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...
[vc_custom_heading text="Location: Vesterheim Commons Free, no reservations required" font_container="tag:h3|text_align:left" use_theme_fonts="yes" el_class="small-heading teal"]Join us in Decorah to welcome these exciting bands to Vesterheim Commons! You won't want to miss this concert. Northern Resonance and Tall Poppy String Band are kindred spirit string trios at the forefront of their respective fields, deeply informed by Swedish and American...
Join Luther College and Vesterheim to welcome Dr. Steinar Bryn as he speaks about peace negotiations on a global scale. Dr. Bryn is recognized as one of the most experienced dialogue facilitators in Europe. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin and obtained a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Minnesota. He has...
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...
Celebrate Syttende Mai with Vesterheim!
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...