Last fall I petted a bear cub, rowed a tranquil river, climbed historic lighthouses, and biked along fossil-laden trails, but I never saw the ubiquitous symbol of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. As I traveled from one end of the U.P. to the other, I kept my eyes pealed for a majestic moose, maybe two, standing in a peaceful meadow thoughtfully munching on grass or moss or whatever it is moose eat. Fond childhood memories of Bullwinkle probably fed my fantasy; nevertheless, there wasn’t a moose to be found in the U.P.—not while I was there anyway.

Fortunately I found plenty of other activities besides moose-watching to keep me busy, and along the way I discovered that this northern region—surrounded by three of the five Great Lakes—has a certain magical quality that sets it apart from other places I’ve been. Maybe it’s the Native American tribes and traditions that lend a certain spirituality to the land. This is the place, after all, that inspired Longefellow’s epic poem, “The Song of Hiawatha.”

As I reread the poem recently, its measured cadence, like a drumbeat, transported me back to my childhood when I first heard the story of Hiawatha.“Ye who love the haunts of Nature, / Love the sunshine of the meadow, / Love the shadow of the forest, / Love the wind among the branches, / And the rain-shower and the snow-storm, / And the rushing of great rivers…/ Listen to these wild traditions, / To this Song of Hiawatha!”

Up in the wooly north I discovered a special population of people—they call themselves Yoopers—whose roots trace back to the Native Americans and French Canadians who first settled this rugged land, plying the waters of the Great Lakes in canoes and sailing ships, trading fur and logging, moving goods from shore to distant shore. Sometimes ships sank in horrific storms, like the Edmund Fitzgerald did one November night in 1975 on Lake Superior, a shipwreck immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s soulful ballad.

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was a place I’d never been before, yet once I arrived, I felt a connection to it somehow and an admiration for the people who live by the rocky shores of Gitche Gumee and have learned to survive in its harsh environment. Folks then and now show a fierce respect for the power and strength of nature while at the same time taking pleasure in their surroundings, valuing simple traditions, and building stable communities.

Visitors to the region will discover more than just history and culture. Michigan’s U.P. is nature’s playground, a sportsmen’s paradise where recreational activities abound. But watch out. Once you inhale the fresh wind off the lake, hike through the deep forests, and taste the region’s bounty, you’ll likely connect with the soul of this tranquil peninsula, where water, land, and sky join together in a harmonious dance.

LOCAL HISTORY & CULTURE

Sault Saint Marie makes an ideal base for your wanderings through the region. It’s where the three lakes—Superior, Huron, and Michigan—converge. Here ships seeking passage to and from Lake Superior have to pass through the “Soo” locks, as they’re called. You can tour the lock system by boat and even experience a dinner cruise that takes you through four locks raising you a total of 21 feet. Another option for dinner on the waterfront is Goetz Lockview restaurant, where you can enjoy specialties like whitefish prepared five different ways and thick sirloin steaks in a rustic, cozy atmosphere.

A great place to familiarize yourself with the local history and culture is Sault Saint Marie’s River of History Museum. It was here I met Carol, a member of the Ojibwe tribe, who shared her Native American name: Gentle Summer Rain Woman. Carol explained that the museum is a means for teaching visitors and residents alike about Native Americans’ roots in the U.P. “We want to educate people about who we are,” she explained, “not just who we were.”

In nearby Saint Ignace, two other museums offer insight into the culture of the Ojibwe tribe, also known as Chippewa, an anglicized name. Here Becky, whose Indian name is Woman from the North, explained that the word Ojibwe means puckered and refers to the style of moccasins her ancestors wore. She also shared that unlike Native Americans further south, the Ojibwe tribe resisted resettlement and were given reservations in the same land where they were born.
Tony, an Ojibwe elder whose Native American name is Winter Man, demonstrated a fire ritual in a teepee beside the museum. When you walk around the fire clockwise, he explained, it’s called a spirit circle and helps you find answers to questions. He also said that in the Ojibwe culture, instead of the Ten Commandments of the Bible, Native Americans follow the teachings of the seven Grandfathers representing wisdom, mutual love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, and truth. The pungent smell of a smudge pot filled the teepee as we listened to Tony’s stories, and when I left, I felt cleansed somehow, inspired to “walk the red road” of goodness and kindness.

