Vesterheim offers free admission the second Saturday of every month. Come and enjoy the museum! From May through October, there will be an indoor tour of the museum’s Main Building at 11:00 a.m. and an outdoor tour of Heritage Park at 1:30 p.m. Come and enjoy the museum! Special exhibits open are listed here. There's...
Have the whole family come together and learn some Norwegian songs. Singer, Norwegian language instructor, and youth educator, Eddy Galstad will lead the family in learning songs from "way back when," as well as share some songs that the kids might have heard already. This free event will be a learning and sharing opportunity for...
This exhibit showcases 21 original oil paintings by D. Sven Lindauer, which were printed in the first book of a series that he created about ancient Scandinavian history. Sven will give a gallery talk and presentation during this opening reception. Artist, author, and publisher, Sven Lindauer’s professional career spans over 40 years. He was the...
Join Sons of Norway Norsota Lodge and former Vesterheim Trustee Dale Goodman! The meeting will be held in-person at Ascension Lutheran Church, 2210 Grand Avenue in Marion, Iowa. Visitors wishing to attend should email lodge member Chris Elwell at cae1261@gmail.com to RSVP. In the period beginning in 1825 and for about 100 years following, nearly...
Dr. Maren Johnson, Luther College’s Associate Professor of Nordic Studies and Torgerson Center for Nordic Studies Director, facilitates a regular bokprat, discussing Scandinavian authors and Scandinavian life. The May bokprat features Vilhelm Moberg's novel Unto a Good Land, the second in his Emigrant Novels series. Considered one of Sweden's greatest 20th-century writers, Vilhelm Moberg created the characters Karl Oskar and Kristina Nilsson...
As part of the Westby Syttende Mai celebration, Vesterheim Chief Curator Laurann Gilbertson will explore Norway’s tradition of colorful folk costumes is as old as the Middle Ages, and as young as the 1940s. Learn about the history of costumes from Hardanger, Telemark, Hallingdal, and many other regions of Norway. The forces of politics, fashion,...
As part of the Westby Syttende Mai celebration, Vesterheim Chief Curator Laurann Gilberton will explore the immigrant experience through stories associated with artifacts in Vesterheim’s collection. Between 1825 and 1980, nearly one million Norwegians left for new lives in America. We’ll consider the reasons for leaving, what they brought, and where they settled. The program...
Join Sons of Norway - Des Moines, Iowa, Marsteinen Lodge 1-596 for this online presentation with Vesterheim Chief Curator Laurann Gilbertson! Norway’s contributions to the Scandinavian Modern Design movement were many, but the artists and products were not as well known as their Danish, Swedish, and Finnish counterparts. During the presentation, Laurann will introduce some...
Join Marsteinen Sons of Norway Lodge in Des Moines, Iowa, and Vesterheim Chief Curator Laurann Gilbertson for this slide presentation that profiles Norwegian artist (landscape painter, muralist, book illustrator) Gerhard Munthe and his rocky road to tapestry design. Munthe was active at the time Norway was gaining independence from Sweden and his work was seen...
In this webinar, Steph Anderson will talk us through what goes into the study and recreation of Birka grave Bj 619. The goal of this project was to look at the archaeological notes from 1877 when it was first discovered, and textile analysis from 1974, then to create an interpretation of the grave. This would...
