by Ellen Torola,
*    a Collage by Fredi Taddeucci,
*    a Necklace by Kathleen DeLisle,
*    a Basket by Dolly Luoma.

The event will run from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m, and refreshments will be served.
  
The CCAA Gallery will be open for special events and First Fridays during the months of January through April. The artists will be spending those months working on projects rather than keeping the gallery open for regular hours. Some classes for the general public may be offered during those months, and you can check their web page at www.ccaartists.org for more information.

Calumet Art Center: A Tradition on the Keweenaw

This First Friday in Calumet, stop in at the Calumet Art Center between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and see the Gallery as it moves into a wonderful space and new artists are added. The Center has for sale many new works that have been made to benefit their youth programs.

The Calumet Art Center is at 57055 Fifth Street, Calumet.

Gallerie Bohème: December exhibit

The December exhibit at Gallerie Bohème will include the outstanding lifelike carved Birds and Feathers from Stuart Baird, exquisite small still life oil paintings by Margo McCafferty, and a few new fish from the Lake Superior indigenous series by Tom Rudd. A reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on First Friday, Dec. 7, with refreshments and good company.

Gallerie Bohème will be open on a limited schedule throughout the winter. They will be open for the first Friday events and on each Friday and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.  through April 2013. So if you can't make it Friday night stop by on Saturday, (there might a few leftovers from the Friday party).

The other option is that Tom and Margo are always close-by or in the gallery, and a call to 369-4087 will open the door and turn on the lights; heat takes a minute or two longer.

Calumet galleries present new art openings for First Friday, Oct. 5

CALUMET -- First Friday in Calumet, Oct. 5, will offer exhibits of new art in the local galleries.

"Maple and Birch," by Margo McCafferty and Tom Rudd. (Photo courtesy Gallerie Bohème)

Gallerie Bohème, 426 Fifth Street, "Autumn Prints," Collaborative Works by Tom Rudd and Margo McCafferty, will open with a reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday.

Ziyad and Co. (formerly the Ed Gray Gallery) will exhibit "Visions of Nature," art by Ginnie Cappaert, during October.

 Art by Ginnie Cappaert. (Photo courtesy Ziyad and Co.)

Ginnie Cappaert combines colors and textures in a playful and intuitive working style creating depth and spatial relationships derived from nature as well as incorporating abstracted landscape imagery. Layers of oil paint and cold wax on wood panels create visual and emotional connections with the land and tell a story and complexity of various life experiences.

A reception for the artist will be held  from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5, 2012, at Ziyad and Co., 109 Fifth St. Calumet.  Please call 906-337-5066 for more information.

The members of the Copper Country Associated Artists Gallery in Calumet are shifting into autumn mode in many ways. Handfuls of "fallen leaf" pins created by artist Fredi Tadeucci were brought into the gallery recently. The group is painting a new batch of silk scarves, and a 2013 Copper Country Calendar by photographer Mark Upton is for sale.  Watch for a display of autumn scenes produced by the WorldWidePhotoWalk, taking place mid-month with local participants in Copper Harbor.

Copper Country Associated Artists will host a wire pendant workshop for First Friday, Oct. 5. (Photo courtesy CCAA)

The CCAA will be hosting a wire pendant workshop for the First Friday activity Oct. 5. Participants will take round reed and form it into a circle, then weave copper wire and small beads into the center to form a small pendant that can hang as a necklace or pin to a shirt -- a perfect accessory for your fall attire. The project is suitable for teenagers and adults, and there will be two classes -- one at 6:30 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m. The activity is free and open to the public, and donations will be accepted.

Clyde Mikkola, long time member of the CCAA, has works on display this month at the Omphale Gallery and Café.

The CCAA Gallery is located at 205 Fifth Street in Calumet  Call for more information at 337-1252.

 "Built on a Rock," pastel by jd slack. (Photo courtesy Vertin Gallery)

Artist jd slack will be exhibiting new work in pastel from October 5-31, 2012, at the Vertin Gallery in Calumet. "The Places we Dwell" is a collection of works exploring the house and home, both literal and conceptual.

"We dwell, not just in buildings, but in the fourfold coming together of the material world, living creatures, meaning, and felt sense of place," slack writes in her artist's statement. "We build, not just structures, but the structures of that coming together."

jd slack’s pastel images of dwellings bring into being versions of that structure: relations among earth, sky,  matter, suggestions of the presence or absence of living creatures, and, always, a sense of occupying that particular place. Never simple, these paintings depict what is complex in as simple and direct a way as possible.

