Exhibits
Seaworthy: A Celebration of the Tall Ships in the Twin Ports
The exhibit is currently on display in the Fesler Gallery of the St. Louis County Heritage & Arts Center (the Depot) at 506 West Michigan Street, Duluth, MN, and runs through September 26, 2010. Admission is by regular Depot gate fee.
This summer, Duluth opens its harbor to the “Tall Ships”, a fleet of international and domestic vessels outfitted with traditional rigging. In honor of their visit, the Duluth Art Institute has brought together artists and artisans for a celebration of marine craft. Seaworthy highlights the work of Tom Rauschenfels, Ed Labernik, and ship models from the collection of the Duluth Children’s Museum and the St Louis County Historical Society. All share the pull of the open water and their love for ships and sailing is evident despite their diverse mediums.
Sailing and being on or near Lake Superior has always been a part of Tom Rauschenfels’ life since growing up on Park Point. Now, as a retired art teacher working in printmaking, drawing, painting, and ceramics, he continues to be influenced by the lake and the area he adores. For Ed Labernik, marine subject matter is a relatively recent focus in his watercolors. Self-consciously presenting himself as a regional artist, Labernik chooses scenes he encounters on a daily basis and tries to evoke feelings of recognition and nostalgia in his viewer.
The artists who created the ship models on display come from a long tradition of model building that has been in existence since ancient Egyptians built prototypes to test the seaworthiness of their vessels. While the practice of model shipbuilding may not be as necessary as it once was, the attention to detail remains an integral aspect to the craft. This exhibit is a must-see companion to a tall ships visit.
The Duluth Art Institute will host a free four-gallery reception on Thursday, September 23, 5-7 PM.
Contact: ANNE DUGAN, Curator
218-733-7562/733-7560
adugan@duluthartinstitute.org
www.duluthartinstitute.org
The Duluth Art Institute's programs and services are made possible through the support of contributing members of the Duluth Art Institute, A. H. Zeppa Family Foundation, Bush Foundation, City of Duluth, Depot Foundation, Duluth-Superior Area Community Foundation, 506 Campaign, Jerome Foundation, McKnight Foundation, the Minnesota State Arts Board through an appropriation by the State Legislature, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, River Road Foundation Fund, St. Louis County, and Wildey H. Mitchell Family Foundation.
The Duluth Art Institute provided the images and information above.
This exhibit is a partnership between the Duluth Art Institute, the St Louis County Historical Society and the Duluth Children’s Museum.
Preserving the Old Country: The Experiences of Croatians, Serbians, and Slovenians in St. Louis County
A traveling exhibit produced by St. Louis County Historical Society, entitled
Preserving the Old Country: The Experiences of Croatians, Serbians, and Slovenians in St. Louis County opened to the public on April 3, 2010 in the St. Louis County Courthouse in Hibbing. The exhibit was developed by Kristen Belich, a Society intern from the College of St. Scholastica, and graphically designed by David Hodges, Curator of the Duluth Institute of Art.
The exhibit focuses on the "Old Country" (formerly Yugoslavia and now chiefly the modern states of Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia) and the immigration from it to northeastern Minnesota beginning in the 1860's and continuing through the larger wave of immigration that occurred between the 1880's and the 1920's. The political history of the region that provided the impetus for leaving the Old Country is explored in depth, as well as the reasons St. Louis County was chosen by so many southeastern Europeans as their final destination. It also explores the elements of cultural continuity readily apparent today, particularly evident in music, food, and family values.
After the exhibit leaves the Hibbing courthouse it will move to St. George's Serbian Orthodox Church in Gary (Duluth) for several months. It will then move to the St. Louis County Courthouse in Virginia, Minnesota, and subsequently will be available upon request to other organizations, as part of the St. Louis County Historical Society's Traveling Exhibit Program.
Generations of Service
Veterans’ Memorial Hall, a program of the St. Louis County Historical Society, invites the public to its newest long-term exhibit, Generations of Service. This new exhibit presents the history of our local veterans from the Civil War to the Global War on Terror.
The exhibit officially opened to the public on Friday, August 7, 2009, and will continue to be open during regular museum hours of the St. Louis County Heritage & Arts Center. The exhibit will be a long-term exhibit on display for up to five years, though artifacts will be rotated. Admission is free to the public.
This exhibit includes artifacts such as a cannonball from the Civil War, to a leather bomber jacket worn by Harold Rutka in WWII, to a SCUD missile component from Desert Shield/Storm. Also, there is a three-dimensional underground mine scene, which focuses on the home front story. At another point, visitors can walk through a scene from Iraq, based on photos from a local veteran, Mark Hilleren.
Veterans’ Memorial Hall was established in 1909 and is a program of the St. Louis County Historical Society. It is the mission of Veterans’ Memorial Hall to preserve and collect veterans’ artifacts and to educate the general public about the history of veterans from northeastern Minnesota.
Contact: Daniel Hartman
(218) 733-7500
506 West Michigan Street
Duluth, MN 55802
dhartman@vets-hall.org
Duluth Artist Loans Four Paintings for Exhibit at Depot
The St. Louis County Historical Society is pleased to announce that Duluth artist Dale Lyons has loaned four original paintings for exhibit within the J. C. Ryan Forest History Gallery. The paintings focus on the use of draft horses in northern Minnesota logging in the late 19th – early 20th century. Lyons’ paintings are based on his research of the industry and era so as to be historically accurate. Lyons is an accomplished self-taught artist, with his first showing in 1984 at the Tweed Museum in Duluth. The use of draft horses is a new sub-topic for the gallery, and anyone interested in donating items with a history relating to St. Louis County draft horses may contact the Society’s Collection Manager at (218) 733-7583.
The J. C. Ryan Gallery hosts an extensive display of artifacts and information about St. Louis County’s logging history. There are three short videos about early lumbering and sawmill operations. Photos, artifacts and information portray the hardships of early logging camp life and the various uses of wood over the decades, as well as the tools used to harvest the timber. On display are many items, from two-man hand saws to vintage gas chainsaws.
The St. Louis County Historical Society museum and office are located in the St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center (“the Depot” building) at 506 West Michigan Street, across from the Duluth Public Library. There is public parking at 6th Avenue West and Michigan Street. One entry fee provides admission to building’s four museums. Annual membership holders of any organization housed in the Depot are admitted free. New memberships are available from the Visitor’s Services Desk. Museum days, hours and general information is available at www.duluthdepot.org and by phone at (218) 727- 8025.
Contact/More information:
Executive Director JoAnne Coombe at 218-733-7580
Navy Reserve Exhibit at the Depot
Veterans’ Memorial Hall opened the Navy Reserve exhibit, An Unforgotten Legacy, The History of the Duluth Naval Militia & Reserve on September 7, 2007 at the St. Louis County Heritage & Arts Center (the Depot). The exhibit focuses on the history of the Duluth Naval Militia and Reserve from its inception in 1903 to its closure in 2007. It includes an array of stories and events that were important to the men and women who trained or served at our local facility.
This exhibit has been organized by Veterans’ Memorial Hall with the help of the Navy Operations Support Center, Duluth, MN, USS Paducah and YP-61 Club, Northeast Minnesota Historical Center, and Minnesota Historical Society.
Veterans’ Memorial Hall is a joint project of the United States Military Service, veterans of northern Minnesota and the St. Louis County Historical Society.
Come, help us remember an important chapter of Duluth’s history.
For more information contact:
Daniel Hartman
Email: dhartman@vets-hall.org
Call: (218) 733 – 7500
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For information on our Affiliates' exhibits, go to: http://www.thehistorypeople.org/affiliates.asp.