Also in Saint Ignace the Fort de Buade Museum—housed in an historic building that served as the city’s first garage—offers over 3500 relics related to the early settlers and Native Americans of the region. Unfortunately the museum’s artifacts—originally a dentist’s private collection—were poorly lit and haphazardly displayed, which our guide blamed on the museum’s relative newness and insufficient funding. Still it’s worth a visit to see the valuable relics one man gathered throughout his lifetime.

TRANQUIL VIEWS

In Cedarville where the Les Cheneaux Islands jut into Lake Huron, stop by the Great Lakes Boat Building School and watch students create wooden boats. You’ll also want to visit the Les Cheneaux Maritime Museum, where marine artifacts, antique outboard motors, and historical photos provide a visual reminder of days gone by. I perused old Motor Boating magazines from the early 1900s (15¢ a copy) and was amazed to see that the ads didn’t even have telephone numbers.  

To the east lies Drummond Island, where I met Jessie Hadley, owner of Woods & Water Ecotours, which specializes in a variety of outdoor adventures including kayaking, biking, birding, dog sledding, and camping. She’d invited me to join her for a mountain biking trek to Fossils Ledge on the north shore of the island, where a peaceful stretch of shoreline reveals 350-million-year-old coral and shellfish fossils in dolomite rock. Rain poured off and on during our ride, but I actually enjoyed biking through puddles and feeling the wet rain on my face. After arriving at Fossils Ledge, wet but exhilarated, we relished a somewhat soggy picnic and tranquil views. As I stared out toward the Northern Channel, beyond which lay Ontario, Canada, I felt like a small speck in history’s long continuum, taking up space on this old planet for a brief moment—a blink of an eye, in fact, especially compared to the rocks and fossils at my feet, hundreds of millions of years old.

Other natural formations of the Upper Peninsula include the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore to the west, where magnificent sand dunes overlook Lake Superior. In Grand Marais, a sleepy town on Lake Superior’s shore, we stopped for lunch at the Lake Superior Brewing Company, where I had delicious fried whitefish served on a bed of salad with olives, carrots, onions, and raspberry dressing. At Upper Tahquamenon Falls, the river raged as I hiked along a trail under moss-covered old-growth trees, the largest stand in Michigan. A calmer encounter awaited at Lower Tahquamenon Falls, where I rented a boat and rowed out to an island with another gorgeous hiking trail. An excellent place for lunch is Tahquamenon Falls Brewery, built to resemble a logging camp, where smoked fish dip and meat pasties are among the specialties of the house.

A must-see stop in nearby Newberry is Oswald’s Bear Ranch, the largest rescue bear operation in the United States. Owned by Dean Oswald, a retired boxer, and his wife, the ranch offers visitors a chance to get up close and personal with bears. Dean invited me into a cage where bear cubs scampered about, and before I knew it, one stood up and wrapped his furry paws around my knee, looking for a treat, no doubt. Dean babies the bears, and as they get older—and stronger— he moves them into various age-appropriate groups. His ranch has three large penned habitats, ranging in size from 5-10 acres, where groups of bears forage for food and generally live an idyllic existence. Dean’s love for the bears is obvious when he speaks to them and they respond just like overgrown puppies.

Just to the north the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point overlooks a part of Lake Superior that’s known as the graveyard of the Great Lakes. Six thousand ships have sunk in its waters, and the museum pays tribute to the sailors who’ve lost their lives in its chilly depths. Most poignant of all is the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald, whose tragic sinking just a generation ago claimed the lives of all 29 men aboard, leaving behind mothers and wives and children still haunted by the tragedy today.

When the wreck was discovered in the late 80s, family members agreed not to disturb the remains of the sailors and instead to recover the ship’s bell, which was raised in 1995 and is on display at the museum. You can watch a film about the recovery of the bell by the National Geographic Society in partnership with the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, and the Royal Canadian Navy, using a manned submersible. The film includes interviews with family members and footage of the annual memorial service, during which the bell is rung once for each man lost.

Back in Sault Sainte Marie I finally got a glimpse of a moose. Unfortunately it was the head of a moose at Antlers Restaurant, a lively saloon full of stuffed animals—the real kind—of every size and description. As you can imagine, antlers are also everywhere, but it’s the eyes of the mounted critters that give you a creepy feeling when you walk in. Fortunately the convivial crowd and happy vibe quickly dispel any trepidation, and the menu becomes the focus of your attention. Specializing in “Northern” food, Antlers offers a variety of dishes including cedar-planked salmon (yum!), buffalo steak, venison pie, and their signature Paul Bunyan burger. Calorie-counters will have a hard time resisting temptation at Antlers.

