Calendar of Events

New Downtown Mural Celebration

Eighteen months after the new owner of Aunt Belle's Confectionary floated the idea of replacing a 15-year-old mural on the side of his building, a new painting will enhance the wall. Muralist Lili Payne of Minneapolis and a crew will begin the work Monday, Aug. 3 and, weather permitting, will finish Friday, Aug. 7. A steering committee representing several community organizations have collaborated on the project which is being made possible by grants, donations and a lot of volunteer work. Heartland Arts and the Park Rapids Downtown Business Association invite the community to join us in celebrating this new art work at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7 along the sidewalk north of Aunt Belle's.This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota, through a grant from the Region 2 Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Northern Light Opera Company virtual concert

The Northern Light Opera Company virtual concert which will be livestream at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, postponed from Aug. 14 due to widespread power outages. Past performers from all over the world have been working on virtual solos, duets and ensembles to stay connected and creative. And we've been learning all kinds of new technologies to engineer it for you to watch! The free livestream will be on Vimeo, with performances archived on NLOC's facebook page YouTube channel and website for future viewing. This activity is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota, through a grant from the Region 2 Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

For more information visit the Northern Light Opera Company's website.

Census clock is ticking

Everyone and especially those of us living in rural counties needs to make sure everyone is counted in the 2020 Census. If you’ve already completed yours, please talk with your neighbors, your extended family, any young adults you have contact with... tell them this census is important.

The census gathers the data that business, hospitals, government agencies and others use to make decisions for the next 10 years. Minnesota also stands to lose a Congressional seat.

Completing the Census is easy, on-line at 2020census.gov, by phone to 844-330-2020.

Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning online programs

Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning (HCLL) board of directors met the COVID 19 pandemic's restrictions with all of their creative talent. The result is a safe and most interesting Fall 2020 series. The board selected eight of the most popular programs from previous series to put on YouTube so they can be accessed at any time between Sept. 8 and the end of October--HCLL's normal fall schedule. The following popular programs were selected:
1. Mike Hansen: "Life of Sacagawea"
2. Jill and Deane Johnson: "Little MN in WWII"
3. Anne Dunn: "Native American Stories and Songs"
4. Mike Roberts: "Last Keeper at Split Rock Lighthouse"
5. Rod Nordberg and Nicole Lalum: "Park Rapids Then & Now"
6. Edric Clarke: "World War II Memories"
7. Tom Chapin: "Poachers Caught"
8. Chris Tolman: "Owls Up Close.”

To access the links to the programs, go to the HCLL Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/headwaterscenterforlifelonglearningparkrapidsmn.

Writers Across Minnesota

Enjoy a free online event with four Minnesota Book Award-winning authors at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. via Zoom for Moving Words: Writers Across Minnesota. This is an opportunity for writers and readers to explore various themes together: the impact of literature in their lives, their connection as fellow Minnesotans, and the lens through which we read. Registration is required, information can be found on the library’s Facebook page and through the Friends of the St. Paul Library website at https://thefriends.org/event/moving-words-writers-across-minnesota-25. Captioning will be provided.

The Park Rapids Area Library welcomes these fascinating authors:

• Hubbard County native Karen Babine won the 2020 Minnesota Book Award for creative nonfiction for her second book, All the Wild Hungers. After her mother was diagnosed with cancer, Karen prepared meals for her and reflected on the intimate connections between food, family and illness.
• Heid E. Erdrich has authored seven books of poetry and a nonfiction work, Original local : indigenous foods, stories and recipes from the Upper Midwest. Her new book, Little Big Bully from Penguin, won a National Poetry Series award. Heid is Ojibwe enrolled at Turtle Mountain.
• Peter Geye is the author of the award-winning novels, Safe from the Sea, The Lighthouse Road and Wintering, winner of the Minnesota Book Award. His long-awaited new book, Northernmost, confronts the darkest recesses of the human heart and celebrates the remarkable ability for humans to survive nearly unimaginable trials.
• Kao Kalia Yang is a Hmong-American writer. Her book, The Song Poet, won the 2016 Minnesota Book Award in Creative Nonfiction Memoir, and has been commissioned as a youth opera by the Minnesota Opera that will premiere in the spring of 2021. Yang’s debut children’s book and storytime favorite, A Map Into the World, is the winner of the 2020 Minnesota Book Award in Children’s Literature.

Moving Words is a program of The Friends of the St. Paul Public Library as the Library of Congress-designated Minnesota Center for the Book. Additional support is provided by the Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts, Northern Lights Library Network and Education Minnesota. This program is made possible in part by the State of Minnesota through a grant to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Blank Canvas Gallery presents 2020 Changing Times

Blank Canvas Gallery is hosting a virtual art exhibit, 2020 Changing Times, through October 15. Exhibit artists are Bickey Bender, Park Rapids; Sandra Johnson, Nevis; Jerry Wegenast and Judy Wegenast of Buckeye, AZ and Chuck Weygand, Akeley. Start your tour at https://blankcanvasgallery.com.

Nemeth Art Center Croquet "Maskerade" Fundraiser

The Nemeth Art Center (NAC) will host a croquet "maskerade" fundraiser from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, September 19 at Deane Park. Patrons, artists from the group show Of Course, Where Else and NAC staff will gather to celebrate an idiosyncratic season and the beautiful late-summer setting. A yard game olympiad will include croquet, giant Jenga, yard Yahtzee, bag toss and a treasure hunt. Afterward, guests will have the chance to win prizes from local vendors and there will be a prize for the most creative mask wearer. A $50 contribution will include an entrance ticket, game score card and a smoked barbecue meal ticket. New France Wine Company will be on site for a tasting and Bemidji Brewing will have beer available for sale. For more information and tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/croquet-maskerade-fundraiser-tickets-116943399857.

Art Leap - Annual Driving Tour

In lieu of an Art Leap driving tour this fall, we are providing summaries and contact information about this year's participating artists. Click here for information. Please "visit" the artists and support them.

Heartland Concert Association: Seeger to Springsteen

The Heartland Concert Association invites you to hear Seeger to Springsteen, the music you grew up with, at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 24 at the Park Rapids Area High School Auditorium. Husband and wife duo Max and Darcy Demers will invite the audience to sing along during the program. This concert opens the HCA 2020-2021 season. Season ticket information will be available at Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery, Park Rapids; Northwoods Cafe, Nevis; and Thrifty White Drug, Walker. Tickets also may be purchased at the door. For more information, visit heartlandconcertassociation.org and visit HCA on Facebook