On a recent trip through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I stopped to visit the Museum of Ojibwa Culture in St. Ignace. The Museum is operated by the city of St. Ignace, and so “the city-operated museum and park portray a vivid picture of life in the Straits of Mackinac over 300 years ago when Ojibwa, Huron, Odawa and French lifestyles met.”
Janelle Miller and Stacie Renné are the creative duo behind Warrior Printress. From their beloved 1910 printing press, “Gertie,” they create custom, hand-carved, limited-edition posters for iconic regional landmarks like Glensheen Mansion and Bob’s Cabins.
Making it Up North is a PBS North series that explores stories of creative artists, artisans and entrepreneurs engaged in honing their skills, following their passion and realizing their dreams.
British weekly newspaper The Graphic ran a story on Duluth in its June 3, 1871 edition — 155 years ago today — featuring three wood-engraved prints of Duluth scenes.
It’s been a very literary summer in Duluth and Superior.
First, the Duluth Failed Poets Society met at Wussow’s Concert Cafe to celebrate a new book. Laminated Wildflowers is a celebration both of craft and of community. (It’s also a sequel to Murder Your Darlings.) Photos and video of the event are available on Instagram.
Duluth’s Lee Clark Allen has a new music video for a track from his 2025 album My World is Yours. It was shot primarily in Downtown Duluth and Canal Park.
This image is from a real-photo postcard that was never mailed. It shows an industrial scene but doesn’t seem to offer a lot of clues about the specific whereabouts. The vague location, if we trust the words penciled on the back of the card, is “Duluth Minn area.”
The James R. Barker’s security call to the Aerial Lift Bridge announcing her departure is known as the “Barker Bark.” The ship is one of 13 thousand-footers built for the Great Lakes. Built in 1976 by the American Ship Building Company, the Barker is celebrating 50 years of service.
This video was shot April 28 by Jon Columbus, who shoots Duluth-area shipping videos for Dre Designs Great Lakes Marine Products.
Alan Sparhawk and Trampled by Turtles celebrated their 2025 collaborative album with a performance at Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul on Dec. 11. The Current captured the entire show on the video embedded above.
The latest montage from the Voyageurs Wolf Project shows the array of critters that trotted down an old forest road over the past year. The trail camera footage was shot in Voyageurs National Park, about 100 miles north of Duluth.
The May 28, 1926 issue of the Duluth Herald reports on the upcoming dedication of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church at 102 Fourth St. in Cloquet. The building is still in use, now serving as Queen of Peace Catholic Church.
From his early days apprenticing under legendary Minnesota sculptor Paul Granlund to fabricating large-scale public art commissions across the region, Greg Mueller uses raw, reclaimed metal and local history to create striking pieces of community storytelling.
Making it Up North is a PBS North series that explores stories of creative artists, artisans and entrepreneurs engaged in honing their skills, following their passion and realizing their dreams.
Clean those dashboard cup holders, the Current has released a video of Alan Sparhawk performing “Stranger” with Trampled by Turtles during a Dec. 11 concert at Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. Video of the entire show will be released on Friday, May 29, to mark the one-year anniversary of Sparhawk’s second solo album, With Trampled by Turtles.
This postcard of Duluth’s waterfront and manufacturing district was mailed May 25, 1916 — 110 years ago today. Among the fuzzy buildings on the shoreline is F. A. Patrick Woolen Mills at 302 S. Fifth Ave. W., which is on the left and is the only building with readable lettering on it.
The turn-of-the-century brownstone at 627 E. Fourth St. has undergone a $4.3 million renovation by Heirloom Property Management. The public can tour the 20-unit building during an open house Tuesday, May 26. (Photo by Mark Nicklawske)
A once stately turn-of-the-century brownstone neglected for decades and widely considered one of Duluth’s biggest eyesores has received a complete top-to-bottom restoration and begins accepting tenants this summer.
Tracy Owens, owner-operator of Voyageur Donuts in the historic DeWitt-Seitz Marketplace, shares her journey from executive chef to donut entrepreneur, the inspiration behind the famous savory “Hot Dish” donut, and how the shop keeps its menu fresh and eclectic with monthly seasonal creations.
Making it Up North is a PBS North series that explores stories of creative artists, artisans and entrepreneurs engaged in honing their skills, following their passion and realizing their dreams.
