Summertime, with the sun high overhead and the longest days of the year, is a time for creativity and inspiration.

Minnesota artists have been hard at work throughout the year with all kinds of mediums — from woodworking to painting to fiber arts to papercraft — and there are plenty of opportunities for art lovers to support their creative neighbors in coming months.

August

The St. Cloud Downtown Alliance will host its fourth Historic Downtown St. Cloud art crawl of 2025 from 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 15.

Thirty-five venues will host more than 40 participating artists for a stroll through some of St. Cloud’s locally-owned shops, businesses and eateries. From sidewalk displays to art venues to live music, visitors are invited to explore the event.

For more information and an interactive map, visit visitdowntownstc.com/art-crawl.

The 18th annual Arts Off 84 Art Crawl will cap off summer with a fun-filled weekend Aug. 30-31. With more than 100 vendors and six separate sites, spend Labor Day weekend traveling scenic Highway 84 between Pine River and Longville.

Signs along the highway will direct visitors to the six studio locations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. There are two creation stations for children — at Site No. 1 at Warehouse in Pine River, and at Site No. 6 in Longville — on Aug. 30.

For more information and a map of participating sites, visit artsoff84.com.

Fall into fun with autumn arts crawls

Autumn kicks off with Labor Day, this year observed Sept. 1.

With nearly a dozen arts crawls across the state throughout the next three months — three taking place on the same weekend — art lovers will have plenty of opportunities to find that perfect piece to add to their collection.

September

Vergas will play host to the third annual Back Roads Art Studio Crawl on Sept. 20, where visitors will have the chance to take a drive along Otter Tail County’s backroads and enjoy the fall colors in between stops at artists’ studios.

For more information, visit the event organizer’s website at vergascommunityclub.com/pages/vergas-events.

At the end of September, Minnesotans on the state’s eastern border will have the opportunity to explore three separate arts crawls.

The southwest Minneapolis suburbs will once again play host to the Edge of the Big Woods Art Wander self-guided studio tour, which will take place Sept. 26-28 in Waconia, Mayer, Chaska, Carver, Victoria, Norwood Young America and Cologne. There will be 24 artists taking part in the 2025 studio tour, which will feature 19 locations for its 14th annual event.

Studios will be open 1 to 6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Printed brochures with maps are available at Unearthed Arts Gallery in Waconia, all three Mocha Monkey locations, the ACCC Arts Center in Victoria and Re/Max in Chaska.

Brochures will also be available at all studios during the tour or you can download the brochure online at artwander.com/studio-map.

Along Lake Superior, visitors and residents alike are invited to travel the 20-mile stretch between Duluth and Two Harbors for the 14th annual Lake Superior 20/20 Studio and Art Tour, which this year will feature 19 stops and 53 artists/small businesses Sept. 26-28.

Studio locations will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Brochures will be available at all studio sites, or may be accessed online at lakesuperior2020.com.

Those headed further north are invited to take part in the 2025 Art Along the Lake studio tour that same weekend and stretching into October, with locations from Tofte to Grand Portage to the Gunflint Trail.

The ten-day self-guided arts crawl will take place Sept. 26 through Oct. 5, and features 25 stops and 31 individual artists. Visitors are invited to spend time with each host and guest artist, and take in the seven participating gallery spaces in Grand Marais.

The event is run by Cook County Creatives, a nonprofit in Grand Marais, which took over the annual studio tour in 2024. For more information and a map of the participating locations, visit artalongthelake.com.

October

The 21st annual Studio ARTour will take place Oct. 4 and 5 in Northfield, Dundas and Faribault, offering visitors and residents the opportunity to visit 15 studio spaces over the weekend.

Artists will have ceramics, paintings, jewelry, textiles, glass, wood and metal artwork available for perusal and sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Some studio spaces will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday as well; check the website for details at studioartour.com.

Artists on the western edge of the state will greet the first weekend of October with open arms, as the annual Meander Upper Minnesota River Valley Arts Crawl takes place Oct. 3-5.

Forty-two artists will set up in 32 locations throughout Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift and Yellow Medicine counties from noon to 6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

For a map or a printable brochure of the 2025 Meander locations, visit artsmeander.com.

St. Paul’s own Fall 2025 Art Crawl will be held Oct. 10-12, citywide. Galleries and artist lofts in the Lowertown, West 7th, West Side and other neighborhoods will open to visitors.

For more information, visit stpaulartcollective.org/fall-2025-st-paul-art-crawl/.

