Articles written by Ann Markusen
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ON THE MARK: What we know about artists
We are learning a lot about industrial arts training and jobs these days, well-deserved and long overdue. But what about artists? Musicians, performing artists, writers, filmmakers, painters,...
On The Mark: Democracy thrives in the trenches
For most of us, our direct experience with American politics starts and ends with the voting booth, supplemented with what we learn, selectively, from the media. We rarely see our elected representati...
On the Mark: Trade debates should include democracy goals
It’s puzzling how President Trump’s erratic trade initiatives aren’t prioritizing good relationships with democratic countries and nudging autocratic countries, like China and Saudi Arabia, to...
On the Mark: Cromwell-Wright embraces industrial arts for students
It used to be called just "shop" or, in the '90s, at least in my son's school, "tech." But now, K-12 educators are according industrial arts its prominence as an academic subject, preparing teens for...
Artist puts people in the outdoors
The natural world and how we interact with it are Fond du Lac artist Karen Savage-Blue's inspiration for her paintings. "Nature is always my base. My goal is to make it more accessible to folks. As hu... Full story
Gallery hop on Thursday
Three is definitely not a crowd when it comes to art shows. On Thursday, Sept. 5, the Pine Knot News is partnering with the County Seat Theater and Magnolia Café for a gallery hop. Start at the Pine... Full story
On The Mark: Outstanding whodunit shows always entertain
I’m not a TV watcher. Movies are often too long for that last hour before falling asleep. In recent years, we’ve watched two whodunit series, available on Netflix, that stand out for their excelle...
Birds can be found during dog days of summer
You can still find birds in August. They're not as noisy and easy to spot as in April or May and during fall's migration. They've found their mates - the goal of the glorious singing they treat us to...
On The Mark: Family history runs through our reunions
I've long admired the way some area families are so locally present. Hosting a reunion requires little more than picking a date, sending out the word and preparing food. Since the last Stillwater reun...
On The Mark: The North Shore is lake source cooling at its finest
The day after my 73rd birthday, my husband, Rod, and I headed up the North Shore. We fled exhaustion and duties, immersing ourselves in glorious summer. Lake Superior operates like a cooling chamber,...
Small digs, big plans
Another CSA hits county Tilling up hayfields, enriching soil, building a greenhouse and capturing rainwater off its roof, erecting a tiny house to live in, planting, weeding, harvesting and selling...
On the Mark: A salute to Finnish descendants
On a warm Saturday afternoon at Lakeside Cemetery, southwest of Wright, more than 90 offspring and partners of Isaak and Maria Haukkala Walli gathered to celebrate their Finnish ancestors who gave...
Coloring our outdoor worlds: Adam Swanson's Pine Knot show
For the next two months, the Pine Knot Gallery is showing Adam Swanson's paintings. When I first saw his work, I was struck by his blends of color, as in his "You Are the Water," depicting two... Full story
On the mark: Summer hums along in Cromwell
On June 28 the Cromwell Area Community Club hosted its fourth annual midsummer steak fry, silent auction and variety show. It was a lovely evening. Some people remained well past the events, enjoying...
On the mark: Whet your cinematic sensibilities this weekend
I like films that stretch me. Bring me to new places and cultures, present surprising solutions to daunting problems. Films that make me think, films that avoid violence, films that explore love and...
On the mark: You've graduated ... now it's time for your job fit
Moving beyond high school to a lifetime of work is not easy. In high school, most things are dished up for you. You have some choice over subjects you study. You may have worked part-time, and you...
Places large and small deserve dashes of culture
In late May, Emily Swanson of Carlton’s Oldenburg House and I journeyed to Jackson, Miss., for a week of deep and lively conversations on how arts and culture transform our communities. Hundreds...
Graduation parties are a grand tradition
In the years I lived in cities, I was rarely invited to a high school graduation party. Now living fulltime in Cromwell, friends and neighbors are making up for that. After Cromwell-Wright's...
DNR needs to support our non-motorized trails
This past fall, cross-country skiers performing trail maintenance in Carlton County's Fond du Lac State Forest came upon a mess. Loggers earlier in the year had obliterated our sturdy ski trail...
Chairs make the canvas
Teaching K-12 art is a continually creative act. You must imagine projects for kids of various ages, acquire materials on a tight budget, and help as many as 30 kids per classroom fashion distinctive...
Birding away the month of April
"April is the cruelest month," T. S. Elliot penned in his masterpiece, "Four Quartets." When I moved back to Minnesota in 1999, my brother warned me that November, March and April were the worst for...
Book Review | Girl Gone Missing
In this, the second Cash Blackbear mystery, Marcie Rendon serves up her Native woman protagonist's experiences as an older student in a largely white college. In probing the sudden disappearance of a...
The Northland's language gem
It's not that easy to learn another language when you are well past your schooling. For five years, I've watched my husband, Rod Walli, learn Finnish, his parents' first language. Motivated by the...
Retired doctor pivots from medicine to watercolors
The Pine Knot is delighted to be exhibiting Dr. Lloyd Backus' watercolors in our downtown Cloquet gallery through April. I recently sat down with Lloyd, surrounded by his paintings. Lloyd was family...
Contest!
It's been many years since I've been surrounded by students in their daytime setting, the high school. And I've only sporadically accompanied singers on the piano. In high school, I'd play the...
