Lifelong Learning - Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, Decorah, Iowa

Classes in Decorah

Experience Norwegian traditions at Vesterheim!

Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum offered its first folk-art class in 1967, when Sigmund Aarseth traveled to the museum to teach rosemaling. Over the course of years, the program has grown to include woodworking, fiber arts, knifemaking, and other traditional arts. Today, Vesterheim is the nation’s center for traditional Norwegian folk art, offering over 50 classes each year. The instructors who teach at Vesterheim are world renowned as the best in their art, and the museum’s classes are famous for producing some of the most accomplished artists working in the Norwegian tradition. The people involved in the program create a community of artists—both teachers and students—who share a passion for fine craftsmanship and who value the beauty of objects made by hand.

Vesterheim’s learning experiences offer participants the opportunity to:
• study with master teachers from the U.S. and Norway.
• explore a collection of over 24,000 objects and 16 historic buildings.
• interact with students from a variety of states and countries.
• gain new insights and skills and learn about traditions and their changes throughout history.
• expand cultural understanding.
• interact with Vesterheim staff and volunteers.
• utilize the museum library.
• enjoy the scenic and cultural richness of the Decorah area.

A special feature of studying folk art at the museum is the Vesterheim collections. The collections include early pieces from all areas of Norway, representing the many and varied traditions, and modern pieces that have been systematically collected for three decades, representing the revival of Norwegian folk art in America. Vesterheim’s Bauder-Landsgard Collections Study Center is a state-of-the-art facility for researching and preserving museum treasures. The building is designed to house 10,000 artifacts from Vesterheim’s world-class collection in a safe, stable, climate-controlled environment.

Each folk-art class is geared toward different levels of experience, from beginning to advanced, so there is something for everyone. Classes are held in the Westby-Torgerson Education Center, the museum’s education facility. This modern teaching facility includes classrooms, lounge, and kitchen. Vesterheim’s knifemaking program now can enjoy the Håvard Bergland Knifemaking Classroom.

Vesterheim embodies the living heritage of Norwegian immigrants to America. Sharing this cultural legacy can inspire people of all backgrounds to celebrate tradition.

Vesterheim Announces Computer Access in Museum Classrooms

Access to Vesterheim’s unparalleled collection is one of the hallmarks of the museum’s education program. Vesterheim has received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to make the museum collection more widely available to researchers and folk artists by placing computers in the classrooms.

Students will be able to use the computers to access the museum’s database and look up any piece in the museum collection. Do you want to see all of the pieces of Rogaland rosemaling, or the largest piece of acanthus carving? Do you want to see the design Norwegian masters chip carved around a box, or the colors of a Norwegian coverlet? The computers will be installed by this summer and answers to your questions will be conveniently available at your fingertips.
Many rosemalers and weavers have contributed to the matching grant funds for these computers. Thank you to everyone who has supported this project!

Vesterheim's Gold Medalist Virtual Portfolio Launched!