Message from President/CEO Chris Johnson

It is always an honor for me to share with you our annual Donor Impact Report. This report is our opportunity to reflect on the past year and to show you how your gifts are making a difference at Vesterheim.

The year 2020 was one that none of us expected and one that impacted us all in ways that we couldn’t even imagine. Yet when I reflect back, I realize that amid all the challenges we faced, there were many blessings and reasons to be thankful.

Even though 2020 was far from a typical year at Vesterheim, I am proud of all the new and different ways Vesterheim staff were able to serve our audiences despite the realities of the pandemic. They did amazing work in less than ideal circumstances. I am also grateful for our Trustees for their leadership and the decisions they made to help sustain the museum through the uncertain days.

But what I’m most grateful for this year is having friends like you. Everything that we were able to accomplish happened because of YOU. Please know that your support and encouragement is always important to us, but we appreciated it even more in 2020.

We have a lot to look forward to in 2021. Even though there are still challenges ahead, I am hopeful and optimistic that TOGETHER we will continue to reach new audiences in a variety of different ways and share Norwegian-American stories and folk art for years to come.