Around the Arts, Feb. 22

BEMIDJI -- Watermark Art Center will hold the following art classes in February, March and April:

Art & Heart: Sanford Health and Watermark Art Center will celebrate Heart Month from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26, and Thursday, Feb. 27, at Watermark. A Sanford Health cardiologist will share heart health tips and Watermark will engage with the attendees' creative sides with an artistic mosaic heart project constructed from glass and til, a release said. In addition, light appetizers and cocktails will be served and the galleries will be open. All participants will receive a voucher for a free heart screening provided by Sanford Health. Space is limited, and registration is required. Cost is $25 per person.

Abstract Acrylic Painting: Second Saturday Kids Art in March is all about layers, drips and texture. The class is set for 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 14. Children will explore the qualities of acrylic paint, various ways to apply paint, texture additives and color mixing, the release said. Each child will leave with a finished 11-by-14 inch painting on canvas. Intended for children ages 6 and older. Cost is $15 per non-member child and $12 per member child.

Yarn Dyeing With Álainn Yarns: Join instructor Stephanie Showalter of Álainn Yarns for Watermark's Artisan Series from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, to learn secrets of the yarn dyeing masters. Learn to recognize different dyeing techniques, how to use professional acid dyes and how to create a watercolor effect, a release said. One skein of sport weight yarn is included. Additional skeins will be available to purchase and dye on site if time allows. Adults only. Cost is $65 per person.

Watermark is located at 505 Bemidji Ave. N. For more information and to register, visit www.watermarkartcenter.org or call (218) 444-7570.

BEMIDJI -- Bemidji theater director Greg Gasman will make his Northland debut with "Out Of The Hat, 9th Edition" at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Historic Chief Theater, 314 Beltrami Ave. NW.

Beginning on Friday, Feb. 21, five writers will each have the evening to create a complete adult comedy play from a beginning line, an object, a place and a certain number of male and female actors, all of which are drawn randomly out of a hat by the writers. Then the actors and directors will have less than a day to learn their parts before performing to a live audience on Saturday evening, a release said.

For more information, contact Kat Lavelle at (218) 214-2087.

BEMIDJI -- Sabbastian Wilson-Webb of Walker will premiere two new pieces of music at the Headwaters Heroes instructor showcase set for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, at Headwaters Music and Arts, 519 Minnesota Ave. NW.

The first, “Sketches in Ice,” is an evocative mood-piece for piano, inspired by 20th century impressionist composers like Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy, a release said.

The second composition, “In the Adloch Wood,” for clarinet and piano, came about when Headwaters clarinet and voice instructor Leisa Bragg suggested that Wilson-Webb write a piece for clarinet, the release said. “I found a bouncy, rhythmically discombobulated feel for the piano accompaniment. Soaring out of that is a juxtaposed clarinet melody,” Wilson-Webb said in the release. He coined the term “Adloch” to describe a wood adjacent to a lake. “I've often found the reed instruments, especially clarinet, to inspire thoughts of the forest.”

He is attending the Berklee School of Music in Boston online and teaches guitar and piano at both Headwaters Music and Arts in Bemidji and the Kokoro Center for Music and the Performing Arts in Hackensack.

More of Wilson-Webb's work can be heard on his Facebook and Soundcloud pages at www.facebook.com/sabbastiano or https://soundcloud.com/sabbastian .

BEMIDJI -- Gallery North will host Showcase Artist Alice LaCoursiere from 2 to 6 p.m. on Friday, March 6, at the gallery, 310 Fourth St. NW.

LaCoursiere’s oil paintings depict a variety of scenes from her travels throughout the country and in northern Minnesota, a release said. She began oil painting back in the late 1970s after learning from an oil painting class offered by the late Claudine Mattisen. She has been a member of the Northern Artists Association for 18 years, the release said.

For more information, visit www.gallerynorthbemidji.com .

FOSSTON -- Tickets are now on sale for the first ever Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre at Ventures Bar and Grill hosted by the Fosston Community Library and Arts Association. There will be a social hour at 6 p.m. followed by the dinner theatre at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, at Ventures Bar & Grill, 104 Amber Ave. S.

The community is invited to solve the mystery and test their "whodunit" skills, a release said. There will be prizes for the best 1920s costumes and quickest detective.

