On October 8, the East Grand Forks Campbell library will host Verse Junction: An Evening of Poetry and Music beginning at 6:30pm. Verse Junction will feature readings by members of two Upper Midwest poetry collectives, The Poetry Bus (Twin Cities/Central MN) and Prairie Sea Flotilla (Grand Forks/East Grand Forks). The event will also feature a musical interlude by Grand Forks cellist Naomi Welsh. 

Join us at Arts for Vets Thursday October 8th 5pm-8pm for the opening reception of the Alter Ego exhibit! Open your mind to the artists other personas and hidden selves. 3D art and sculptures too! Come and let your imagination run free! Refreshments will be served. This exhibit runs until October 31st.

The Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra (GGFSO) opens its 2026-27 season with "Bridges to Bhārat."  Guest artists Anne Christopherson, Priyanka Venkatesh, and Ravi Deo will join the GGFSO to present an afternoon filled with the music of India! Works by composer Shirish Korde and the GGFSO's own Dr. Alejandro Drago will make for a unique and unforgettable experience!

Tickets and full program information are available online at https://www.ggfso.org/event-details/bridges-to-bharat.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

TAG is back for our 14th year on September 25th to add to our staggering total art sales of $2.3 million! Thanks to our artists, collectors, sponsors and volunteers, we have, collectively, contributed over $575,000 to local charities who enrich our communities and improve the lives of others. Please join us on September 25th, and take home fresh, original art for your homes and businesses.

Come to the Empire’s Music Box September 19th, 2026!

The Empire's monthly Music Box features 3 local acts, as well as an open-to-the-public jam at the start of every show. If you're interested in live, local music, the Music Box is the place to be! Come for the music, stay for the good vibes(and the free popcorn).

Doors open at 6:00 PM, open-jam starts at 7:00 PM

The Music Box is one of the only venues in Grand Forks that allows artists to play what they want, and our Music Box stage helps to give any musician a platform to perform, regardless the genre or experience.

Tickets available by donation at the door. Recommended Donation of $10. The Music Box is supported through our sponsor, Rydell GMC and through donations from our community.

Spend your Thursday evening with live music from Jack Bryan at the Hub Pub. Come enjoy a great night out, grab a drink, and listen to Jack bring his mix of music to the stage.

The Empire is hosting local jazz group, In Color Collective, in our gallery at 3PM. Come for cozy conversation, coffee and pastries at our new Jazz hour on September 13. If you are able, there will be a donation at the door for the Empire Arts Center.

Incolor Collective is a jazz group based in Grand Forks, ND. They play a variety of jazz from the straight ahead classics to your modern day favorites. They play for wide range of venues and crowds, including weddings, jazz nights, and local music festivals.

Join us for the opening reception of "Influence" by Tia and Kingsley Permenter on September 12th 1pm-5pm at Arts for Vets downtown Grand Forks. The Permenter's are a dynamic duo consisting of vibrant colors, surrealism, photography and monotype prints. Married for 10 years, their art is cohesive and magnetic! Refreshments, art and music! The exhibit will run until October 2nd. For private viewing, please contact our Executive Director Kimberly Forness Wilson at 701-330-3072 artsforvets@gmail.com or our Manager Mandy Smestad artsforvets.staff@gmail.com 701-317-6711

Join us for the opening reception of visual artist Kinsey Allen on September 12th 1pm-5pm at Arts for Vets downtown Grand Forks. Refreshments, art and music! The exhibit will run until October 2nd. For private viewing, please contact our Executive Director Kimberly Forness Wilson at 701-330-3072 artsforvets@gmail.com or our Manager Mandy Smestad artsforvets.staff@gmail.com 701-317-6711

Cost: $104/$84/$61

After entertaining 700,000+ guests around the world, The Rock Orchestra by
Candlelight is back in the USA with a brand new show. Prepare for a spellbinding
90-minute spectacle that infuses iconic Rock & Metal anthems with a hauntingly
beautiful energy.

In ethereal candlelit settings, this band of 14 classical musicians unleash effortlessly
enchanting melodies alongside powerful walls of distortion. Witness the unexpected
union of Classical music and Metal. The Rock Orchestra is a rotating collective of
classical musicians, featuring some of the world's greatest instrumentalists and
vocalists.

