Escape the heat and humidity today with a 2 p.m. matinee of "Flower for Death in the Wild, Wild West" written by Mark Thorson and directed by Greg Gasman. On stage at the historic Chief Theater in downtown Bemidji, the play tells the tale of an aging cowboy challenged by a peace-loving flower child as to the future direction of life in general and his in particular. All tickets are $15 and rated PG-14 for language and content.
The play also will run Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
If theater is not your interest, then just enjoy the weather and all the water sports available in Bemidji.
First Friday
• Gallery North will be holding its 2 to 5 p.m. reception during which showcase artist Mike Milton will be demonstrating his talent in creating caricatures and pastel drawing. The feature artist of the month will be woodcarver Colleen Hilts and her work that includes houses, fish, small animals, old-country Santas and flowers. Hilts will also display her fabric designs in large quilts, wall hangings, table toppers, placemats and baby quilts. The artists will be expecting you at the 2 to 5 p.m. reception, 502 Third St. NW.
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• The Bemidji Sculpture Walk will be continuing its series of "Meet the Sculptor Talks" with Puposky artist Al Belleveau from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 4 at the Northwest MN Foundation Lake Bemidji Room, 201 Third St. NW. Belleveau will speak about his art processes used in his "Rock Iron Art," and his love of two of Minnesota's plentiful resources - rocks and metals - to depict humorous lifeforms, unique functional furniture, architectural structures and serious artistic creations.
• The Northwoods Folk Collective Open State offers an opportunity to share stories, music, poetry and other performance art work with an appreciative audience on Sept. 4 with host Drew-Warne-Jacobson. Sign-up is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and events start at 7:30 p.m. at the Rail River Folk School, 303 Railroad St. SW. (over the Irvine Street Bridge and left up the hill.)
Exhibits
• Dunn Bros Coffee continues its exhibit of photographer Carol Hoyem, a travel photographer who enjoys street "shoots." Hoyem's exhibit shows people in the context of their lives giving the viewer a chance to observe the nuances of humanities.
• Watermark Art Center invites everyone to come view their final exhibit in the historic Carnegie Library. "Transitions" by the Artists of Studio 10 features works in acrylics, watercolor, collage, metal, mixed media, scratchboard, pen and ink, and more. The exhibit interprets the meaning of change or transition and includes concepts such as stages of life, seasons, colors, movement, and societal changes. This is the final exhibit Watermark will host at its location at 426 Bemidji Ave. N. Beginning in October, Watermark will be relocating across the street. Come for one last chance to see a Watermark exhibit at the historic Carnegie Library; open noon to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
• Neilson Place continues their display entitled "Back Roads of America" by Doug Ohman. As a photographer, Ohman captures images that tell stories as he travels America's back roads. He specializes in landscapes and historic architecture mainly in the Midwest. Neilson Place is located on the Sanford WoodsEdge campus, 1000 Anne St. NW. Ohman will also be doing a photography and history presentation entitled "School House Memories" on Oct. 30 at 1:45 p.m. in the Neilson Place Social Hall.
• Wild Hare Bistro and Coffeehouse is displaying a photo exhibition by Maren Carter starting Friday through Sept. 29. The photos were taken on a recent mission trip to the Tanzanian village of Malangali, and are portraits of the people and daily life encountered there. Carter is a student at Columbia College, Chicago studying public relations. Wild Hare is located at 523 Minnesota Ave.
• The Beltrami County History Center is excited to announce "Free Friday," sponsored by First National Bank Bemidji, noon to 6 p.m. this Friday. The event includes free admission to the museum, including the "Trails Through Time" and "Good Sports of the North" exhibits. Art on display is from Gallery North, featuring photographs and paintings by Carol Hayek, Kathy Sanders, Erma Stelter, Marion Caroline, and Elaine Netland. The Beltrami County History Center, is located at 130 Minnesota Ave.
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Upcoming events
• Watermark Art Center will have author Lin Enger as their next featured writer in The Spoken Word Series from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sept. 11 (reading begins at 6 p.m.) of his newest novel, "The High Divide," which details the life of Ulysses Pope and how he sets out to rectify a life that still haunts him and the family that sets out to find him. The journey takes the reader through the bleak landscape of the 1880s American Midwest and West. The novel is set in time period following the Indian Wars and before the decimation of the American Bison.
• The Watermark Art Center will host a writing workshop with Enger from 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 12 with "Making Literature out of History" with discussion, lecture and writing exercises, showing attendees what elements will contribute to effective storytelling: significant detail, point of view, dialogue and more. Cost for the workshop is $40 or $20 for students. Pre-register before Sept. 9 by calling Watermark at (218) 444-7570.
• "Stalag 17," a play about a group of American prisoners held in a German prison camp during WW II, is the next dramatic presentation by Bemidji Community Theater. Derrick Houle is directing this comedy/tension/and suspense play written by Donald Bevan and Edmund Trzcinski. Scheduled to be on stage Sept. 11-13 and Sept. 18-20.
• "Done to Death," opens at the Fire Hall Theater in Grand Forks at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 10-12, Sept. 17-19 and Sept. 24-26 and 2 p.m. matinees on Sept. 15 and Sept. 20. The comedy/mystery about six writers who have been hired to write a new TV series. It's all fun and games until, people start dying. Tickets are $15 with discounts for military, students and seniors. Call 701-777-4090.
