Vesterheim Folk Art School has been embracing the historic and contemporary craft traditions of Norway and fostering a community of folk art instructors for over 50 years. We are excited to present this professional development opportunity for practicing folk art instructors to travel to Norway to study, gain inspiration, and develop ideas for future teaching.
Study in Norway
Instructor Professional Development
Who is Eligible?
Applicants must be established folk art instructors who have taught for Vesterheim in the past six years.
If artists are interested in collaborating on a shared study trip, each artist must fill out their own application and explain the desired collaboration through their application materials. Applications will be considered separately, and there is not a guarantee that both artists would be selected.
The proposed study trip must have a narrow focus and the research/project must support the instructor in deepening their knowledge and skills.
Selection will be based on experience, ability, interest in working with the collection to plan curriculum for classes in the coming year, and clear residency goals.
Artists should include a proposed itinerary with estimated dates of travel.
What is Vesterheim’s commitment?
Up to two study-away opportunities will be awarded on April 30 and will take place between July 2024 and June 2025. The Vesterheim curatorial and folk art education staff will serve on the selection committee.
Each awarded artist will receive a stipend of $5,000 toward the cost of travel, lodging, research, and materials for their Study in Norway project.
What is the artist's commitment?
At the end of the Study in Norway travels, the awarded artist will fulfill this partnership with Vesterheim by creating a class based on their study. They will provide a full class description, supply list, and list of tools necessary for the class, as well as a finished object for photography for the class catalog for the 2025-2026 year. The artist must be committed to teaching the developed class for the first time at Vesterheim by the end of 2026.
Additionally, the awarded artist will share about their travels and studies in a published article, blog post, webinar, or other public forum.
It is the responsibility of the artist to arrange their own travel and housing in Norway.
How do I apply?
Fill out the application online. The deadline is April 15, 2024.
This application will include:
Up to 10 images of your work to support your research and project proposal.
A CV outlining your experience related to studio practice, teaching, and research.
A full proposal of your travel itinerary and goals.