The Cultural Center Gift Store proudly presents its “Artist of the Month” program, in it’s second month, which will feature a new Gift Store artist each month with special deals and activities. The program’s intent is to bring attention to the myriad of talented local and regional artists and specialty product makers who enhance the assortment in the Cultural Center’s Gift Store. Additionally, the program provides an opportunity for members of the community to come and connect with the featured artist or maker, participate in a class or observe a demonstration, and take advantage of special discounts on artist-made creations. The Cultural Center is committed to featuring a new artist each month and offering special events and an opportunity to meet the artist and purchase their artwork with special discounts.
Friday, May 6th 7pm
Artist of the Month, Mark Munger Reading and Discussion
Meet the author of historical novels, Suomalaiset and Sukulaiset. These novels explore themes of Finnish immigration to Minnesota and the Finnish experience during WWII.
Mark Munger is a lifelong resident of Minnesota; born in St. Paul, and raised in Duluth. After practicing trial law for nearly twenty years, Mark became a District Court Judge in 1998 and serves a four county region of Northeastern Minnesota.
Mark, his wife Rene’, and the youngest of their four sons live along the banks of the wild and scenic Cloquet River north of Duluth. His work has been published in Writer’s Journal, the Hermantown Star, the Duluth News Tribune, the New World Finn, and other periodicals. Mark’s essay “Leaving Mayo” was a finalist for the 2000 Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Writing Award. His most recent novel, Sukulaiset: The Kindred was a semi-finalist for the 2012 Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Writing Award and was awarded a Finlandia National Foundation grant. He has written 9 books, including 6 novels, 1 collection of short fiction, 1 biography, and 1 collection of essays.
Sukulaiset: The Kindred, a historical novel set in WWII Estonia, Finland, and Russia was released at Finn Fest in Minneapolis in September of 2014. He is a frequent lecturer and workshop leader on writerly topics as well as the winner of numerous writing contests.
Mark is also a member of the Advisory Board of Rural Lit R.A.L.L.Y. a joint project of Buena Vista University and Buffalo State College, a blog-driven effort to preserve late 19th and early 20th century novels depicting rural life in America. He is a member of the Lake Superior Writers and the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop. For five years, Mark was a Senior Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Superior teaching Environmental Law, Paralegalism and Ethics, and Criminal Law.
Mark is currently at work on his seventh novel, Boomtown, a courtroom drama/mystery set in Ely, Minnesota on Minnesota’s Vermilion Iron Range.
Discussion and reading led by author Mark Munger. Light refreshments will be served.
