In 1999, a women’s support group was sponsored by a Lake County organization located in the Isabella and Finland areas. Finland meetings were held on every other Tuesday at Zion Lutheran Church, providing a supportive social outlet for women. When county funds ran out, the ladies from the Finland group determined they would keep meeting. Besides being a support group, they also decided to focus on doing individual crafts during their time together.
Zion Lutheran Church agreed to continue hosting the group, and the group also decided to meet every Tuesday. Choosing a name was next on the agenda, and the Tuesday Crafters were born. Later, their name was changed to Tuesday Talents to better reflect the various talents of the members, including crafts and arts. Members hailed from Duluth, Two Harbors, Beaver Bay, Silver Bay, Finland, Isabella, and Ely.
On July 4th, 2013, Zion Lutheran was burned to the ground as the result of a lightning strike, destroying supplies and charity items Tuesday Talents were working on. The hunt for a new space began, leading Tuesday Talents to eventually relocate at the Clair Nelson Community Center in Finland.
Besides individual projects, Tuesday Talents reaches out to the community with their talents. Some members are making pillowcases for hospitalized children. As members of Ryan’s Case for Smiles organization, the pillowcases are delivered to Essentia Health – St. Mary’s Medical Center and from there distributed to various children’s treatment centers.
Tuesday Talents has made quilts for both the Minnesota Veterans Home – Silver Bay and for other organizations working with community members with a variety of needs. They support two quilt magazine subscriptions at the Silver Bay Public Library and contribute to the Clair Nelson Community Center annually.
Grants from Co-op Light and Power and Thrivent Financial have aided Tuesday Talents in continuing their outreach programs. Tuesday Talents would like to give a shout-out to the other shops, individuals, and other quilt groups who donate in one way or another, including Grand Rapids Quilt Group, Northern Lights Quilt Group, Minnesota Quilters, Inc., Ryan’s Case for Smiles, Quilt Corner, and Hannah Johnson’s Quilts.
Tuesday Talents hosts an annual fundraiser, usually in conjunction with a Clair Nelson Community Center event. They say it’s “A lot of work but a lot of fun, we spend the year making items for it and then combining homemade items with other ‘found items’ in baskets, making our unique fundraiser.”
“All in all, we as a group, like to get together, work on a variety of projects, and have fun and support each other as we go along our life’s path,” a group member said. As another member said,
“We have a lot of fun and laughs each week.” One time the Tuesday Talents group asked Clair Nelson staff Nancy and Honor if they were being too loud. Nancy and Honor replied that no, they enjoyed the good-natured chatter. The group also has monthly potlucks, celebrates each other’s birthdays, and they go on various road trips together.
Tuesday Talents meets each Tuesday from about 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Clair Nelson Community Center in Finland. They welcome community members to visit and join in the fun.