Performing the music of iconic bands including:
Metallica, AC/DC, Rage Against The Machine, My Chemical Romance, Linkin Park,
SOAD, Guns N Roses, Evanescence, Aerosmith, The Cranberries & MORE!

The Empire Arts Center is excited to welcome back the Andante Community Orchestra for their Summer Concert!

This concert is called Passport and will take our listeners on a journey across the globe with music, pictures and stories from many different countries!

Get ready to make a custom passport, learn about countries flags, local sights/stories and of course hear great music that transports you to enjoy a little vacation time!

Coloring and Crafts provided free during the event.

August 29th: 1-2pm

Explore colors, collage, doodles, and words to capture your thoughts, moods, and dreams. No art skills required — bring your imagination.

The Empire's monthly Music Box features 3 local acts, as well as an open-to-the-public jam at the start of every show. If you're interested in live, local music, the Music Box is the place to be! Come for the music, stay for the good vibes(and the free popcorn).

This month, our featured artists are DeziLou, Mediocre at Best, and Maura Fergusen!

Doors open at 6:00 PM, open-jam starts at 7:00 PM

The Music Box is one of the only venues in Grand Forks that allows artists to play what they want, and our Music Box stage helps to give any musician a platform to perform, regardless the genre or experience.

Tickets available by donation at the door. Recommended Donation of $10. The Music Box is supported through our sponsor, Rydell GMC and through donations from our community.

Bad Bad Hats is an indie rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Kerry Alexander and Chris Hoge met in college and formed the band in 2012. In the 10 years of BBH, they have toured the country many times in their trusty minivan, sampling the best local cuisine along the way. BBH has toured with The Beths, Margaret Glaspy, The Front Bottoms, Hippo Campus, and Michelle Branch, among many others. Their fourth album Bad Bad Hats was released in 2024 on Don Giovanni Records.

Meet us at the Big Shelter in Sherlock Park for a fun art activity!  August's event will be led by artist Trey Everett.

Tae & The Neighborly, a Wisconsin based Soul-pop R&B group, found themselves playing music together in a very unconventional way. They were all neighbors, each one living alone on one floor of a five-story flat.

Cake baking is a shared passion of the five-member group, but in the sugar shortages early in the 2020 pandemic, they found themselves so continually knocking on each other’s doors asking for a single cup of sugar that a group decision was made to all move in together and share cake-baking resources. And since everyone knows all good rhythms begin in the kitchen, it wasn’t before long that the group began to write and perform together across the nation.

Critics hail the group as “having more kick than a bagged-up mule” (Rotary Times) and their live show “…going down smoother than a can of [beans] warmed on the campfire” (Cowboy Gazette). All in all, if you are looking for a dense show that will give you more inspiration fuel for self lovin’, world changin’, and consideration havin’ meet them where the music is made to be shared.

Stephen Arts Council will present Downtown Horns in Stephen Mn on Thursday Aug 6th at 7PM. Music will be on our lawn. Bring a lawn chair. Food provided by Roadside Grill.
Free ice cream floats!

Great music, cold drinks, and one of the best patios in the Grand Forks area. Grab your friends, enjoy dinner, and kick back with an evening of live acoustic favorites and original songs from Jack Bryan.

See you at the Moose!

Great music, cold drinks, and the perfect way to wrap up your weekend. Grab your friends and join us—we'll see you at Judy's!

Paint The Town will be playing all of your favorite songs at The Bun Lounge in Grand Forks, ND! Bring yourself as well as some friends, and get ready for a party!

Join the City Band at their upcoming summer concerts

Arts for Vets invites all US Veteran artists of all military backgrounds to submit works for “Independence 250-US Veterans Art Show”
This is a juried exhibition celebrating the power, resilience, and voice of veterans who have served, protected and helped build the United States of America.