A reception for the artist will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, at the Vertin.

UPDATED: Calumet galleries to offer art, music, more for First Friday, Sept. 7

CALUMET -- First Friday in Calumet, Sept. 7, will offer new art exhibits, art activity and music in the galleries.

Copper Country Associated Artists to host "Quilting in Clay"

Visitors to Copper Country Associated Artists in Calumet this First Friday, Sept. 7, will be invited to use red earthenware slabs of clay similar to these for a quilting activity, with the help of artist Miriam Pickens. (Photo courtesy Copper Country Associated Artists)

At the Copper Country Associated Artists (CCAA), First Friday in September will be a celebration of quilting in a most unusual form. In preparation for the Sandstone Piecemakers' major quilt show in Calumet on Saturday, Sept. 15, the CCAA will host a "Quilting in Clay" project from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 7, 2012.

Miriam Pickens is providing slabs of clay which can be cut into pieces and texturized to form a "quilt" that can afterward be used as a tabletop trivet, or the pieces can be strung together into a wall hanging. This project is suitable for all ages. CCAA will provide all materials, but you can bring your own textures if you'd like.

Pieces will be fired during the week and can be picked up on Saturday, Sept. 15, the day of the quilt show.

The CCAA Gallery and Studio is at 205 Fifth Street in Calumet.

Gallerie Bohème to feature new sculpture by Tom Rudd

Gallerie Bohème will exhibit "Some New Stuff: Sculpture by Tom Rudd" from Sept. 7 through Oct. 4, 2012.

New sculpture by Tom Rudd. (Photo courtesy Gallerie Bohème)

An opening reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on First Friday, Sept. 7, in the gallery, which is located at 426 Fifth Street in Calumet. Refreshments will be served.

Vertin Gallery to feature wood carvings by Dave Stimac

The Vertin Gallery will feature the wood carving of Dave Stimac through the month of September. An opening reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on First Friday, Sept. 7. Stimac will be present at the reception to answer questions and talk about his process.

Rocking chair. Wood carving by Dave Stimac. (Photo courtesy Vertin Gallery)

Stimac was the last head sawyer at Henry Ford's sawmill located in Alberta, Michigan. Self taught, Dave has been creating custom furniture and art objects for over twenty years. He works primarily in birdseye maple, an expensive and rare wood found in the northern Upper Peninsula, sometimes using accents of other beautiful, local hardwoods such as cherry and walnut.

Dave's furniture -- including a bed, rocking chairs, and tables -- will be featured in the exhibit.

In addition, Vertin Gallery is excited to welcome musician AJ Fisher, who will be gracing visitors with her musical talents throughout the opening.

If you can't make it to the reception Friday, be sure to stop in anytime this month and marvel at the beautiful wood creations on display.

Some of Dave's work can be seen on his website, www.birdseye-connection.com.

Omphale Gallery to exhibit "Teapots and Opposites: New work by Lynne Farris"

At the top of Fifth Street, be sure to stop in Friday evening and see the new exhibit at the Omphale Gallery and Café: "Teapots and Opposites: New work by Lynne Farris."

Check out the Omphale's coffee and gourmet treats. Music will be provided during evening by musician/composer Robin Oye.

Other than First Friday evening, new autumn hours at the Omphale are Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed on Sunday.

The Omphale is at 431 Fifth Street, just a few doors above Gallerie Bohème. Visit the Omphale on Facebook for more information.

UPDATE: Calumet Art Center to host pottery demonstration

The Calumet Art Center will have a demonstration in throwing clay on the potter’s wheel on First Friday evening, Sept. 7. Visit the Center and also tour their performance hall, writing room and library.

The Calumet Art Center is at 57055 Fifth Street. For more information call 906-934-2228.

UPDATE: Ziyad and Co. Gallery to host wood artistry of Bill Wiard

The wood artistry of Bill Wiard will be featured in the September show at the Ziyad and Co. Art Gallery in Calumet. An artist's reception will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on First Friday, Sept. 7, at the Gallery (former Ed Gray Gallery).

Wood art by Bill Wiard. (Photo courtesy Ziyad and Co. Art Gallery)

Wiard's concept of wood turning is to work in harmony with nature. Each block of wood evolves into an adventure revealing the inherent natural characteristics of the wood. Natural elements found in wood, often called imperfections -- such as bark inclusions, distressed areas, unusual figure including birds eye and spalting along with contrasting heart and sapwood colors -- are all employed to achieve striking and unusual character that complement the finished form.