Tickets are $25 for a regular seat and $35 for a VIP seat. Only a small amount of VIP seats will be sold. Tickets are available at Generations in Fosston, call (218) 435-1676. Proceeds will benefit the Fosston Arts Theater accessibility renovation.

BEMIDJI -- The Northern Minnesota Songwriters group will gather from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, at NLfx, 1319 Naylor Drive SE. The event is free and open to the community. Bringing a bag lunch is recommended.

The meeting topic will be notation software with discussion led by Vicki Morrison Goble. Anyone who has experience with notation software is also welcome to share what they know, a release said.

The Northern Minnesota Songwriters group meets quarterly and offers the opportunity for songwriters to socialize, learn, share songs and support each other while polishing their writing skills, the release said. Songwriters at all levels, from beginners to professionals, are invited. At every meeting each songwriter attending is offered an opportunity to share an original song and receive supportive feedback.

Those in attendance are asked to think about what areas of interest they would like to see addressed at future gatherings.

For more information, find Northern Minnesota Songwriters on Facebook, or contact Vicki at (218) 308-8611 or hpt.alto@gmail.com .

BEMIDJI -- Headwaters Music and Arts will celebrate the talents of their music instructors with an instructor showcase at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, at Headwaters Music and Arts, 519 Minnesota Ave. NW. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Headwaters will celebrate the power of creativity with this year's theme “Headwaters Heroes,” a release said. The informal music show includes raffle prizes, appetizers and an evening of blues, bluegrass, jazz, classical and contemporary music performed on guitar, banjo, violin, cello, piano, sax, trombone, and trumpet as well as vocals, the release said.

The event also celebrates the artists of Headwaters with a group art exhibit from instructors and volunteers on display. The public is invited to attend and encouraged to dress as their hero, the release said.

Admission is $5, with all funds going to the Headwaters scholarship fund. Tickets are available at (218) 444-5606 or https://headwatersmusicandarts.org .

BEMIDJI -- Minnesota history reenactor Arn Kind will present on the Vietnam War at noon on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Bemidji Public Library, 509 America Ave. NW.

Kind will use video, music, drama, role-playing and living history experiences to help shed light on one of the most fascinating yet controversial eras, a release said.

BEMIDJI -- Gallery North will hold a series of “Warm Your Heart With A Little Art” classes during the month of February. The classes are free to participants and are offered by local Gallery North artists. Classes include:

• Feb. 25: "Snow Bird" with artist Marion Caroline will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Students will paint a chickadee with a variety of backgrounds. All materials will be provided.

• Feb. 27: "Poured Pendant" with artist Kathy Sanders will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Students will create a unique pendant. All supplies will be provided. Open to those ages 12 and older and limited to 10 students.

• Feb. 28: "Carve a Wooden Puppy" with artist Les Sanders will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Students will learn wood carving techniques on how to carve a small puppy in basswood. Open to those ages 12 and older and limited to 10 students.

To sign up for classes, visit Gallery North at 310 Fourth St. NW, or call (218) 444-9813.

FOSSTON -- The Fosston Community Library and Arts Association is calling all artists for the March Madness Juried Art Show set to be held in March. The entry fee is $10 per artist with a limit of one submission per artist. Pieces submitted will be displayed in the Sorenson Gallery during the month of March. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, Feb. 27. To submit a piece, contact Michael McColl at mccoll.m@gmail.com , Jason Steinbrenner at jsteinbrenner@gmail.com , or Barbara Johnson at barbara@nwmnhra.org .

Submission forms can also be found at www.fclaa.org and in the Fosston Community Library and Arts Center lobby.

BEMIDJI -- Headwaters Music and Arts will hold two art classes on Saturday, Feb. 29, at Headwaters, 519 Minnesota Ave. NW.

Paint & Sip: Bring a friend and enjoy a glass of wine while creating a painting from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Area artist and teacher Diamond Knispel will walk participants through the steps of creating an original spring forest scene, offering tips and tricks throughout the event, a release said. No experience necessary to participate. There will be a cash bar on campus courtesy of Brigid’s Pub. Cost is $35 ($30 for Headwaters members) and all supplies are provided. Must be 21 or older to attend. Advance registration required. Find out more or register by calling (218) 444-5606 or visit https://headwatersmusicandarts.org/product/paint-sip .

