Events • Activities promoted by Heartland Arts

Dana Schutz & Ryan Johnson Exhibit at Nemeth Art Center

As a continuation of Nemeth Art Center's ongoing two-person/couples series of exhibitions, NAC announces the internationally celebrated, Brooklyn-based artists Dana Schutz and Ryan Johnson. Opening July 2022 with new, not-yet-shown gouache paintings on paper from Schutz, and mixed media sculptures based loosely around figuration from Johnson. For more information, contact Tessa Beck at director@nemethartcenter.org or go to www.nemethartcenter.org. Nemeth Art Center is located in the original Hubbard County Courthouse, 301 Court Ave., Park Rapids. It is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through the end of September.

Northern Light Opera Company: "Hello, Dolly"

Auditions have been held, cast has been chosen and you’re in for a treat! When choosing the production for summer 2022, the oft requested show, Hello, Dolly, was picked because it's so nice to be back to share our love of theater with you. Mark your calendars to attend one of the productions Aug. 3-6 at the Armory Arts and Events Center. Tickets are available by going online: BrownPaperTickets. Tickets also will be available at Beagle and Wolf Books. Audiences will recognize many of their favorite actors, but will also be introduced to some new faces who will entertain you well. Hello, Dolly is familiar to most folks, and even if you’ve seen the show many times, each director, cast and crew brings their own inspiration and creativity to the stage and you’ll be entertained anew.

Noon Hour Concert: Bluegrass band duo

The Noon Hour Concert Thursday, August 4 at Calvary Church in Park Rapids from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. will feature Aidan Larson doing vocals, guitar and mandolin and Sawyer Corcoran on mandolin, fiddle and guitar. The boys are members of "No Rest for Pickers,” a bluegrass band from the Bemidji area. A free will donation will be taken.

Noon Hour Concert: Paul Lawrence

Paul Lawrence will perform from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. Thursday, August 11 at Hubbard United Methodist Church. He has played acoustic folk, country and blues on stages from Minneapolis to Taipei. His music ranges from folk and country ballads to bluesy boot-stompers, all while consistently delivering exceptional vocals and finely crafted lyrics. Free will donations will be accepted.

Brass Group at Calvary Lutheran Church

A brass group will play from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. Thursday, August 18 at Calvary Lutheran Church. Members are Kyle Riess, trumpet; Alyssa Konecne, trombone; Jeff Johnson, bass trombone; Eve Sumsky, horn; and Scott Guidry, trumpet. Free will donations will be accepted.

Dr. Kyle J. Riess is a graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy in Duluth, and works as a pharmacist at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center in the hospital and Joe Lueken Cancer Center. He currently lives in Bemidji where he is a member at St. Mark Lutheran Church and serves on several boards and committees, worship planning and playing in worship services. He also plays in area music groups, including the Bemidji Brass, Bemidji Symphony Orchestra, Bemidji Area Community Band, Park Rapids Area Community Band and others.

Alyssa Konecne has taught elementary music at Magelssen Elementary School in Fosston since 1996. She teaches classroom music, elementary band and elementary choir. Alyssa has been a member of the Bemidji Symphony Orchestra (BSO) since 1993. She received her Bachelor of Science with a major in instrumental and classroom music education and a minor in piano from Bemidji State University. Alyssa is the principal trombonist for the BSO and also performs in several other local music groups – Trombones of Bemidji, the Upper Mississippians and the Northern Light Opera Company.

Jeff Johnson lives in Detroit Lakes. He recently retired after a 36-year career as a civil engineer and IT specialist at MnDOT. He has been playing bass trombone since 1980. Jeff majored in music at University of Minnesota, Morris and received his engineering degree from University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He performs in several regional groups - Trombones of Bemidji, Bemidji Symphony Orchestra, Park Rapids Area Community Band, Detroit Lakes Community Band and Doc and the Scrubs big band. He also performs at several local churches and many other occasionally performing ensembles.

