Vesterheim’s Membership Community Experiences Vesterheim… From Home!
In October 2020, we held Vesterheim From Home, our first online, members-exclusive event! Like so many other organizations around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic caused Vesterheim to halt in-person events and programming. As we developed more robust ways to stay in touch virtually, through online folk-art classes, webinars, and live streaming, we knew we wanted to do something extra special to connect with a group who is so supportive of our mission – our members.
We started planning for Vesterheim From Home – an online event featuring a behind-the-scenes tour, close up looks at museum objects, and cozy Norwegian coffee and recipes – as a way to momentarily replace the experience of visiting Vesterheim for an in-person event or tour, as so many of our members enjoy doing but couldn’t due to the pandemic.
What we quickly realized, however, was that an event like this was unlike any Vesterheim experience offered before. Over 500 members registered to attend, signing in from 41 states, Canada, and Norway. We heard heartwarming comments of excitement from countless members who were thrilled to finally have a chance to “visit” Vesterheim because their distance from Decorah, Iowa, had never allowed them to see it firsthand.
On October 17, Vesterheim’s members experienced connection and community with one-another. They heard exciting member-exclusive updates about the museum from President/CEO Chris Johnson, they were given a rare behind-the-scenes look into textile storage with Chief Curator Laurann Gilbertson, and they had some fun, too! Each member received a care package in advance of the event, filled with Vesterheim blend coffee (thanks to Decorah’s Impact Coffee), ginger cookies, traditional Norwegian recipes, and more. Members got into the spirit of togetherness by sharing their photos with us at Vesterheim, and we want to share some of them with you!
We hope that you, your family, and your friends will join us for our next members-exclusive event with Vesterheim.
Vesterheim membership benefits include free admission to the museum, discounts to Folk Art School classes and the Museum Store, a subscription to the popular Vesterheim magazine, invitations to member-exclusive events, and much more!
Join today or give a gift membership here.