The Ziyad and Co. Art Gallery is at 109 Fifth St. Call 906-337-5970 for more information.

Gallerie Bohème to host exhibit by two artists opening Aug. 3

CALUMET -- Gallerie Bohème, 426 Fifth Street, Calumet, is pleased to announce an exhibition of new and innovative works by two outstanding professional artists.

Kenneth M. Thompson of Adrian, Mich., will be showing small scale bronze sculptures from his series, "Castles for the New Economy." Thompson describes these works as depictions of possible conclusions to the current housing and economy problems.

Margo McCafferty of Calumet, Mich., will be exhibiting mixed medium paintings from her series, "Notes from a Circuitous Route," with works inspired by her blog devoted to experimental writing.

The show will run from Aug. 3 to Aug. 31, 2012. The public is invited to view the work and meet the artists at an opening reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on First Friday, Aug. 3, at the gallery.

First Friday, June 1, to offer four new art exhibits in Calumet galleries

"Melt-Off, Lake Superior," copyright 2012 by Eric Munch. An exhibit of Eric Munch's color photography will open June 1 at the Vertin Gallery in Calumet. Click on photo for larger version.

CALUMET -- New art exhibits will open at the Ed Gray Gallery, Gallerie Bohème, the Vertin Gallery, and the Omphale Gallery and Café on First Friday, June 1, in Calumet

"The Keweenaw Beneath Our Feet" opens with a reception from 6:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. this Friday at the Ed Gray Gallery in Calumet. Featuring painter Susan Robinson and jewelry artists, Julie Jerman-Melka and Julie Sanford, the show honors the geology of the Keweenaw.

Susan Robinson's paintings of rocks are well known to local inhabitants. Julie Jerman-Melka fashions jewelry from Keweenaw bedrock while Julie Sanford creates using local gemstones. This show is a testament to the Keweenaw and its gifts. The Ed Gray Gallery is at 109 Fifth Street in Calumet.

Gallerie Bohème will feature "Meditations," new artworks by Joyce Koskenmaki, from June 1 to July 4, 2012. An opening reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. this Friday, June 1.

Gallerie Bohème is located at 426 Fifth St. in Calumet. For more information contact Tom Rudd at 906-369-4086.

The Vertin Gallery will welcome back photographer Eric Munch as featured artist for the month of June.

Munch is known for his black and white photographs, but his current work delves into the world of color. He captures the subtle and unique colors of the local landscape in uniquely beautiful images.

An opening reception will be held from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. at the Vertin. Munch will speak about his current work and answer audience questions around 7:15 p.m.

The Vertin Gallery is at 220 Sixth Street in downtown Calumet.

Don't miss the Calumet High School Art Exhibition at the Omphale Gallery and Café, offering art, food, and music from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, June 1. The exhibit, which is curated by Logan Karrio and Esme Johnson, continues through June 30.

Visit the Omphale's Facebook page for photos of some of their tempting treats.

Gallerie Bohème in Calumet is open May 26, 28

The Gallerie Bohème in Calumet is open this weekend from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 26, and on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28. The exhibit, "Paddles and Prints," work by Tom Rudd and Margo McCafferty, opened May 4.

To view work at other times, please call Tom Rudd at 906-369-4086

The Gallerie Bohème is located at 426 Fifth Street in Calumet.

  Paddles, by Tom Rudd. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

Isle Royale Series: North Superior. Color reduction relief print by Tom Rudd and Margo McCafferty.

Flood Series: Village. Color reduction relief print by Tom Rudd and Margo McCafferty. 

The Gallerie Bohème will present a showing of "New Work by Joyce Koskenmaki" in June. The opening reception will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on First Friday, June 1.

Gallerie Boheme to exhibit "Small Art" by local artists, opening Oct. 7

CALUMET -- Gallerie Boheme, in Calumet, will open an exhibit titled "Small Art" on Friday, Oct. 7. It will feature small artworks by local artists Stuart Baird, Kerrie Corser, Cynthia Coté, Margo McCafferty, Tom Rudd and North Carolina artist Ursula Vernon.

Tom Rudd and Margo McCafferty, The Early Morning Show, color reduction relief print. (Photo courtesy Tom Rudd and Margo McCafferty)

The public is invited to the opening of this new show from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7.