The St. Cloud Downtown Alliance will host its fifth Historic Downtown St. Cloud art crawl of 2025 from 4 to 8 p.m. Oct. 17.

Dozens of participating artists will set up displays at downtown locally-owned shops, businesses and eateries. From sidewalk displays to art venues to live music, visitors are invited to explore the event.

For more information and an interactive map, visit visitdowntownstc.com/art-crawl.

November

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The second weekend of November will kick off with the annual Art Attack open studio event at the Northrup King Building in northeast Minneapolis from Nov. 14 to Nov. 16.

With four floors of artwork and gifts available to browse, visitors are invited to meet the artists, find unique pieces and get some shopping done, in addition to the opportunity to try their hand at interactive activities.

For more information, visit northrupkingbuilding.com/events/art-attack.

Today is Monday, July 14, the 195th day of 2024. There are 170 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On July 14, 1789, in an event symbolizing the start of the French Revolution, citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille prison and released the seven prisoners held there.

Also on this date:

In 1798, Congress passed the Sedition Act, making it a federal crime to publish false, scandalous or malicious writing about the United States government.

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In 1881, outlaw William H. Bonney Jr., alias “Billy the Kid,” was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner in present-day New Mexico.

In 1912, American folk singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie was born in Okemah, Oklahoma.

In 1933, all German political parties, except the Nazi Party, were outlawed by the government of Nazi Germany.

In 1945, Italy formally declared war on Japan, its former Axis partner during World War II.

In 1960, 26-year-old Jane Goodall first arrived at the Gombe Stream Reserve in present-day Tanzania to begin her study of the wild chimpanzees living there.

In 2004, the Senate scuttled a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. (Forty-eight senators voted to advance the measure — 12 short of the 60 needed — and 50 voted to block it.)

In 2009, disgraced financier Bernard Madoff arrived at the Butner Federal Correctional Complex in North Carolina to begin serving a 150-year sentence for his massive Ponzi scheme. (Madoff died in prison in April 2021.)

In 2013, thousands of demonstrators across the country protested a Florida jury’s decision one day earlier to clear George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

In 2015, world powers and Iran struck a deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from international sanctions.

In 2016, terror struck Bastille Day celebrations in the French Riviera city of Nice as a large truck plowed into a festive crowd, killing 86 people in an attack claimed by Islamic State extremists; the driver was shot dead by police.

In 2020, researchers reported that the first COVID-19 vaccine tested in the U.S. boosted people’s immune systems as scientists had hoped; the vaccine was developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc.

In 2022, the National Galleries of Scotland said a previously unknown self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh was discovered behind another of the artist’s paintings when experts took an X-ray of the canvas ahead of an upcoming exhibition.

Today’s Birthdays:

Former football player and actor Rosey Grier is 93.
Actor Vincent Pastore (TV” “The Sopranos”) is 79.
Music company executive Tommy Mottola (muh-TOH’-luh) is 77.
Movie producer Scott Rudin is 67. Singer-songwriter Anjelique Kidjo is 65.
Singer-guitarist Kyle Gass (Tenacious D) is 65.
Actor Jane Lynch is 65.
Actor Jackie Earle Haley is 64.
Actor Matthew Fox is 59.
Rock singer-musician Tanya Donelly is 59.
Olympic gold medal snowboarder Ross Rebagliati is 54.
Country singer Jamey Johnson is 50.
Hip-hop musician Taboo (Black Eyed Peas) is 50.
Actor/writer/producer Phoebe Waller-Bridge is 39.
Rock singer Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons) is 38.
MMA fighter Conor McGregor is 37.

When the Washington Nationals selected Eli Willits with the first-overall pick on Sunday evening, it kicked off a round filled with surprises. But the Twins were anticipating that — perhaps even more than usual, assistant general manager Sean Johnson, who heads the draft for the Twins, said.

And while there were other surprises in the draft, perhaps the Twins’ selection at No. 16 wasn’t such a shock. After all, multiple mock drafts in the lead up to the draft had the Twins linked to Wake Forest shortstop Marek Houston, and on Sunday, the Twins made him their first pick of the night.

“It’s kind of a moment I’ve always looked forward to my whole life,” Houston said. “I was sitting on the couch for about three hours today, just watching the TV and it kind of just hits you right after all the hard work and everything with your family around you. It’s just amazing.”

Starting with Willits, eight prep players went within the first 15 picks, but when it came time for the Twins’ selection, they went with a college bat, as they’ve so often done with their first pick in recent years.

Houston, 21, is a strong defender with some evaluators ranking him as the top defensive shortstop in the class, which, in this particular class, is saying something considering the first round was stacked at the position.

