Primstav Murals Presentation
"Norway Night" at 7:00 p.m. at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 209 Colorado Ave., Ames, Iowa. Martha Griesheimer, Vesterheim Coordinator of Volunteers, will present the program "Primstav Murals of the Gathering Room at Vesterheim." All are welcome, wear Norwegian costumes if you wish.
The primstav murals in Vesterheim’s Gathering Room were created in 1999 by Norwegian rosemaler Sigmund Aarseth and Sallie DeReus, a rosemaler from Pella, Iowa. They are examples of interior painting relatively common in Scandinavia, in which every surface is decorated. The murals are inspired by the primstav, a calendar stick widely used in Norway during the Middle Ages. It was like an almanac. Today, the primstav is valued as an aesthetically appealing reminder of centuries-old traditions. The Aarseth-DeReus murals capture these rich traditions very effectively, and the room always impresses Vesterheim visitors.