We have some fantastic local businesses who are supporters of our community and the arts and as sponsors are helping to make our tour possible. Look for our sponsor highlights coming next week. We’ll also be sharing some special prizes visitors will be able to win thanks to some of these generous folks!
2019 Lake Superior 20/20 Studio & Art Tour Sponsors:
*Painting by Sandi Pillsbury
Sue Stavig is a returning artist to the Lake Superior 20/20 Studio & Art Tour. Her luxurious knits are something to see, feel, admire, and wear for many years to come. The brilliant colors seamlessly blend with the beauty of the North Shore landscape she calls home. We asked her to share what it is like living and working with such beauty and inspiration!
What do you like the most about living and working on the North Shore?
It’s been over 30 years since we fell in love with the Lake Superior area. We purchased a forlorn log cabin on 40 acres, near Finland, MN, and dreamed of how this tiny space could be a seasonal retreat for our growing family. We loved the simple life it afforded us, nestled in a beautiful place in the country. Beauty came with challenges. A towering but too-close tree fell on our roof. The shifting logs offered invitation to woodland guests. We tolerated flies, ants, snakes and mice. And then bats. (Our toddler alerted us to a “Mousie on the ceiling”). The final goodbye to the “old cabin” came when Mama Squirrel birthed a litter in a kitchen drawer. Enough. In 2008, we built a new cabin. Still tiny, but tight. No unexpected visitors. My favorite place is the porch, where I sit in a rocking chair that looks a bit like a snowshoe. I’m surrounded by luxurious yarn and buckets of stones I’ve collected. I never tire of the routine: coffee, clicking needles, creativity. All savored with a view of Sawmill Dome. We love it here!
As an artist in the tour, what are you most excited about?
Most of the year, knitting is a solitary adventure. While I enjoy the quiet company of yarn and needles, I look forward to meeting other artists and visitors. I knit what brings joy to me as an artist, with the wish that its recipient will find their own warm connection in color and fiber.
What is it that you enjoy about working in your medium?
After 30 years of commercial design work, I said goodbye to computers, clients, and deadlines. I now listen to the whispers of tall trees, shoreline stones, and deep water. I take photos of nature’s designs to remind me of their distinct colors and textures. These photos become inspiration that link the just-right yarn from my collection to interpret the scene. Yarn is my palette – I design and knit what I love.
Sue Stavig’s work can be found at host artist Dave Gilsvik’s studio on the tour. For more information click the link below!
Dan is a longtime guest artist of the Lake Superior 20/20 Studio & Art Tour, known for his exceptional woodworking skills and his generous spirit, giving back to his community by donating the proceeds from his sales during the tour to our local food bank. We were thrilled to interview him about his participation in the tour and being an artist on the north shore!
What do you like the most about living and working on the North Shore?
I love the north woods. It is so fresh and beautiful. I spent a large part of my life paddling and guiding in Quetico. That’s where I met Alice, my paddling partner for life. I can’t canoe anymore but I know it’s just right there. So now I enjoy Lake Superior. That’s about as beautiful as it gets. Now instead of paddling I walk the lake shore remembering all the wonderful adventures Alice and I enjoyed together.
As an artist in the tour, what are you most excited about?
The 20/20 has become a major part of my life. The people traveling the tour are interested in more than just what they can buy. They enjoy traveling the back roads to find quaint studios hidden in the woods where they get to meet delightful artists who enjoy their work. Talking with these people is so enjoyable. Of course they want to learn about my playing with wood. But they also enjoy talking about other artists they have met and beautiful things they have seen. Then of course my final pleasure comes Monday morning. I make a considerable amount of money and Monday morning I get to take it to the food shelf where it gets used to make many people happier and healthier.
What is it that you enjoy about working in your medium?
My dad was of the old school where when you needed something you made it. Often he used wood. After I got married money was scarce. So to help out my dad and I made custom lightweight canoe racing paddles. We spent many hours together in his basement working with wood. Very often when I am playing with wood I think of those times.
Find more information about Dan Findley’s participation as a guest artist at studio stop LK by clicking the button below:
For more information about the Two Harbors Food Shelf:
This year when you attend the Lake Superior 20/20 Studio & Art Tour you will not only have a chance to meet artists and check out all of the wonderful artwork, you will also have a chance to win some pretty great prizes!
All you need to do to be entered in the daily drawings is to attend the tour, pick up a passport card, and have your passport stamped at all ten tour stops. Every stop will have a drop for your filled passport, and that’s it! Simple!
We will have daily drawings September 27-29 for great prizes. Check back closer to the tour to find out what we have for you courtesy of the tour sponsors below:
Friday and Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-5pm 