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,...
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...
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...
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...
Learn about the "Black Fiddle" with Paul Sveinall before a performance on it by Nina Byttingsmyr. Søren Fleskåsen, called Reve-Søren, was a well-known fiddler from Vest-Agder, Norway. He made a fiddle but dyed it a dark color to disguise its inferior quality. He used it as a loaner instrument, mostly to fiddlers who were going...
Get ready for Vesterheim's 2024 Benefit Auction! Items will be available to view in the fall here. Each year, the auction includes one-of-a-kind folk-art by artists working in the Norwegian tradition. Don't forget the chance to win the incredible getaways offered like an 8-day European River Cruise for two in 2025 from Viking. Many of...
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...
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. Artist, author, and publisher, Sven Lindauer’s professional career spans over 40 years. He was the former Official Historical Artist for the U.S. Marshal Service National Museum and...
Lars Idar Waage, photographer from Stavanger, Norway, will give a presentation on Thursday, November 7, at 7:00 p.m. in the Vesterheim Commons in connection with the exhibit A Dying Norway – in a Living America?. This exhibit of documentary photographs by Waage is a portrait of Stavanger, Illinois, by someone from 6,000 miles away in Stavanger, Norway. The tiny town of Stavanger, Illinois, in LaSalle County, is the location of the first permanent settlement of Norwegian immigrants in...
A Dying Norway – in a Living America? Exhibit Opens on November 8, 2024. This exhibit of documentary photographs by Lars Idar Waage is a portrait of Stavanger, Illinois, by someone from 6,000 miles away in Stavanger, Norway. The tiny town of Stavanger, Illinois, in LaSalle County, is the location of the first permanent settlement...