Eve Sumsky studied music education at the University of Iowa, Iowa City (Bachelor of Music) and St. Thomas University, St. Paul (Master of Arts in Music Education). She taught beginning band and elementary music for 34 years at Bemidji Schools, retiring in 2013. She has played French horn since high school and performs regularly in the Bemidji Symphony Orchestra, Bemidji Brass Quintet, Bemidji Area Community Band and other ensembles in the area.

Scott Guidry is Music Department Chair, Director of Bands and Professor of Trumpet at Bemidji State University. Scott earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Loyola University New Orleans and Master of Arts in Conducting from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. In addition to being a professional conductor in the United States Air Force for 20 years, Scott has taught instrumental music at the high school and college levels for 14 years. He has performed as principal and section trumpet in the Bemidji Symphony Orchestra, as well as principal trumpet in the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and Lafayette Concert Band. Scott is a member of the International Brass Quintet (artists-in-residence) and teaches trumpet at the International Music Camp at the International Peace Garden on the North Dakota/Manitoba border. As a seasoned jazz artist, Scott performed for several seasons with the New Orleans Saints Jazz Band, and has performed in numerous jazz, show and dance bands throughout the southern US.

Bob Madeson, euphonium; Sarah Carlson, piano, and Tyler Bublitz, drums. at Calvary Lutheran Church

The trio of Bob Madeson, euphonium, Sarah Carlson, piano, and Tyler Bublitz, drums will play from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. Thursday, August 25 at Calvary Lutheran Church. Free will donations will be accepted.

Since 2010 Bob Madeson has been actively involved with The International Euphonium Tuba Festival in Atlanta, GA where he participates in master classes and ensemble and studies with some of the best euphonium players in the world. He is an active performer in the Bemidji area, including the Bemidji Community Band and First Lutheran Church, where he plays solos on a regular basis and assists in conducting the adult and women's choir.

Sarah received her Master of Music in organ performance from the University of Iowa and her Bachelor of Music from St. Olaf College. Prior to coming to Bemidji, she was Director of Music at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Darlington, SC. She was also an Adjunct Professor of Music at Coker College in Hartsville, SC, accompanist for the Coker Singers and head of the Piano Division's Preparatory School of Music. She is currently Director of Music Ministry at First Lutheran Church in Bemidji.

Hubbard County Historical Society: Mission and History of Heartland Homes

Bill Simpson will present the Hubbard County Historical Society program at 7 p.m. Monday, August 29. He will talk about the Mission and History of Heartland Homes. Programs are in the basement of the Law Enforcement Center.

Dana Schutz & Ryan Johnson Exhibit at Nemeth Art Center

As a continuation of Nemeth Art Center's ongoing two-person/couples series of exhibitions, NAC announces the internationally celebrated, Brooklyn-based artists Dana Schutz and Ryan Johnson. Opening July 2022 with new, not-yet-shown gouache paintings on paper from Schutz, and mixed media sculptures based loosely around figuration from Johnson. For more information, contact Tessa Beck at director@nemethartcenter.org or go to www.nemethartcenter.org. Nemeth Art Center is located in the original Hubbard County Courthouse, 301 Court Ave., Park Rapids. It is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through the end of September.

Quilts as a Window to History

"Quilts as a Window to History" will lead off the Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning fall programs September 6 with examples of carefully crafted quilts. Sue Harmon will relate ways that quilt artistry reveals insights into daily lives, historical events and interests from a different time period. HCLL programs are from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the Armory Arts & Events Center, 203 Park Ave. So. The sessions are free and handicapped accessible. Refreshments and treats provided.

Farm to Fiber Festival

A Farm to Fiber Festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, September 10 at the Hubbard County Fairgrounds, 201 Fair Ave., Park Rapids. Visitors will find yarns and fiber-related items, see demonstrations, a fashion show, tapestry, felted yurt and more. There also will be a raffle. To learn more go to farmtofiberfestival.com, email info@farmtofiberfestival.com or call 218-657-2502.

My Law Enforcement Career/p>

Author Terry Smith will give the Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning program September 13 on "My Law Enforcement Career." From his book, Code 4, Smith shares highlights of a 37-year career with law enforcement, including homicide investigations and more. HCLL programs are from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays at at the Armory Arts & Events Center, 203 Park Ave. So. The sessions are free and handicapped accessible. Refreshments and treats provided.