Pottery & Pints: Attendees can come and enjoy a relaxing Saturday afternoon glazing pottery and drinking good brews from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., a release said. Headwaters Resident Potter Tom Daly will walk participants through the process of glazing two pottery pieces created by Daly, such as a beer mug or bowl. In between pieces everyone can try their hand at basic pottery techniques, a release said. There will be a cash bar courtesy of Brigid’s Pub. Cost is $45 ($40 for Headwaters members) and all supplies are provided. Must be 21 or older to attend. Advance registration required. Find out more or register by calling (218) 444-5606 or visit https://headwatersmusicandarts.org/product/pottery-pints .

BEMIDJI -- The Region 2 Arts Council will accept applications for the Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Fellowship Program now through March 1. The program is designed to assist the region’s most talented Native American artists in furthering and innovating their work by awarding substantial financial support to fund creative time and/or arts experiences that facilitate depth and advancement in their art form, a release said.

Application deadline is March 1 and the earliest start date is May 1. The maximum award is $5,000. The funds can be used for, but not limited to:

• Exploring new directions or continuing work in progress.

• Production costs, materials or equipment.

• Collaborative or community projects.

• Travel, research or study to further art interests.

Applications are available online at www.r2arts.org . For more information, contact Region 2 Arts Council at (218) 751-5447 or staff@r2arts.org .

BEMIDJI -- Region 2 Arts Council will now accept grant applications for their Arts Access Grant through March 15. The grant is open to non-profits, public and charter schools (parochial schools are ineligible), community education programs, arts organizations, institutions of higher learning, government and tribal entities and groups formed for nonprofit purposes with a fiscal sponsor, a release said.

These grants can support creation, production and presentation of high-quality arts activities, as well as projects that help overcome barriers to accessing high-quality arts activities, and projects that help instill the arts into the community and public life in the region, the release said.

Arts activities proposed for funding must be accessible by the public, have a strong community component, and must benefit the residents of Beltrami, Hubbard, Clearwater, Lake of the Woods or Mahnomen Counties.

Application deadline is March 15, with the earliest project start date of May 20. Maximum award available is $6,000 with a 20% cash match required and 25% match on equipment purchases.

Applications are available online at www.r2arts.org . For more information, contact Region 2 Arts Council at (218) 751-5447 or staff@r2arts.org.

BEMIDJI -- Headwaters Music and Arts will host preschool programming through March 24. Mini Musician and Lil' Artist are both eight-session programs that will introduce preschoolers and their guardians to the very basics of music and art through fun, hands-on activities, a release said.

Mini Musician will be held from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. each Monday through March 23. The class will be led by experienced music teacher Leisa Bragg, and will be packed with singing, movement and dance. Children and adults will explore the building blocks of music together through play and experimentation, the release said.

Lil' Artist will be held from 3:15 to 4 p.m. each Tuesday through March 24. The program will be led by Diamond Knispel, and will be filled with fun and messy art projects that will introduce preschoolers to basic art concepts such as color and texture while exploring age-appropriate media, the release said.

Both programs take place at Headwaters, 519 Minnesota Ave. NW. Advance registration is required as there are a limited number of spots available. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The cost to attend is $100 per child, or $90 for Headwaters members.

To register, call (218) 444-5606 or visit https://headwatersmusicandarts.org .

BEMIDJI -- Bluegrass entertainers Monroe Crossing will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, with 7 p.m. opening performances by No Rest for the Pickers and Julie and Bill Kaiser, at the Historic Chief Theater, 314 Beltrami Ave. NW. Doors open at 6:20 p.m.

Tickets are $25, with all proceeds going to support Headwaters Music Program scholarships.

Named in honor of Bill Monroe, Monroe Crossing dazzles audiences with an electrifying blend of classic bluegrass, bluegrass gospel and heartfelt originals, a release said. Their airtight harmonies, razor sharp arrangements, and on-stage rapport make them audience favorites across the United States and Canada, the release said. The concert will highlight their most recent CD “Monroe Crossing Plays Classic Country” honoring country legends such as Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams.

Tickets are available at Brigid's Pub or Headwaters Music and Arts, by calling (218) 444-5606 and online https://headwatersmusicandarts.org . Admission is open seating and advance ticket purchase is recommended. Businesses or individuals interested in being an event sponsor are asked to contact Headwaters Music and Arts.