Building a Grindbuilding and Its Life (Webinar)

With Owen Christianson and Heidi Sherman. Join us for an afternoon of learning about the "Viking House" on the campus of University of Wisconsin Green Bay. Our presenters will be Owen Christianson, who built the original version of the Grindbuilding, and Heidi Sherman, who as a professor at the University was the driving force to...

Leading with the Heart Exhibit Opens

It is our hope that this exhibition encourages your own artistic curiosity. We aim to lead with our hearts to promote inclusiveness, artistic creativity, and a greater understanding of our shared humanity.  – Wendy Savage and Alison Aune Leading with the Heart: Nordic, Sami, and Ojibwe Designs from Nature exhibit opens on August 31, 2024, at...

Concert by My Favorite Folk

Vesterheim presents this concert with My Favorite Folk! Check back for a link to the livestream. Following four transatlantic tours with the acclaimed Swedish quintet Jaerv, American duo The OK Factor’s cellist Olivia Diercks and violinist Karla Colahan announce an exciting new collaboration. Teaming up with Jaerv's own Markus Gustavsson (fiddle/vocals) and Harald Nilsson (guitar/vocals),...

Foot-Notes Dance in Vesterheim Commons

Enjoy a Foot-Notes dance in Vesterheim Commons! You're in for a treat with this fantastic Decorah-area Scandinavian dance band. You can sit back and tap your toes to the music or join in on the dance floor. There will waltzes and two-steps, plus group dances and lots of community fun. Current band members include Beth...

Event Series Free Second Saturday

Free Second Saturday

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...

FamilieTid: Norwegian Folk Stories

Join celebrated Norwegian storyteller Johan Einar Bjerkem to hear folktales and sing some songs from Norway – we will meet trolls, princesses, and maybe even the character Askeladden! Bjerkem will also share the history about the stories and tales he tells. Registration for this free class is required. Sign up here.

Bokprat: The Lazarus Solution by Kjell Oda Dahl

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 The Lazarus Solution by Kjell Oda Dahl. Summer, 1943. When a courier for Sweden's Press and Military Office is killed on his final mission,...

Boreal Ornament V Exhibit Closes

The exhibit of artwork by Tara Austin, Boreal Ornament V, closes on September 22, 2024. Stop by the second floor gallery in Vesterheim Commons to view this free exhibit before it's over! This exhibit features rosemaling with a contemporary painting focus, highlighting the beauty and techniques of this Norwegian decorative tradition infused in a modern...

Herbjørn Gausta Day Trip – 3

The Norwegian-American artist, Herbjørn Gausta, has long been a favorite for fans of Vesterheim and Midwesterners of Norwegian ancestry. Last spring we offered two day trips to explore Gausta’s life and art in the actual places he lived, studied, and worked These tours were so popular that we needed to add a third day trip...

The Rise of Aquavit in the U.S. Webinar with Emily Vikre

For a long time, the only aquavit an American could get was imported from either Denmark, Norway, or Sweden. In the mid 2000s, there was a surge of American distillers who began making the classic Scandinavian spirit for the American market. With this new batch of distillers came a new outlook of how aquavit could be enjoyed. No longer limited to...