Travels to Scandinavia

"Travels to Scandinavia" will be the Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning program September 20 when Linda Nordlund returns to HCLL with a visually impressive virtual tour, including cultural commentary on Iceland, Sweden and Norway. HCLL programs are from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays at at the Armory Arts & Events Center, 203 Park Ave. So. The sessions are free and handicapped accessible. Refreshments and treats provided.

Penny Pressing event

A Penny Pressing event will be held during Art Leap: 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday September 24 at the Park Rapids Area Library. Smash artwork onto a penny, collect local art for 50 cents and meet local artist Yunior Rebollar. Yunior’s mixed media artwork was displayed at Nemeth Art Center in May and June, his first solo show. This event is part of Minnesota Artists Penny Press: Greater MN Edition.

Art Leap 2022

Art Leap, an “open studio event” featuring artists and guest artists, will offer 24 sites and feature more than 90 artists at stu-dios and other locations in Hubbard and Becker counties the weekend of Sept. 24 and 25. Sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Hop from studio to studio, learn process, appreciate skill and support the artists. Let fall’s natural beauty inspire you as it does the artists. as you pass lakes and travel country roads. The Event Guide for the 2022 Art Leap is available to view or download HERE.

Event guides also will be available in mid-August at the Park Rapids Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center, Park Rapids Area Library and other locations.

See what’s new at studios and sites you’ve visited in the past and find new places that will be part of this year’s event. Some sites will host new guest artists and new works that will interest first time and returning visitors.

Heartland Arts sponsors Art Leap with funding provided, in part, by Itasca-Mantrap’s Operation Round Up and the Park Rapids Downtown Business Association. This activity is also funded by a Region 2 Arts Council Grant through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund passed by Minnesota voters on Nov. 4, 2008.

The Event Guide for the 2022 Art Leap is available to view or download HERE.

Hubbard County Historical Society: Camp Wilderness Boy Scout Camp

Chad Swenson will present a program on Camp Wilderness Boy Scout Camp for the Hubbard County Historical Society program at 7 p.m. Monday, September 26th, in the basement of the Law Enforcement Center.

Views from Under the Sea

For the Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning program, "Views from Under the Sea," September 27, Mark Hewitt, a SCUBA enthusiast, will bring up close encounters with the beautiful coral and sea creatures of the Florida Keys reefs with memorable photos and videos. HCLL programs are from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the Armory Arts & Events Center, 203 Park Ave. So. The sessions are free and handicapped accessible. Refreshments and treats provided.

Portrait of a Queen, Aretha Franklin

The Heartland Concert Association’s 2022-23 season will open with a tribute concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29 at the Park Rapids Area High School Auditorium. The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, taught her listeners how to Think and demand R-E-S-P-E-C-T while riding down the Freeway (of Love). In this production, award-winning songstress Cece Teneal takes music lovers on a trip down memory lane with stellar hits from Aretha Franklin’s 50-years of musical entertainment. Audiences will be energized by Teneal’s strong, soulful voice, and beautiful piano accompaniment to Franklin’s lyrical life lessons.

Moving Words: Writers Across Minnesota

The Park Rapids Area Library will welcome (after two years of COVID interruptions) a fantastic in-person panel of authors who will share insights into their work and the writing process. Enjoy a lively discussion with three Minnesota Book Award-winning authors at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29 at the Armory Arts and Events Center. Meet Andrew DeYoung, Shannon Gibney and Sun Yung Shin at this free Moving Words event. Moving Words is an opportunity for writers and readers to explore various themes together including the impact of literature in their lives, their connection as fellow Minnesotans, and the lens through which we read. Presented by BNSF Railway Foundation, Moving Words is a program of The Friends of the Saint 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 and 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.

Eight First Weeks in a 33-Year Career

Eric Haugland will speak on "Eight First Weeks in a 33-Year Career" in the National Park Service for the Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning program October 4. The program will include an update on building the multi-use Itasca-Heartland Trail Connection as well as details about his responsibilities and unique memories from his career with the National Park Service. HCLL programs are from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the Armory Arts & Events Center, 203 Park Ave. So. The sessions are free and handicapped accessible. Refreshments and treats provided.

