Duluth MN Art News and Information from Perfect Duluth Day

Art Posts

Selective Focus: Chosen Family & Mutual Aid with Carolyn Olson

May 09, 2026 No Comments

Centering on themes of mutual aid, chosen family, snapshots of the home and community spaces, Carolyn Olson works with gouache, pastel and oil to create narrative paintings. Her work has included scenes from laundromats, overnight parking areas, community gardens and food distribution locations. The subjects in her work are often presented with unrealistic body proportions to bring out different energies in the characters or accentuate the task at hand.

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Writers Speak Out: Power to the People

May 06, 2026 No Comments

Writers Speak Out: People Have the Power was held at Wussow’s Concert Cafe on April 21.

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Art, Politics, Videos

Making it Up North: Lenore Lampi

May 01, 2026 No Comments

Ceramicist Lenore Lampi discusses the transition from being an art teacher to a full-time artist, the inspiration behind her “Scrolls Interrupted” series, and the unique techniques she uses to bring her sculptures to life — including the use of furniture gilding wax and birch-inspired motifs.

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.


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Former Duluthian Nik Nerburn exhibits at MIA

Mar 19, 2026 No Comments

Still from Nik Nerburn’s “Going Out For Cigarettes.”

The Minneapolis Institute of Art has announced former Duluthian Nik Nerburn will have work on exhibit there March 21 to June 21.

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Art

Making it Up North: Alt Creative

Mar 19, 2026 No Comments

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.


Art, Videos ,

Lisa Fitzpatrick recognized with environmental film award

Mar 12, 2026 No Comments

Lisa Fitzpatrick creates a tiny tableau of the St. Louis River estuary in “River Creatures,” an artwork that is part of “The River Speaks” exhibit at Wussow’s Concert Cafe, organized by the St. Louis River Alliance. (Image via the St. Louis River Alliance’s Instagram page.

Duluth-based artist, animator and climate advocate Lisa Fitzpatrick was recognized with an Outstanding Environmental Film Award at the Short. Sweet. Film Fest., an event in Cleveland, Ohio that highlights short features. Her submission, Love Song for Earth, was part of the festival’s environmental program on March 4.

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Art

Meet the Moment: Writers Speak Out

Mar 09, 2026 No Comments

Meet the Moment: Writers Speak Out was held at Wussow’s Concert Cafe on Feb. 26.

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Art, Politics, Videos

Making it Up North: Catherine Meier

Mar 04, 2026 No Comments

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.


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Jonathan Thunder’s Digital Tampering Reel

Feb 24, 2026 No Comments

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.


Art, Videos

Exhibitions celebrate Indigenous art

Feb 22, 2026 No Comments

Illustration by Carl Gawboy.

Two fine-art exhibitions and the music of a Minneapolis recording artist are featured at the Duluth Art Institute in shows running through April 3. A reception for the artists is on March 26 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

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Art

Making it Up North: Bailey Builds

Feb 19, 2026 No Comments

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.


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Dopey tune on a junky guitar

Jan 31, 2026 No Comments

I’ve become an old man who putters around in the garage. Or the basement — the garage is really cold right now. I built a guitar out of garage stuff.


Art, Music, Videos , ,

Selective Focus: Tori Kaufman’s Visual Art

Jan 18, 2026 No Comments

Wildlife biologist Tori Kaufman has drawn inspiration from her work outside and has curated a series of oil prints. Her exhibition at Wussow’s Concert Cafe features boat-inspired vignettes, sturgeon and other critters, and other subjects. The prints are on display through the end of January. Kaufman is also a participant in the local literary scene, putting together type-written poetry in zine-like formats. A sampling of her work and a recent interview are below.

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Engelbert Hattenberger: Honarary Citizen of Duluth

Jan 17, 2026 No Comments

On Jan. 17, 1986 — 40 years ago today — Duluth Mayor John Fedo issued a proclamation declaring Engelbert Hattenberger an honorary citizen of Duluth, “with all the rights and privileges appertaining thereto, as recognition of the high regard and esteem in which this distinguished personage is held by the Citizens of Duluth.”

Hattenberger was a 65-year-old Austrian ice sculptor who was in the city for about two weeks to create art on the Duluth Civic Center plaza during the Winter Sport Festival. It was the first in a four-year stretch of ice-carving trips to Duluth for Hattenberger.

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Bob Dylan Statue News

Jan 03, 2026 No Comments

I am on record saying, “So help me, if Hibbing punks Duluth on this, I am going to freak out.”

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