When you visit Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, you’ll find tasty food, local history, Native American culture, outdoor activities, and authentic, interesting people. What you see is what you get in the U.P.—and what you get is honest living and plenty of good, clean fun.

For more information, please visit www.saultstemarie.com or www.michigan.org.

Celebrating Women and the Arts

Any day of the week, an artist is working. She may be installing a sculpture, transforming a shoe into an autobiography, touching the tip of a brush to paint and dotting it onto her canvas—then always stepping back to get perspective.

Beginning this month, women artists from all disciplines—including music, dance, literature, and theater—are in the spotlight. With a project called “Minds Wide Open,” the Virginia Commission for the Arts celebrates the flowering of female creativity with exhibits in big museums and intimate galleries all over the state. After a dreary winter, reconnecting with art may be the healing balm we all need. In the visual arts, we find a creative path to wellness in the language of image, color, and form.

LOVE FOR THE EARTH

Take a walk through the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia in Virginia Beach, and you’ll discover a treasure in the L-shaped Butler Gallery. “Forest Thrall” is a collection of 290 bright yellow glass leaves attached to a winding array of steel tubing that beckons visitors into a kind of story, enticing imagination and encouraging a child-like sense of play. It’s a commissioned sculpture by artist Jenn Figg, 35, first-place winner in the CAC’s New Waves juried exhibition in 2008.

Jenn is one of the schooled artists of her generation. She brings to her work a passion for classic fairy tales, a deep love of nature, and the ability to succeed in academic settings. Currently completing a Ph.D. in Media, Art, and Text from Virginia Commonwealth University, Jenn lives as an artistic nomad, traveling to artist-in-residence programs all over the country and exhibiting from coast to coast.

While an artist’s life and work has a solitary aspect, “Forest Thrall” is a true collaboration. Even the materials, which seem disparate, work together. How did Jenn decide to turn glass and metal into trees and vines?

“I had a model built that had metal and plastic and other materials that would have been part of this piece, like print and foam and paper, imagery as a stand-in for nature,” Jenn explained. But then, she had a two-week residency in Tennessee with other artists who were using found and recycled objects to create art that would not produce waste. A colleague in that residency, artist/teacher and glass blower Matthew McCormack from Columbus, Ohio, suggested that Jenn use glass.

“It was one of those moments that felt like the idea burst open,” she said, smiling. Jenn and Matthew worked out how the glass would be supported, making sure the structure would be safe for art patrons, yet would suggest movement. Between Thanksgiving and February, their artistic partnership—and the sculpture—grew. Together, they came to Virginia Beach, unwrapped all of the glass leaves, attaching them with curly wire, to create an indoor garden.

“It’s almost like Adam and Eve!” Jenn shared. In fact, the innocence of Eden is part of Jenn’s vision in art, reflected in her youthful zest and healthy perspective. Her work rises out of a love for the earth and for the beings that live on it.

“My joy in life can be found everywhere, but most completely when I’m immersed in the work, when I’m talking about it, when I’m making it,” Jenn said. “And in a collaborative process, it’s the joy of how we really have the power to create, and that resonates through all of our life.”   

PERSONAL VISION

Some artists create while raising a family along with the other work they do in the world. For these women, art serves as an expressive way to release tension and awaken personal vision. Norfolk painter Kathy Jublou, 55, is enjoying a marvelous time of life for an artist: midlife. She retired as a Navy commander four years ago; her three children are between 22 and 38 years old; and aside from long walks with her beloved Westie, Ali Baba, she has plenty of time to paint.
“I’ve always been an artist,” said Kathy, “though my art took a back seat during the years when I was in the Navy and raised my sons.” Yet the prompting to create wouldn’t be silenced. She started taking Saturday art classes at the d’Art Center with Joan Rushin-Folsom, who became her mentor. She believes she learned more within this teaching relationship than all the years of classes in college. For twelve years, Kathy followed Joan all over Tidewater, starting a piece on the weekend, then adding to it whenever she got time at home. And at 50, Kathy decided she would devote all her time to art.

“One thing I learned from Joanie: As an artist you going to figure out if you’re doing your art to make money or as a creative venture for yourself,” Kathy said.
“The paintings most people like to buy for their houses we call the BBBs: Birds, Boats, and Barns. And I do paint and sell some of those,” said Kathy. “But the art that I put more effort in is the more creative stuff that I enter into competitions.”