Gallerie Boheme exhibits exceptional works by Calumet and Keweenaw-area artists and craftspersons. The gallery is located in Calumet on the north end of Fifth Street at 423, near Artis Books and the Omphale Gallery and Café. Business hours are 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, July through October, other times by appointment. For additional information contact Tom Rudd at (906) 369-4087 or Tom Dumble at (760) 285-5128.

Gallerie Bohème to host new exhibit, opening Sept. 2

Artist Tom Rudd, left, and Gallerie Bohème owner Tom Dumble invite the public to the opening of a new exhibit, "Lost and Found," on First Friday, Sept. 2. The show will feature work by three artists: Bonnie Peterson, Cynthia Coté and Margo McCafferty. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

CALUMET -- The public is invited to the opening of a new show in Calumet at Gallerie Bohème from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2.

Margo McCafferty, Toys and Beans (detail). Oil on panel. (Images of art works courtesy Gallerie Bohème)

The exhibit, titled "Lost and Found," will feature artwork by three outstanding visual artists: Bonnie Peterson, embroidered maps; Cynthia Coté, small-format books made with found words and paper; and Margo McCafferty, still lifes of toys and found objects. The artists will be in attendance at the opening to discuss their work with interested viewers and collectors.

Cynthia Coté, Opening Light (detail). Found words and paper.

Gallerie Bohème exhibits exceptional works by Calumet and Keweenaw-area artists and craftspersons. The gallery is located in Calumet on the north end of Fifth Street at 423, near the Omphale Gallery and Café and Artis Books. Business hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, through October, and other times by appointment.

Bonnie Peterson, Lake Medora Quad. Mixed media.

For additional information contact Tom Rudd at (906) 369-4087 or Tom Dumble at (760) 285-5128.

New gallery, art exhibits to open Aug. 5 in Calumet

Entering Keweenaw County, by Patricia Watson, featured artist at the Vertin Gallery in August. (Image courtesy Vertin Gallery)

CALUMET -- First Friday, Aug. 5, in Calumet will be the scene of several art exhibit openings -- and the opening of a new gallery as well.

Gallerie Bohème to open Aug. 5

The public is invited to the opening of a new gallery in Calumet from 6:30 p.m. through 9 p.m. Friday, Aug.5.

Gallerie Bohème, a new visual artists’ exhibition venue in Calumet, will open its doors with a showing of works by the Rockland Street Gang, a group of artists who live on Rockland Street in Calumet Township.

Artists showing in the August exhibition are Stuart Baird, wood carvings; Richard Dana, blown glass; Margo McCafferty, paintings; and Tom Rudd, sculpture. The artists will be in attendance at the opening to discuss their work with interested viewers and collectors.

Gallerie Boheme will exhibit exceptional works by Calumet and Keweenaw area artists and craftspersons. The gallery is located in Calumet on the north end of Fifth Street at 423, near the newly-renovated Omphale Gallery and Café and Artis Books. Business hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, July through October; other times by appointment. For additional information contact Tom Rudd at (906) 369-4087 or Tom Dumble at (760) 285-5128.

Ed Gray Gallery to feature Sand Hill Light artists

"In the Shadow of the Sand Hill Light," the August exhibit at the Ed Gray Gallery, will feature the work of the late Carol Gorgas, taipaleNurmesniemi; Mike Ramos and Jan Manniko.

This show is primarily a retrospective of work from the 1980s, painted while these three artists created together at the Sand Hill Light before the lighthouse became a bed and breakfast inn.

Carol Gorgas is now deceased. Her work in this exhibit is from a private collection; some pieces have come directly from the Gorgas family. Carol’s work is known internationally, having been widely exhibited. This collection of acrylics on canvas is being shown for the first time since her death.

Jan Manniko and Mike Ramos continue to paint. A portion of the pieces in the show were painted during the time that they painted with Carol. Others are their contemporary work.

A portion of the proceeds from this show will be donated to the Calumet Art Center to promote the continuing art programs at the Center.

Vertin Gallery to feature paintings by Patricia Watson

Patricia Watson’s "Enter Keweenaw County," featuring paintings inspired by the landscape of the Keweenaw Peninsula, will open with a reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Vertin Gallery. Refreshments will be served. The artist will speak at 7:15 p.m.

Ms. Watson’s work celebrates the luscious color, light and forms she sees in the world around her, from the Copper Country forest to the Lake Superior shore.

"Mother Nature is my muse and she will not tolerate any indignities. Effectively rendering the subtle way light surrounds and embraces an object is a delightful challenge," Watson says.

For more information on the gallery or upcoming events, please visit www.vertingallery.com or call (906) 337-2200.