“We really feel like he’s a really good shortstop — range, arm, all the things that we know are important for the position,” Johnson said. “His make up, his leadership for the position … we’re really ecstatic about getting him with our first pick.”

The glove has always been a strength. This year, with the work he’s put in, Houston has shown that the bat is as well.

In his junior year at Wake Forest, Houston hit .354 with a 1.055 OPS, collecting 86 hits in 61 games and developing more power, jumping from four long balls in his freshman season to eight as a sophomore and 15 as a junior. He also had 14 doubles, 19 stolen bases and 61 runs scored for the Demon Deacons this season.

“I go into each year thinking about what can I do to get better and for me, that was kind of just impacting the ball a little bit more than I did the year before,” Houston said. “I went into the year trying to gain a little bit more muscle, try to get a little bit stronger and faster and … the coaches around me really helped me with anything mechanical wise, hitting wise and it came together really well.”

After Houston, with their second selection on Sunday at No. 36 overall, the Twins grabbed right-handed pitcher Riley Quick, a 6’6” 21-year-old out of Alabama. Quick underwent Tommy John surgery in early 2024 but recovered from that and finished his last season with a 3.92 earned-run average across 62 innings pitched, striking out 70 batters.

The Twins grabbed another infielder with their second-round pick, selecting 18-year-old high schooler Quentin Young, the nephew of former MLB players Dmitri and Delmon Young, the latter of whom spent four seasons with the Twins. Quentin Young hit .381 with a 1.483 OPS in 29 games last year at Oaks Christian High School.

“The upside with Quentin Young is tremendous. I think that’s probably like the highlight of our scouts for the night. We thought he’d be off the board by then,” Johnson said. “To be able to get him where we took him, our scouts are probably in the room still trying to do gymnastics.”

With their final pick of the day, the Twins selected James Ellwanger, a right-handed pitcher out of Dallas Baptist, who finished the year with a 3.81 earned-run average and struck out 90 batters in 59 innings pitched. The draft, which has been condensed to two days now, will conclude on Monday with rounds four through 20.

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As superstar center fielder Byron Buxton prepares for a homecoming this week with the Home Run Derby and the All Star Game taking place at Truist Park in Atlanta, it’s fitting that injury scare last week briefly threatened his ability to compete.

It’s no secret Buxton has battled a long list of injuries since being selected by the Twins with the No. overall 2 pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. It’s been the fatal flaw for a prized prospect that burst onto the scene seemingly without any to his name.

Though there were flashes of brilliance for Buxton, he was slowly but surely starting to look like a classic case of unrealized potential.

Not anymore.

After so many instances of his body betraying him, Buxton finally looks the player the Twins always knew he could be.

He’s been locked in at the plate with 21 home runs and 56 runs batted in. He’s added to that production by going a perfect 17 for 17 on stolen base attempts. He’s also provided otherworldly defense in center field a couple of seasons removed from not being healthy enough to play his natural position.

You can’t play baseball much better than Buxton has for the Twins as of late.

Which is why all of Minnesota held its collective breath last week when Buxton was pulled from the lineup after being hit by a pitch early in game against the Chicago Cubs.

Though the Twins immediately took the edge off by announcing Buxton had only suffered a left hand contusion, it was unclear if he would be ready to go for the Home Run Derby and the All Star Game.

Those doubts disappeared a few of days later when Buxton made a statement during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. A few hours after his bobblehead was being given away in the lead up to first pitch, Buxton hit for the cycle for the first time in Target Field history.

His teammates doused him with water after the incredible performance in what almost felt like a washing away of all the bad luck that has plague him throughout his career.

It takes a special kind of person to persevere through everything Buxton has had to persevere through since making his major league debut more than a decade ago. The willpower required to get himself back to this level of play can’t be overstated.

It would’ve been easy for him to throw in the towel as the injuries started to pile up.

That’s simply not how he’s wired. All it did was add fuel to the fire. He continued to get his body ready for battle even when his body wouldn’t always cooperate.

The payoff will come this week for Buxton, and it couldn’t sweeter.

He gets to compete in the Home Run Derby and the All Star Game a few hours from his hometown of Baxley, Georgia, and he’ll get to share the experience it with his family, including his 11-year-old son Brixton, who couldn’t be more excited for the occasion.

It’s easy to feel good for Buxton given how hard he’s had to work to get to this point. He’s every bit deserving of this moment with Twins. Hopefully he’s been able to take a step back and enjoy it.

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