The Twenty-Ninth Day

Alex Messenger was 17 years old when he was mauled by a grizzly bear while on a Canadian wilderness canoe trip. On October 11, he will share memories from his best-selling book, The Twenty-Ninth Day, for the Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning program. HCLL programs are from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the Armory Arts & Events Center, 203 Park Ave. So. The sessions are free and handicapped accessible. Refreshments and treats provided.

WorkBench Lighting Workshop

The objective of the free WorkBench Lighting Workshop is to introduce participants to some of the basic principles of stage lighting and offer participants a chance to practice applying what they have learned to creating some lighting cues. Each person in the workshop will have an opportunity for hands-on experience working with lighting instruments and a light board. Knowing more about the principles of stage lighting, participants will have more informed choices about how light is employed in theatrical productions. Area high school Theater Departments will find this workshop especially helpful in training theater tech students to approach lighting in a more professional way. The workshop will be led by professional Lighting Designer Heidi Eckwall, Colorado College, and NLOC Technical Director Greg Paul. The workshop will run approximately from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 15-16. For more information, email info@northernlightopera.org.

Capturing the Moment

In "Capturing the Moment," the Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning program October 18, Steve Maanum documents a natural process in a series of photos of wood ducks, ruffed grouse, great blue herons and loons. HCLL programs are from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the Armory Arts & Events Center, 203 Park Ave. So. The sessions are free and handicapped accessible. Refreshments and treats provided.

WorkBench Filmmaker Intensive

Led by award winning Los Angeles filmmaker David Leidy and playwright Greg Paul, the Workbench Filmmaker Intensive Oct. 20-22 will lead a group of aspiring filmmakers through three packed days of learning the ins and outs of making your own film. The Intensive will culminate with a showing of the newly created films and a reading of the full-length screenplay, The Secret Keepers. No previous experience is required to participate in and there will be no charge to participate. Applications are currently be accepted. Go to https://www.northernlightopera.org.

Hubbard County Historical Society: History of the Park Rapids Lions Club

Dick Kimball will give the program on the History of the Park Rapids Lions Club for the Hubbard County Historical Society at 7 p.m. Monday, October 24 in the basement of the Law Enforcement Center.

Creating a Pollinator Highway

The final program of the Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning season October 25 will be about "Creating a Pollinator Highway." In response to the ongoing loss of pollinator habitat, the Nevis Women’s Club undertook an ambitious project to create a pollinator-friendly corridor. In this program, they’ll describe the concept, funding and implementation of their vision. HCLL programs are from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the Armory Arts & Events Center, 203 Park Ave. So. The sessions are free and handicapped accessible. Refreshments and treats provided.

Jeeyon Kim, pianist

Classical pianist Jeeyon Kim will delight the Heartland Concert audience when she performs at 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 15 at the Park Rapid Area High School Auditorium. She brings a sparkling combination of sensitive artistry, broad emotional range and impeccable technique. At the 2018 Global Music Awards Kim became a two Gold Medal winner for Emerging Artist and Instrumentalist. Kim provides a uniquely engaging and innovative concert experience, including beautiful videos to complement the music.

Park Rapids Area Community Band Fall Concert

The Park Rapids Area Community Band is preparing for a Fall Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20 at the Park Rapids High School Auditorium. The concert will highlight two genres of music. The first half will be traditional band music and will feature two fine soloists within the band: Karen Onstad, percussionist, and Sandy Sprafka, oboist. The second half will include more holiday music and pieces associated with winter. Selections to be performed are by well-known composers such as Aaron Copland, Alfred Reed and Percy Grainger as well as some lesser-known composers include Julius Fucik, Ron Nelson and Georges Bizet. Those who share enthusiasm for performing concert band music, please contact band manager Paul Peterson at paul@peteport.com or Music Director, Adam Tervola Hultberg at ahultberg@isd116.org.

Calendar of Events