PDDTV
Making it Up North: Julie Arthur
Since taking up fiber art in 1973, Julie Arthur has evolved from a student to a master instructor, finding her home and her “people” within the vibrant North Shore arts community.
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.
The Decline and Rebirth of the St. Louis River
This WDIO-TV news feature shares the story of the St. Louis River. Once too polluted to fish, the waterway is nearing removal from the Environmental Protection Agency’s contaminated Areas of Concern list after years of cleanup and habitat restoration.
The Lost Forty: A Story of Minnesota’s Scientific and Natural Areas
Hidden in northern Minnesota, about 110 miles northwest of Duluth, the Lost Forty is a rare old-growth pine forest that survived the logging era by accident more than a century ago. Today, it offers a window into the state’s Scientific and Natural Areas program and the effort to protect Minnesota’s most remarkable and irreplaceable ecosystems. In this documentary, Lakeland PBS explores the Lost Forty and the broader work to preserve Minnesota’s natural heritage.
Making it Up North: Shoreview Natives
Shoreview Natives owner Dan Schutte shares how a hobby growing native plants in a Two Harbors basement grew into a full-scale landscaping nursery and a mission to support pollinators across the region.
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.
Video Archive: Geek Prom 2006
Twenty years ago today — April 22, 2006 — caravans of Duluthians traveled to the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul for the fifth edition of the Geek Prom. It was the first of two Geek Proms held in St. Paul; the other eight were held in Duluth.
Chuck Olson produced the segment above, which appeared on the pioneering daily video blog Rocketboom prior to the launch of its YouTube channel and shorty before original host Amanda Congdon left the show. (more…)
Minnesota Bound: BWCA Special
This week’s episode of Minnesota Bound, covers the clash over the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Twin Metals wants to mine right up against the BWCAW. As lifelong fans and users of the Boundary Waters, hosts Bill Sherck and Laura Schara take a closer look at the projects’ risks and potential affects.
Making it Up North: Teague Alexy
Singer-songwriter Teague Alexy talks about his unlikely path from the hip-hop crews of the Jersey Shore to the heart of the Minnesota music scene. Moving to Holyoke, about 10 miles southwest of Duluth, transformed his creative process, leading him to trade violin lessons and rap for American roots music and the harmonica.
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.
Making it Up North: Apostle Islands Kayaking Express
The Apostle Islands Kayaking Express team leads tours out of Bayfield, exploring the 10,000-year-old glacial history that carved sandstone arches, caverns and tunnels at Devil’s Island.
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.
Moose-heavy Montage from Voyageurs National Park
This montage of trail camera footage from Voyageurs National Park includes numerous moose walk throughs, along with the usual array of northern Minnesota critters. The Voyageurs Wolf Project has roughly 350 cameras set up in the park, which is about 100 miles north of Duluth. This footage is all from one camera, captured last summer.
Stars and Satellites: Trampled by Turtles Live at First Avenue
Trampled by Turtles has released to YouTube a mini-documentary featuring the band performing all the tracks from the 2012 album Stars and Satellites, with commentary on the process of writing the songs and recording in a log home outside Duluth.
The documentary is directed and edited by Charlie Berg.
Indecent Proposal – “Tears in Rain” (DJ SMOXA Remix)
The latest video from Duluth band Indecent Proposal was shot during two performances — last summer’s Downtown Duluth Street Dance outside Dubh Linn Irish Pub and the band’s opening slot for Third Eye Blind at Black Bear Casino in March. The video production work is by Capture Chaos Productions.
Making it Up North: Seed Treasures
In Angora Township, about 70 miles north of Duluth, Jackie and Will Atkinson are rescuing ancient heirloom seeds from extinction, turning their passion for “growing history” into a thriving, cold-hardy seed business called Seed Treasures.
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.
Making it Up North: Alan Nyiri
Alan Nyiri, a lifelong photographer who has traded the traditional retirement for a life on the open road, travels the country with his wife in a fifth-wheel trailer, serving as a “volunteering professional.” Currently stationed at Grand Portage National Monument, he is using his decades of technical skill to document the history of the fur trade and the legendary Rendezvous.
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.
Making it Up North: Portage North
Michael Larson, owner of Portage North and Sun Dog Sport in Ely, talks about life at the Boundary Waters and making durable portage packs and dog harnesses.
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.
Hauliwood Dreams – “Helan Går: It All Goes Down”
The latest from the Finnish-American novelty band Hauliwood Dreams is a traditional Swedish drinking song turned into a Nordic celebration of tradition with a Finnish-American twist. The group features Duluth’s Steve Solkela partnering with Miska Kajanus and led by Maria Voltaine, who wrote the song lyrics and music and produced the video.
A Year of Wild Moments at a Remote Trail Crossing
This video montage shows highlights from a year’s worth of critters passing though the intersection of a remote hiking trail and a deer trail in Voyageurs National Park. The footage is from the Voyageurs Wolf Project, which is focused on understanding the summer ecology of wolves in the park.
Making it Up North: Chilly Dogs Sled Dog Trips
Jake and Jessica Hway, owners of Chilly Dogs Sled Dog Trips, have built a life centered around a 90-dog pack, focusing on older dogs that still have a passion for the trail.
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.
Sleeping Giants 2026
The Soo Locks, gateway to Lake Superior, are scheduled to reopen for the 2026 shipping season on March 25. This aerial video offers views of the winter layups in Wisconsin as the “Sleeping Giants” prepare to wake.
The video begins at Fraser Shipyards in Superior, where several vessels sit quietly in winter layup. Also in Superior are a pair of 1000-footers — Indiana Harbor at the Lakehead Pipeline dock and Burns Harbor at Elevator M. The video closes with scenes from Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay.
Toby Thomas Churchill – “Forget”
The second video release from Toby Thomas Churchill’s new album Nighttime offers helpful instruction for dealing with the past.
Making it Up North: Alt Creative
Melissa Weisser and Tammy Underwood talk about how Alt Creative has grown into a vibrant arts collective of 50 creators.
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.
Steve Solkela’s “Overpopulated” One-man Band – “When the Cactus is in Bloom”
Steve Solkela challenges viewers to count the instruments as he sings the 1931 country-western song “When the Cactus is in Bloom,” written and originally performed by Jimmie Rodgers.
Duluth: Gateway to Lake Superior
Former Duluthian Ian Grant travels all over the world as host of the Emmy-award winning series Culture Quest, which looks at “life through the lens of the world’s artists, artisans and keepers of culture.” The latest episode is all about the place Grant spent his childhood in the 1970s and ’80s: Duluth. The show explores how Lake Superior influences the people, culture and stories of the city.
Making it Up North: Steger Mukluks
Susan Steger, founder of Steger Mukluks, recounts her history as a winter survival instructor, her 9-month expedition to Ellesmere Island and the 40-year evolution of her iconic footwear brand.
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.
From Duluth to Grand Marais in a Winter Paradise
Twin Cities realtor Jesse Lynch packed up his video gear, and dog Oscar, for a trip to Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior in February following a heavy snowstorm and produced this travelogue, capturing frozen waterfalls and snowy landscapes along the scenic route. (more…)
Minnesota All Hockey Hair Team 2026: Flow for Gold
Experience all the gold medal salad from St. Paul and see who earned their spot on the FLOWdium. John King and Pulltab Sports present an Olympic-themed hockey hair-a-lympics full of salad shenanigans from the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament. (more…)