Vesterheim’s new forging studio at 418 W. Water St. has been completed and a group of folk artists gathered on Friday, March 21, to give the space a test run. A big thank you goes out to David Susag, Alex Clarke, Tom Latané, Andrew Townswick, and Paul Nyborg for firing up the forges and providing feedback on the studio space.
The new forging studio includes four propane-fueled forges that accommodate a total of eight students, safety shut-off switches, and a ventilation system that will pump air up and out the west side of the building to ensure that it doesn’t simply recirculate back into the building. There is also a large garage door that opens to a green space behind the building so students can take advantage of being outside.
Knifemaking and forging have always been part of Norwegian and Norwegian-American culture and handcraft. For decades, Vesterheim has worked to ensure that these historic handcrafts are practiced and handed down to future generations by offering classes.
Andrew Ellingsen, Director of Folk Art Education at Vesterheim, said, “We are excited to see the traditional Scandinavian handcrafts of metalworking and forging move into their new home – their own safe forging studio! We have missed offering on-site forging classes over the past several years and look forward to welcoming international instructors and students back to campus.”
Vesterheim, is excited to begin a new chapter in metalworking and forging education in Decorah and will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new studio on Friday, May 16, at 9:00 a.m. at the forge, followed by a reception in Vesterheim Commons.
Everyone is welcome! Stay for Vesterheim’s Syttende Mai (Norwegian Constitution Day) celebration after the reception.
The building that houses the new studio was purchased by Vesterheim in 2024 and is ideal for a forging classroom because of the poured concrete floors, walls, and ceiling in the basement. Over the past several months, work has been done to raise and level the floor, replace the stairs, update the exterior access, and outfit the space with equipment. The bulk of the construction was achieved with the help of two anonymous grant sources and multiple generous donors.
Contractors working on the project are from the local area and include architect Keith Koch, Finholt Construction, Caspers Plumbing & Heating Inc., and Decorah Electric. All plans were approved by the Decorah City Planning and Zoning Commission.
Vesterheim will continue to make plans for renovation of the first floor of the building at 418 W. Water St.
Vesterheim is hosting some fantastic instructors from all over the country with classes beginning in May 2025 and registration is now open!
