October Local Artist of the Month “Mini Exhibit,” titled "The Northshore Power of Place Children's Authoring & Illustration Publishing Project," with the MInnesota Children’s Press

We are pleased to announce the October Local Artist of the Month "Mini Exhibit," titled "The Northshore Power of Place Children's Authoring & Illustration Publishing Project," with the Minnesota Children's Press.

The exhibit presents samples from seven illustrated books developed by Cook County elementary and middle school students, which will be published in Winter 2025-Spring 2026. Research, writing, and illustration were conducted by students affiliated with the Story Scouts/Comma Club and Oshki Ogimaag Community School in Grand Portage. Assistance in proofreading was provided by local writer Keith Morris, whose family has lived in Cook County since 1915.

The book's topics focus on local history and Indigenous culture, and are titled, "Waabooz: How to Snare a Snowshoe Hare;" "Beargrease & Letters;" "Donuts & Boats;" "Pickles & Horses;" "Ice Cream & Fish;" "Pizza, Broadband & A Pandemic, Too;" and "Growing Up on the Gunflint Trail: Essays on More Than a Century of Gunflint Trail Life by Keith Morris."

Project funding was provided by grants from The Blandin Foundation and Arrowhead Co-Op’s Operation Round-Up. Further support was contributed by the Cook County Historical Society, local teachers, staff, and families.

About the Minnesota Children's Press
Minnesota Children's Press (MCP) is an educational non-profit organization based in Grand Marais that serves as a mobile, mentored publishing lab for children ages 5-15 in rural and underserved Minnesota. Through its Story Scouts program, MCP mentors children in researching, writing, illustrating, publishing, and selling their own books and media projects to create an inclusive community and fund civic betterment projects. Its mission is to prepare rural children for success in 21st-century skills by creating career-relevant portfolios and fostering creative communication.

To see past Local Artists of the Month, click here.