Inspired by the spirit of our country’s birth and the ongoing pursuit of independence, freedom and democracy this show explores what freedom in creativity, equality in expression, and representation of diverse veteran creativity mean through the eyes of veterans today. We invite artists to reflect on themes of identity, autonomy, family history, creative expression and personal pursuits of freedom and happiness from personal stories of who have served in the military. Ask yourself, "How do you I use the arts and creative expression living in freedom in my everyday life?" "How do I express myself creatively as an independent artist?" "How do I express myself after military service?" Artists are welcome to share and celebrate their art in any art form or subject matter they choose that's what Freedom is all about! Creative independence is the key to truly embracing the freedoms our country has to offer. One veteran may choose to create something patriotic, while another paints a portrait of a friend and accepts all subject matters. One may create a sculpture based on military service and another spoken word on their every day life. This show is designed to celebrate and uplift those who served in the US military and keep our country strong!

Awards:
● People’s Choice Award (voted at the opening reception)
● Curator’s Choice Award
● Honorable Mention

The music of Sean Hayes consists of folk, soul, country, and in between the cracks, on the edges – roots, rock, reggae.  Sean Hayes is a crooner, a wailer and an escape artist. He plays songs to get you dancing, sipping, dreaming and falling.

Born in New York, raised in North Carolina, with over 30 years playing music in California’s Bay Area you can hear a bit of all these places flowing through the songwriting and his singular voice.

These influences are reflected in the many different musicians Sean has played with over the years. From singing duets with Aimee Mann and Frazey Ford to touring with Charley Crockett, Jolie Holland, The Wood Brothers, Ani DeFranco and The Cold War Kids among many others. His songs have been remixed by renowned House DJ Mark Farina and have appeared on NPR, NBC and HBO. Dress it up however you like it’s just good music.

Other inspirations run the gamut: sly, funky jams like “Bell” and “Gold Tooth” revolve quite literally around a celebration of the bell shape and Hayes’ gold tooth, respectively; while “Joy” is a seductive, slow-burning afternoon love song, and “Invisible Weight” sings the praises of a simple apology, no matter how long overdue. Taken together, these tracks comprise a meditation on balance and acceptance — on learning to see life’s bruises and heartaches as necessary parts of the ride.

Join the City Band at their upcoming summer concerts

Join us at the opening of "Material Abstractions" from 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm. Beginning at 5 pm, curator, Anna Sigrídur Arnar and featured artist, Lauren Fensterstock will provide commentary. The gallery talks and reception, including hors d'oeuvres and beverages, are free and open to the public. Parking is available, at no charge, in front of the Museum located on the University of North Dakota campus. The exhibition will be on display through October 4, 2026.

About the Exhibition

The history of abstraction has typically focused on a sequential progression of heroic individuals in Western art “discovering” abstract art in the early 20th century. By contrast, Material Abstractions acknowledges the global and diverse traditions of abstract art, many of which predate Western developments. The exhibition also features works of fiber art including weavings, quilts, and fabric constructions. Such works are often inherently abstract in their underlying structure or bear decorative abstract motifs yet have traditionally been excluded from the narratives about abstract art because of their status as a decorative art or craft. Above all, Material Abstractions highlights abstract art that embraces the unique communicative power of materials including paint, wool, wood, hemp, bamboo, clay, metal oxides, glass, leather, mirrors, repurposed books, animal bones, and seashells to name but a few examples. These materials appeal not only to sight, but also to touch and sound to invoke a multisensory experience. For many artists featured in the exhibition, the historical traces or personal stories embedded in materials release information that fundamentally shape understanding of a work of art.

All works in this exhibition come from the permanent collection of the Museum and provide an overview of the depth and range of artists in the collection.

Featured artists
Machiko Agano | Edgar Arceneaux | Omar Barquet | Tonia Calderon Lauren Fensterstock | Adebunmi Gbadebo | Carol Hepper | Samuel Levi Jones | Terran Last Gun | Susie J. Lee | Medrie MacPhee | Jayson Musson | Kenny Nguyen | Richard Nonas | Ruben Nusz | Judy Onofrio | Esteban Ramón Pérez | Usha Seejarim | Erin Shirreff | Evelyn Ward | Lena McGrath Welker | Yvonne Wells | Steven J. Yazzie | Domenico Zindato