The Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery is delighted to announce that local artist Joan Farnam has been selected as its Artist of the Month for May. Farnam is known for her pottery, including her unique “rattle bowls,” and will have some of her pieces on display in the gallery until the 31st. 

Additionally, the Johnson Heritage Post will also serve as the venue for the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council (ARAC) 2025 Award Ceremony. This event will take place on Friday, May 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Farnam will be awarded the Maddie Simons Arts Advocate Award, which honors individuals like arts administrators, educators, volunteers, or artists who have significantly boosted the arts in northeastern Minnesota. The award includes a $1,000 prize and is named after Madeline Simons, a dedicated arts advocate from Grand Marais who helped establish key local arts organizations.

In addition to her work as a potter, Joan is the co-founder of the Ceramics Studio at the Grand Marais Art Colony, where she taught for over 10 years. She also helped launch the Empty Bowls event fundraiser, which brings the community together over a bowl of soup (donated by local restaurants) to raise money to fight food insecurity in the area. 

Farnam is also well-known for the NorthShore ArtsScene blog, of which she is the founder of. The blog began as Duluth ArtScene for the Duluth publication Budgeteer in the late 1990s. After she moved to Grand Marais, she changed the name to NorthShore ArtsScene and has maintained the blog for over 15 years, consistently highlighting artists, events, and galleries, making it a key resource for both community members and visitors.

For more information about the NorthShore ArtsScene, visit: northshoreartscene.info

For more information on the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, visit cookcountyhistory.org/johnson-heritage-post-art-gallery 

For more information about the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Awards Ceremony and to register, visit: aracouncil.org/news/save-the-dates-2025-arrowhead-arts-awards 

About the Cook County Historical Society

The Cook County Historical Society (CCHS), which is celebrating its centennial in 2025, is committed to the collection, preservation, and dissemination of Cook County history, connecting it to the state of Minnesota's narrative. CCHS manages five historical sites: the Cook County History Museum (1896 Lightkeeper's House), the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, St. Francis Xavier “Chippewa City” Church, the Bally Blacksmith Shop, and a 1930s fish house replica featuring the fishing tug Nee-Gee.