Videos
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.
Just Me: A project to increase connection to nature and embolden bicycle use as transportation
My friend and former student Kevin Stanke recently shared his final project in the Master of Professional Studies program at the University of Minnesota Duluth. His work sets out to increase people’s connection to nature and to embolden bicycle use as a primary form of transportation. He’s given me permission to share it here. (more…)
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…)
Meet the Moment: Writers Speak Out
Meet the Moment: Writers Speak Out was held at Wussow’s Concert Cafe on Feb. 26. (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…)
Three Versions of “Opiate War”
Oh, Duluth.
It began with watching addicts scream in the alley. Then it got electric. Then it got louder.
I’m not sure where it’s going, but I know how it ends. (more…)
Climate>Duluth: Shodo Spring
Climate>Duluth host Tone Lanzillo interviews Shodo Spring, author of Open Reality: Meeting the Polycrisis Together With All Beings.” The program was recorded in the Duluth Public Access Community Television studio.
Making it Up North: Catherine Meier
Visual artist Catherine Meier shares her journey from hauling cattle across the Great Plains to creating deeply immersive animations and drawings on Minnesota’s North Shore.
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.
Cloud Cult – “It’s All Burning to Begin”
The new song and video from Cloud Cult “feels like the prelude birthing of a new album,” according to bandleader Craig Minowa’s description on YouTube. “The ground this new musical nursery stands on was Ho Chunk. The Kickapoo River hugs this recording studio on three sides and is considered by some geologists to be one of the oldest in the world — 2 million years. There is spirit here, and it has stories to tell.” (more…)
Making it Up North: Java Moose
From starting a makeshift weather update during a forest fire to becoming a daily staple for locals and tourists alike, Java Moose is more than just a coffee shop, it’s a community hub.
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.
Jonathan Thunder’s Digital Tampering Reel
This compilation shows various animation projects Duluth artist Jonathan Thunder has worked on in the past decade, including his own projects, collaborations and works for hire.
Nimrods vs. Lake Superior: A Giant Ski Quest
The Nimrods, five-time champions of the six-man American Birkebeiner Giant Ski Race in Hayward, recently attempted to conquer their biggest challenge yet: giant skiing across Lake Superior* as part of the Book Across the Bay race from Washburn to Ashland.
*a very small portion of Lake Superior
Making it Up North: Bailey Builds
Meet the couple behind the wood art seen all over Duluth. After 15 years in production management, Anna and Nathanael Bailey took a leap of faith to join forces and create Bailey Builds.
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.
Alan Sparhawk – “JCMF” and “No More Darkness”
Alan Sparhawk has new lyric videos for the songs “JCMF” and “No More Darkness.” Both are “a response to all of the turmoil that (has) occurred locally and globally over the past couple of years,” according to Sparhawk. (more…)
Lake Superior: Biggest Skate Rink in the World
One last skate.
UMD’s Dancing Tales: Vasalisa
This weekend UMD Theatre is presenting an anthology of dance pieces exploring myths, folklore and legends from Eastern European and Southeast Asian traditions, including the retelling of the Slavic folktale Vasalisa. It is a collaborative multimedia dance performance co-directed by Professor Rebecca Katz Harwood and Emerita Professor Joellyn Rock. The college’s Motion and Media Across Disciplines Lab student staff had the opportunity to operate cameras for green screen shoots, provide video documentation and design and animate a 3D motion capture Vasalisa robot doll.