Join us for this poignant tribute to miners everywhere, with a special focus on those of the Gogebic Range. The afternoon will feature local historians Ivan Hellen and Larry Peterson, music from Ironwood troubadour Bob Michaels, and an ensemble reading of When it Comes: a Poem for Voices, written by Kathleen Carlton Johnson of Lake Linden, Michigan.
WOOL TO WAULKING Learn how freshly shorn sheep’s wool becomes cloth. Using age-old techniques, wool is washed, carded, spun, and woven. Once the cloth is off the loom, we invite you to help with waulking the cloth, a process which involves wetting the wool, then passing and pounding it to the rhythm of traditional Scottish … Read more
Poetry read outside on a balmy summer afternoon – what could be better? This event brings
together poets from the Emberlight National Poetry Contest to read their works, and celebrate
the awarding of Poet Laureate honors to the top contestant. Woven into the afternoon will be
music from mandolin player Fran Strong and guitar player Anthony Hanson-Lynn. Don’t
miss this delightful Performance Infusion finale!
Join us for this cooperative venture led by potter Lauren Duffy of Ashland, with help from her cohorts the Dragonistas, as they build a pottery kiln in the shape of a dragon using locally sourced red clay to cover a metal and mesh frame. Watch as the kiln is loaded with pottery made by area children through a joint program with Ironwood’s DAP gallery. Marvel as the fire is lit inside the kiln, and the dragon comes to life breathing smoke and fire, and glowing from within. We encourage the audience to participate in the kiln building, so come prepared to get your hands dirty as we sheath the dragon in clay “scales”. Once the dragon is built and the fire is lit, we’ll continue with the firing into the night. Plan to take a break, attend the premier screenings of the Emberlight International Film Festival that evening, then return to the park for a night of fellowship and firelight under the summer sky.
Watch as Ironwood coppersmith Ar Schneller transforms a flat sheet of copper into a bowl.
She’ll use a rock, hammer, and open gas fire, then add finishing touches of patina. Copper is
very malleable, and can be fold-formed, texturized, embossed, flame-torched, and more. Delight
in this fascinating process, and learn a bit about the area’s copper mining history as well. Ar is
also an exhibitor in Art in the Park, so be sure to visit her installation before you leave.
The Garland City Consort returns to Emberlight this year, bringing music from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to life in the lovely outdoor setting of the Park. Enjoy an afternoon of baroque chamber music performed by this local musician-owned cooperative, and learn the fascinating history behind some of the very rare pieces of music they perform.
Experience the joy of traditional Finnish and American folk dance. This troupe of young performers, under the direction of Kay Seppala, is based out of the Finnish American Heritage Center at Finlandia University in Hancock, Michigan.
Experience the joy of traditional Finnish and American folk dance. This troupe of young performers, under the direction of Kay Seppala, is based out of the Finnish American Heritage Center at Finlandia University in Hancock, Michigan.
Michael Laughing Fox Charette is a gifted Native American storyteller, poet, and self-taught Native flute player whose music is haunting and mesmerizing. He is a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and he respectfully incorporates the traditional wisdom of his people into his work. Sit back and savor this magical blend of music and storytelling.
Experience the creation of a monumental soft sculpture, as thirty knitters work in unison to
combine their thirty individual knit pieces into one.