Community Voices

An older woman with short white hair stands in a cozy, well-used workshop or kitchen space, speaking with her hands slightly raised as if explaining something. She wears a light gray quilted jacket over a blue top. Behind her, shelves are filled with containers, tools and supplies, giving the space a creative, hands-on feel. Soft light comes from a window on the right.

Essay | Handmade Crafts Shape Artists and Build Community

Discover how Southeastern Minnesota artisans use ceramics, woodworking, and fiber art to shape their lives and communities in the “Made by Hand” exhibition.

A bearded man wearing a dark baseball cap and a brown button-up shirt stands at a worktable in an art studio. He carefully rolls a large sheet of white paper over a round cross section of a large tree trunk. The workspace is filled with colorful artwork, including a bright poster of a baseball player on the wall behind him. The lighting is warm, and the table shows paint marks and signs of frequent creative use.

Essay | How Craft Builds Connections from the Past Into the Future

Southeastern Minnesota artisans share how craft connects them to family traditions, personal history and creative purpose ahead of Winona’s Made by Hand exhibition.

A small red and white child’s bicycle lies on its side in patchy melting snow on a wooden porch. A thin layer of fresh snow coats the bike’s frame, seat, and tires. Behind it, a red tricycle and a larger red bicycle lean near the house’s light-colored exterior wall and a dark-framed door. The ground shows a mix of ice, slush, and exposed wood, suggesting a late winter thaw.

Essay | Fool’s Spring

Our February thaw brought “fool’s spring” to Minnesota, says Greg Schieber, as he shares in this essay on homestead life, winter chores and a family walk along the South Fork of the Root River.

photo of a laptop with view of Root River Current homepage

POETRY | Root River Current Tribute

Poet Julie Little salutes Root River Current on the occasion of its third anniversary.

A stone statue of a woman stands at the center of a circular fountain, with water spraying outward from sculpted fish at the base. The statue is surrounded by trees with bright yellow and orange autumn leaves. Benches and a lawn are visible in the background, and sunlight illuminates the park setting.

Essay | The Death of a Beautiful Woman: Unpacking the Legends of Winona

Explore the origins and evolution of the Princess Winona legend, tracing how history, folklore and myth transformed a Dakota story into a lasting American trope.

Leafless tree branches stand in silhouette along a dark hillside beneath a vibrant winter sunset sky, with layered pink, coral and purple clouds glowing near the horizon.

Root River Winter Hues

During Southeast Minnesota’s darkest weeks, winter sunsets still glow. Explore Craig Johnson’s photo gallery of December skies and river scenes from Houston County’s Root River Valley.

Exterior of the St. Mane Theatre with a vintage marquee on a small-town main street, brick facade, bench and sidewalk in daylight.

Essay | Lanesboro’s State Theatre, From Silent Films to Center Stage

A nostalgic look at the State Theatre in Lanesboro, Minnesota, tracing its journey from silent films to its rebirth as the St. Mane Theatre and a vibrant community arts space.

Six Canada geese glide across a calm river lined with autumn trees, their orange and gold foliage mirrored in the still water.

Essay | Summer, Spring, Winter and Fall, Water Calls to Us

A reflective essay by John Weiss exploring our deep connection to water in all its beauty, its warnings and the vital role it plays in our landscape and lives.

A young girl wearing sunglasses, a pink hoodie, gloves, and colorful boots tosses a piece of firewood into a blue wood cart outdoors. She stands on a large pile of split logs next to evergreen trees, with bright sun shining behind her and a red barn in the background.

Essay | Putting Up Firewood: A Family Affair

Just in time for holiday gatherings…Greg Schieber’s original essay about putting up firewood for the winter, from memories of his own youthful years to the help lovingly shared by his own kids today.

Wide view of Stockholm’s waterfront with bridges, walkways, and historic buildings under a partly cloudy sky, with people walking and biking along the water’s edge.

Essay | The Pursuit of Happiness

Touring from Gothenburg to Stockholm, John Torgrimson explores firsthand why Sweden ranks among the world’s happiest nations – and has some “caring and sharing” observations for the holidays.