Coming Out of the Woodwork:
A Vesterheim Symposium on Norwegian Folk Art

April 18-20, 2008

Vesterheim invites both woodworkers and knifemakers to come together and share Norwegian traditions. It will be a unique opportunity for all of us to be in one place for this event.

Coming Out of the Woodwork will be a chance to build community as we learn from each other, create with each other, and drink out of our ale bowls together!

Keynote speakers and teachers from Norway and America will share their expertise during the symposium and there will be a wide range of classes the weeks before and after. Learn a new technique or refine a current one—this will be a time to grow. Also, plan on being inspired by selected masterpieces that will be on display.

Contact Vesterheim at 563-382-9681 or info@vesterheim.org for more information. Click here to download a brochure and registration form.

Speakers

Eivind Falk, Lillehammer, Norway
Preserving, Passing On, and Developing Crafts as Knowledge, Means of Expression, and Profession

Olav Mortensen, Skien, Norway
Making the World’s Largest Knife

Dick Enstad, Eagan, Minnesota
Lathe-turned Objects for Food and Fiber

Darlene Fossum-Martin, Decorah, Iowa
Fra tre til bord / From the Tree to the Table: the Ghosts of Kitchens Past

Carol Hasvold, Decorah, Iowa
Ale Bowls and Festive Events in Traditional Norway

Darrell Henning, Decorah, Iowa
1000 Years of Norwegian Homes and Home Furnishings

Phil Odden, Barronett, Wisconsin
Kubbestols as a Portal into Norwegian Folk Art

Harley Refsal, Decorah, Iowa
Crawling into the Woodwork

Schedule of Events

Friday, April 18
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Registration
In the Westby-Torgerson Education Center.

2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Roundtable Sessions
Drop in and out of these informal sessions with people who share your interest in acanthus carving, knifemaking, and other techniques. You can also tour Vesterheim’s Open Air Division, the Bauder-Landsgard Collections Study Center, and the special exhibitions Kubbestol: From Seating to Symbol and Fire and Wood.

7:00 p.m. BYOB (Bring Your Own Bowl) Party!
Come to the beautifully restored Hotel Winneshiek for camaraderie and samples of Norwegian-style ale.

Saturday, April 19
9:00 a.m. - noon Speakers
At the Hotel Winneshiek.

2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Town Square
Demonstrations of various woodcarving styles. A time to ask questions, try a couple of techniques, and learn something new!

Evening Banquet
In the Steyer Opera House at the Hotel Winneshiek. (Option with conference registration.) $40 per person.

Sunday, April 20
9:00 a.m. to noon Speakers
At the Hotel Winneshiek.

Noon-2:00 p.m. Lunch and Final Remarks
At the Hotel Winneshiek. Included in registration.

Early Registration (by December 31, 2007)
Vesterheim Member, $125
Non-member, $160
Registration (by March 28, 2008)
Vesterheim Member, $175
Non-member, $210

Schedule of Classes

Pre-Symposium Classes
Olav Mortensen, Knifemaking for All Levels
April 14-17 $315 members / $395 non-members

Tonje and Eivind Falk, Making and Decorating Shrink or Greenwood Boxes
April 14-17 $315 members / $395 non-members

Dick Enstad, Intro to Stave and Bentwood Containers
April 14-17 $220 members / $260 non-members

Roger Abrahamson, Ale Bowl Turning
April 15-17 $165 members / $195 non-members

Becky Lusk, Carving Ale Bowls
April 15-17 $165 members / $195 non-members

Tom Latané, Cold Metalworking: Ornamental Iron for Chests
April 16-17 $110 members / $130 non-members

Friday Workshop
Everett Ellenwood, Tool Sharpening Workshop
April 18, one-hour sessions at 11am and 1pm $15

Post-Symposium Classes
Dick Enstad, Svidekor (burnt decoration on wood)
April 21-22 $110 members / $130 non-members

Judy Ritger, Spoon Carving and/or Kolrosing
April 21-22 $110 members / $130 non-members

Judy Kjenstad, Painting Techniques for Carvers
April 21-23 $165 members / $195 non-members

Phil Odden, Developing Carving Patterns the Painless Way
April 21-23 $165 members / $195 non-members

Olav Mortensen, Advanced Knifemaking
April 21-25 $395 members / $495 non-members

Harley Refsal, Scandinavian-style Figure Carving for All Levels
April 21-25 $275 members / $325 non-members

$50 deposit required for each class

Cancellation and Refund Policy:
Symposium registrations cancelled before March 28 will be eligible for a full refund, less a $50 processing fee. Class cancellations before March 28 will be eligible for a full refund, less a $25 processing fee. There will be no refunds for the symposium or classes after March 28.

This symposium is supported by a grant from the Iowa Arts Council.