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.
Written and directed by Duluth’s Jonathan Thunder, the short movie Ish Meets a Mermaid was produced in 2025 and premiered at the Historic State Theater in Ely during the Ely Film Festival in March 2026. It recently made its Duluth debut at the Zeitgeist Minnesota Film Festival.
“The Bridge by the Crib” is the third video release from Toby Thomas Churchill’s new album Nighttime.
This undated postcard, published by Erickson Post Cards & Souvenirs, shows the five-story lookout tower at Duluth’s Enger Park circa the early 1970s.
Dressed in gowns that look like they came straight out of a doll house, a few artists met at Prøve Gallery last week to shoot a promotional video for their upcoming gala. As soon as the bug garments and masks were placed on the models’ heads, the poses came out.
“A mask is transformative,” artist and Prøve Collective board member Cherry Koch said, watching the models move around the room in playful bug-like fashion.
A chance encounter at the Tweed Museum sparked Kelly Schamberger‘s passion for plein air painting. This video explores the delicate balance of turning a creative passion into a sustainable business, the importance of artistic mentorship, and the unique joy of connecting with strangers in the middle of the woods. It is a story about building a legacy of beauty and finding common ground through the stroke of a brush.
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.
Newspaper publisher John L. Morrison died 100 years ago today — May 18, 1926. As “head sawyer” of the Duluth Rip-saw, he was known for his unrelenting attacks on local politicians, which led to a gag order that shut his publication down. Five years after his mysterious death at the age of 62, Morrison was vindicated by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled the Public Nuisance Law violated the First Amendment of the United States Constitution protecting the freedom of the press.
