To close out the Vesterheim exhibit, Herbjørn Gausta, 1854-1924, join Vesterheim on a fascinating historical day trip to explore Gausta’s life and art in the actual places he lived, studied, and worked!
On April 25, the tour begins with a behind-the-scenes look at Gausta’s art in Vesterheim’s collection. Then we head to the Washington Prairie Parsonage outside Decorah where we will view the room Gausta lived in while a student at Luther College and see sketches he drew on the walls. Next, we will visit Luther College where we have special access to their collection of Gausta’s art and papers. After lunch in the college cafeteria, we will travel to area Iowa churches that house Gausta’s altar paintings – Orleans, Saude, Jerico, and New Hampton. The tour begins and ends at Vesterheim in Decorah.
We are lucky to have tour leader Sharen Haugerud Storhoff guide us through this journey. Sharen has had a longtime interest in Harmony’s most famous son, Herbjørn Gausta, and has traveled throughout Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin documenting and photographing Gausta altar paintings. She has also co-authored a story on Gausta published in the Telesoga, a publication of Telelaget of America, and she has given presentations on the life of Gausta to several groups. Sharen is part of a seventh-generation Norwegian American family. Her ancestors immigrated in 1853 from Telemark and Setesdal, and they were founding members of Greenfield Lutheran Church in Harmony, Minnesota. sharen has always had a passion for history and the importance of keeping it alive. She is a member of the Harmony Area Historical Society. She combines her passion for history with a lifetime pursuit of photography.
The tour cost is $60 with a $5 discount for Vesterheim members.
Sign up by printing this PDF form and sending to Vesterheim, or by contacting Vesterheim Coordinator of Tours to Norway Rolf Svanoe at 563-382-9681 or NorwayTours@vesterheim.org.
