By Dave Gilsvik
Boreal forests are found in northern parts of the world and are characterized by long, very cold winters and short, cool, moist summers. The animals, bird, and fish that thrive in a boreal forest have all adapted to withstand the frigid temperatures covering vast expanses of Canada, Alaska, and Russia…and here in Minnesota.
Named after Boreas, the Greek god of the Cold North Wind and the Bringer of Winter, the boreal biome contains some of the most extensive, intact ecosystems on Earth.
Artist Dave Gilsvik is a lifelong paddler, hiker, hunter, and naturalist who has been journeying in the boreal forest for decades. Dave paints what he knows—and a love for this land is evident in every image representing the twelve months of 2025.
The calendar pays homage to our vast, untouched, northern wilderness—to the spruce, fir, pine, aspen and birch forests that house the moose, lynx, wolves, raptors, and so many other critters large and small.
Calendar size: 8.5 W x 8.25 H inches folded; opens to 8.5 W x 16.5 H inches when hanging.
$16.95
Questions? Call 218-387-2491. We’re here to help and open daily from 10-5:30.
Dave paints northern Minnesota landscapes with a free-flowing style infused with emotion and color, expressing his love for the place he calls home. He studied at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, the University of New Mexico, and Yale University’s prestigious summer program. Dave painted billboards, eventually creating Gilsvik Signs and Murals in Two Harbors before turning into a full-time artist. “The world of nature has always been my world of choice. My method is to simply observe nature and pay attention, both to the nature in front of me and the nature inside of me.”