The Lofoten Islands are a surreal seascape of soaring, snow-speckled peaks rising steeply from deep fjords, white sand beaches, and aquamarine bays. Amidst this natural splendor are historic fishing villages, small cities, and picturesque farms – all bathed in 24-hour daylight during summer months and forever changing in the moody weather of the islands’ arctic...
Join Vesterheim to celebrate the opening of the new Commons building with numerous activities from Sept 23-October 1, both onsite and online! There will be free museum admission the entire week from September 23-October 1. • September 30 at 1:30 p.m. – The week's events culminate in the public dedication for the Commons on Water...
Get ready for Vesterheim's 2023 Benefit Auction! Items are available to view now here. This year, the auction includes 78 items of one-of-a-kind folk-art by artists working in the Norwegian tradition. Don't forget the chance to win the incredible getaways offered – an 8-day European River Cruise for two in 2024 from Viking, or a...
Iŋgor Ántte Áilu Gaup (artist name: Ailloš) grew up in a reindeer-herding family on the Norwegian side of Sápmi, a region that stretches over Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula, traditionally the home of the indigenous Sámi population. Ailloš and joiking are inseparable. He has been joiking as long as he can remember, and it has become key to...
Award-winning Danish duo Gangspil is performing beloved traditional music on accordion/harmonica, fiddle, and vocals. This free concert will take place in the new Vesterheim Commons building and will also be live streamed online. If coming to the concert, just show up! If viewing online, register for a link here. Popular Danish fiddler Kristian Bugge and...
Vesterheim offers free admission the second Saturday of every month. From June 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! Free Second Saturdays are supported in part by a generous gift to...
Vesterheim welcomes preschoolers and their caregivers to Barnetimen Children’s Hour. Meet in the lobby of the museum’s Main Building to explore the museum and see how people have captured images of the Northern Lights in paintings, weavings, and photographs. Participants will make a chalk drawing inspired by this natural phenomenon before enjoying a snack. Barnetimen...
Meet historian, chef, and author Patrice Johnson for a book signing of Jul: Swedish American Holiday Traditions and Land of a 10,000 Plates! Johnson, AKA Nordic food geek and meatball historian, is a cultural communicator from the Twin Cities specializing in Nordic foodways. She is the author of numerous publications, writes a weekly food and...
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. In October, we'll discuss Hunger, Nobel Prize winner Knut Hamsun's first novel. Set in late 19th-century Kristiania (now Oslo), the novel recounts the adventures of a starving young man...
Join the Daughters of Norway Eva Nansen Lodge and Vesterheim Collection Manager Jennifer Kovarik to 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. This...
