Learning has become an increasingly important part of my life over the years. Especially when I get the chance to learn from others, and this weekend I got the perfect opportunity for that.
As the Bemidji Pioneer鈥檚 summer intern, I was tasked with partaking in the second tour around the greater Bemidji area.
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Being a recent Bemidji State graduate, I haven鈥檛 had the chance to experience much of the community outside the campus grounds, so I was excited to venture a little out of my comfort zone and try some new things.
Taste of the Arts was a free event that took place on Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25, consisting of six locations throughout the greater Bemidji area. Each stop offered food samples, viewings and demonstrations of the work from local artisans.
I do not consider myself an art expert by any means, so I was a little anxious heading into the day because I had no idea what to expect. Once I began, though, my anxiety quickly dissipated.
I visited five out of the six locations along the Taste of the Arts tour, and at each stop, I immediately felt welcomed. I found that as eager as I was to discover more about the featured artist's work and what got them into their respective art forms, they were also interested in learning about me.
My first stop was at a small art oasis run by the Westrum family located on the outskirts of Bemidji. Here they had basket weaving, pottery and fermented ginger honey.
Some of the pottery for sale was created by one of my fellow BSU students, Bridget Westrum, as part of one of her final college projects. She said her inspiration for the project was to bring the BSU community together with the Bemidji community at large.
During Shannon Lucas-Westrum鈥檚 basket-weaving presentation, I not only learned about how she got her start, but also that you should not be afraid to try something new because you just might impress yourself.
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Next on the tour was the picturesque located in Puposky, where Anna Lauer and Alena Hrabcakova set up.
This place reminded me of my northern Minnesota home with the smell of freshly-baked sourdough and pastries lingering in the air from Lauer鈥檚 bakery. For sale at the bakery were a variety of baked goods, herb and spice mixes, jams and jellies and more.
One interesting tidbit about this location was that before it was turned into a workspace, it was a milk parlor for the Lake Julia Tuberculosis Sanitorium.
Hrabcakova had her still life paintings and upcycled jackets set up just outside the bakery.
鈥淚 will be exhibiting on the border of Ukraine and Slovakia,鈥� Hrabcakova said. 鈥� It鈥檚 to create awareness for sovereignty and peace and the beauty of the land, but also the sorrow of the people that have suffered there.鈥�
Just down the road from WildFlower Farm was the Puposky Pearl farm and local artist Mary Therese. At Puposky Pearl, they were serving fermented mushrooms and Korean corn dogs, while Therese was showing off her silk paintings.
There was a lot of laughter and chatter as Therese demonstrated her current silk painting and mushroom tours were going on.
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Meanwhile, at the next stop on the tour, attendees could hear the rhythmic clacking of artist Carrie Jessen working on a weaving loom, the fizz of kombucha as a flip-top bottle was opened and the sizzles and pops of Al Bellevue鈥檚 welding torch coming from the art space.
Jessen said she got into weaving around 30 years ago, but did not have a lot of time for it. She picked it up again 13 years ago to weave for historical reenactors.
Art can be accessible when on a budget, too. Angie Ness said nature weaving allows her to gather natural materials and some yarn to create art. As a nature-lover myself, it was amazing seeing natural elements incorporated into art that can be displayed around the house.
Ness also had homemade kombucha for people to try, and spruce tip soda, which sadly was not ready yet for me to try.
Al Belleveau, of was a hit and those in attendance got to help weld a dragonfly garden decor with scrap metals of their choice. These metals consisted of screwdrivers, forks, metal feathers and so forth.
Tucked away just off of Highway 89, Minam Morris and Jody Johnson could be found giving out kimchi and showing S谩mi-inspired embroidery and bracelets with music played by Annalise Aakhas at the next tour stop.
While Morris was handing out kimchi, Johnson was going over the history of the S谩mi, who are the only recognized Indigenous group in Europe and they use tin thread for their art.
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As my time on the tour drew to an end, I reflected on how amazing it was meeting and talking with so many new people throughout the weekend. Community is such an important part of the Bemidji area and it was a joy being able to become a part of it.
As I continue my internship this summer, I am excited to see new adventures Bemidji has in store for me.
The Trust Project
