Fosston Visual Artist Ivy Bailie paints in watercolor, acrylic and oil with a focus on nature. She offers winter art classes, creates art that people can buy as gifts, does commissions, and she provides framing services. Ivy is a frequent entrant and award winner in our annual exhibit. Additionally, she’s listed in our Artist of NW Minnesota booklet. She recently received a grant from the NWMAC to purchase a high quality, sturdy tent system for festivals. Listen to hear details!

Heidi Danos is serving as the Interim Director of the Firefly Center for Art & Wellbeing in Fosston. She shared the background of the Firefly Center, including how it came to be, how they designed the space, and that they offer classes, meetings, memorials, and more. The Center is where creativity and wellbeing come together in an unbiased, creative environment that fosters community, inclusion, and equality with a focus on reducing the stigma about mental health.

Heidi received a grant from the NWMAC to create and distribute a self-published book titled “The Art of Connection: Building a Restorative Community Through Creativity” intended as a resource that will combine storytelling, along with instructions for hosting creative circle events, restorative justice, and will serve as a resource for broader community wellbeing. She hopes that the book finished and available soon. Find out more at fireflycenter.org, saeterconsulting.com, and listen for details.

Victor Sweeney is a mortician at DuBore Funeral home in Warren. He hosts a podcast “Death And” and is the author of a recently published book. He’s also a viral internet sensation with YouTube videos. He’s been interviewed on MPR and national news sources.

His book Now Departing: A Small-Town Mortician on Death, Life, and the Moments in Between was recently released. In this unique and thoughtful collection, a young funeral director — also known as “the internet’s favorite mortician” (CNBC) —explores various aspects of death, offering heartfelt and practical insights into how we determine what matters most while we are alive. Now Departing examines the science, craft, and mindfulness behind Victor M. Sweeney’s very peculiar skill set. Working in the funeral business since he was eighteen years old, Sweeney astutely shares the powerful and moving lessons of how we can exist and be remembered with intention and meaning.

Each page of his book is filled with reflective observations and true stories from the lives and deaths that Sweeney has come to know through his work in Warren. He also reviews the rituals around preparing and saying goodbye to those we mourn; the love and forgiveness that arises in the face of grief; the universal interplay of walking between the chasm of the mundanity of a required business practice that touches on humanity’s deepest metaphysical realities; and ultimately, how loss gives us the opportunity to focus on and celebrate the elements we have gained.

During this interview, Victor talks about his journey, philosophies, practical information, and much more. You don’t want to miss this thought-provoking and interesting conversation.

Brenda Yanok is the community manager of Folk School Warroad. The school opened in 2019 with about 20 events the first year and has grown since. They rely on grant funding from the NWMAC. Their mission is to provide learning experiences in art, culture, local history, traditional crafts and exploration and enjoyment of local natural resources. She provided a background of the history of the school, the concept of folk schools, and what they offer.

What is a folk school? A folk school is a series of classes and programs that bring people together to make things, make music, make stories and learn together. In most folk schools, individual expression and social interaction are developed and supported through classes in music, crafts, nature studies, gardening, cooking, dance, and other expressions of the local culture.

In addition to leading the organization, Brenda teaches quilting and enjoys other art practices including drawing and painting. She spoke about the community aspect of the school and the unexpected connections the attendees make. This year the non-profit has had over 650 attendees, 52 classes, and 29 different instructors. Popular classes include making Ojibwe style snowshoes, fiber arts (weaving and spinning), wood carving, and Native arts classes including beadwork and ribbon skirts. They’ve also offered wine making, journaling, baking, and basket weaving. The school works closely with the historical society and the DNR in their program offerings and utilizes other venues like the local brewery and culture center. They purchased rigid heddle looms that will allow them to offer more weaving opportunities. Their vision for next year includes further developing fiber arts and native arts courses, and offering relief and block printing and more Adirondack snowshoe chair sessions.

Find out more on their website: folkschoolwarroad.org or follow them on FB.