The Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery celebrates the life and artwork of artist John A. Spelman III in an exhibition that will run July 2 through September 5, 2021.

Opening-night reception on Friday, July 2 from 5:00–7:00 p.m.

Exhibition curators and authors of a new book of the same title, Scott Husby and Tracey Cullen, will host an author talk on Wednesday, July 14 at 5 pm.

The Cook County Historical Society is pleased to announce a new exhibition on the life and artwork of John A. Spelman III which opens July 2 at the Johnson Heritage Post (JHP) Art Gallery in Grand Marais, MN and runs through September 5. The exhibition features many original prints, drawings, and watercolors by Spelman and will also be accompanied by a book entitled John A. Spelman III, Artist and Printmaker: From Appalachia to Minnesota’s North Shore. The book is authored by the exhibition curators Tracey Cullen and Scott Husby and will be available at the JHP Art Gallery and in local bookshops. All proceeds from sales of the book will be donated to the Cook County Historical Society.

More information about the exhibition can be found at: https://www.cookcountyhistory.org/johnson-heritage-post-art-gallery

John A. Spelman III is one of Minnesota's most notable artists, whose preferred medium was woodblock and linoleum-block prints, but who also produced pencil drawings, watercolors and poetry.

Spelman grew up spending time on Minnesota’s North Shore at the family’s cabin near Hovland. Following several years of teaching in Harlan County, Kentucky, Spelman moved to Grand Marais, MN. His work in Minnesota portrayed life in the small North Shore community and focused on rural landscapes and buildings, including structures such as fish houses and logging camps that no longer exist. He also produced iconic images of churches in the Arrowhead region and elsewhere in Minnesota. In this respect, Spelman contributed significantly to our understanding of the historical record of Cook County.

Clearwater Lake. Image: John Spelman

The exhibition consists of many prints, drawings, and watercolors spanning Spelman’s life. Several Cook County residents contributed artwork by Spelman to this exhibit to supplement the JHP Art Gallery's permanent collection.

This exhibit was sponsored by the Cook County Historical Society and made possible by a generous grant from the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation. The majority of pieces were loaned by Sharon and Donn Eliasen or are part of the permanent collection of the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery. Other members of the local community also kindly contributed artwork.