National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition

June 8 to July 27, 2024

Exhibit Sales: July 26-27

Vesterheim’s bi-annual National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition is a collection of amazing work entered by fantastic contemporary artists from all over the country and is a great way to find out what’s happening today in the world of Norwegian-inspired folk art.

The exhibit celebrates the past, present, and future of folk art by encouraging and inspiring emerging and established folk artists to develop their craft. Experts in knifemaking, metalworking, rosemaling, weaving, and woodworking offer feedback to artists on their work and award ribbons to the very best pieces in the exhibition. Artists who earn enough ribbons are awarded the Vesterheim Gold Medal.

The exhibit includes stories from the artists about their pieces–the craft and inspiration behind the artwork. Museum visitors can also cast their vote for their favorite pieces throughout the run of the exhibition and buy pieces for sale during Nordic Fest, the last weekend in July.

Do you want to enter your pieces? We’d love to include them! Official rules, guidelines, and entry dates for submitting pieces are available here.

Support for this exhibit is provided by the Iowa Arts Council, which exists within the Iowa Economic Development Authority.