Her art is all over Tidewater these days. You can see it hanging at Andi Helfant Frye’s new gallery at Art Space in Pembroke Mall, in the inaugural show of the new Art Institute of Va. Beach, and in the Halls of Art at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton. A painting by Kathy Jublou has an unmistakable feel: flowers appear to dance and statues come to life in the thousands of paint-dots of the pointillist style.

She is grateful for the good fortune of her supportive husband, Brad, and a private room where she can work at home. She admits that her work reflects her own challenges, especially the pieces she did in colored pencils when her boys were in their teen years. “And when I work, that is my therapy, unbeknownst to me. I don’t do a lot of thinking about it,” she said. “When I paint, everything just goes away.”

HARMONY & BALANCE

“Minds Wide Open” inspired another local gallery to create an invitational exhibit dedicated to women’s love of shoes. Opening March 5 and showing through April 16, “A Shoe of Her Own” at Norfolk’s d’Art Center showcases shoes submitted by artists across the state, which symbolize aspects of their lives. Susan Bernard, d’Art Center director, explains that the show is “a metaphor for artists who must step out, stride forth, and strut their stuff.”

Award-winning fiber/mixed media artist, Lynne Sward, is pondering her own contribution to the show. Despite fashion designers’ love of heels—beautiful to see but hard to wear—Lynne Sward loves comfy footwear, like Croc’s and Merrill’s.

“I don’t care if they’re ugly!” the cheerful seventy-something said with a laugh. “My feet are so grateful. I can walk for hours and hours,”

Lynn learned to appreciate art growing up. “I was inspired to create in fiber arts because one of my aunts, Laurel, made all her own clothes and clothes for me,” Lynne said. When Lynne was a newlywed, she got a sewing machine and made what she calls “weird and strange” outfits for her children. Soon, her creativity expanded to quilts, sculptural pieces, dolls, and the whimsical, original pieces that Tidewater art lovers have come to love.

Lynne is one of the resident artists at d’Art Center. Being in community with working artists has been life affirming for her, especially since she passed through her own healing journeys. She survived breast cancer, discovered when she was 46, and the death of her son, Scott, several years ago. A wonderful therapist, a long marriage, her dedication to spiritual life, and her artwork support Lynn as she continues to create.

“I’m Jewish by birth and heritage, and yet I feel very open spiritually,” she said. “The words harmony and balance define me. If we don’t think along these terms, how can we be really healthy and well?”

Lynn says her shoe in the exhibit will be a blend of the many aspects of who she is. “It represents symbols, visuals, and beliefs, my favorite things, and maybe a photo or two,” she said. “And of course, it will be one of a kind!”

d’Art Center’s Susan Bernard believes that “A Shoe of Her Own” along with all the exhibits this month are keenly connected to art’s gift of wellness.
“Art brings a balance to our life that is essential to our psyche,” she said.

At the brand new Art Space in Pembroke Mall, Andi Helfant Frye, painter, gallery owner, and art networker, says that art is vitally important for women’s well being.

“It’s always a challenge for women to have their own identity when we are used to fashioning ourselves to what our families need us to be,” she said. “But I really believe, as the Dalai Lama says, that the purpose of life is to be happy. So if doing art makes us and others happy, that kind of energy can change things.”

For more information

• Minds Wide Open is the first statewide celebration honoring contributions by women to arts and culture. Between March and June of 2010, thousands of special events will take place across Virginia. www.vamindswideopen.org

• Jenn Figg’s “Forest Thrall” is on display through May 23, 2010, in the Butler Gallery at the Contemporary Arts Center, 220 Parks Ave., Va.Beach. www.cacv.org

• A Shoe of Her Own, featuring work by Lynne Sward and selected artists, opens March 5, 2010, at the d’Art Center, Selden Arcade, 208 E. Main St., Norfolk. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. and Sundays 1-5 p.m. www.d-artcenter.org

• Kathy Jublou’s paintings are on exhibit at Helfant Frye FineArts at Pembroke Mall’s new Art Space. Hours for all the galleries are Thurs.-Fri. from 5 to 8 p.m., Sat from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sun. Noon-5 p.m.

Kathleen Fogarty is a music educator and freelance writer. She lives on a farm in Va. Beach with her husband, John.