Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum

05/28/2026

Looking back at a wonderful April and May of Folk Art School classes and visiting artists! “Make Your Own Metal Sculpture” with Kelly Ludeking, “Forging Kitchen Utensils: Steel & Copper” with Elizabeth Belz, “Carving Basics: Introduction to the Sloyd Knife” with Alex Clarke, and a visit from Norwegian rosemaler Mona Stenseth! See photos from the classrooms and programs in our latest blog post: https://vesterheim.info/4u6YKML

05/28/2026

Enjoy this article about bunader in the United States with a mention of Vesterheim and a quote from Vesterheim Chief Curator Laurann Gilbertson!

Bunad i dongeri viser tilhørighet både til Norge og til USA. Se artikkelen i kommentarfeltet 👇

05/26/2026

The 2026 Textile Study – “Red List" tour’s last few days in Norway were spent at Culture Farm Bjerkem enjoying hands-on workshops and then visiting Sverresborg Trøndelag Folkemuseum which includes the ruins of a medieval castle, entire farmsteads, and old town Trondheim! Enjoy some photos from them!

05/25/2026

What does it mean to truly carry a tradition forward?

In this recorded lecture, Norwegian artist Mona Stenseth explores rosemaling as more than decoration. Drawing from her artistic practice and background in expressive therapy, she reflects on intuition, identity, belonging, and what it means to make tradition your own.

If you missed the live program, you can now watch the recording on our YouTube channel:

In this presentation, discussion, and Q&A, Norwegian artist and psychotherapist Mona Stenseth explores the difference between reproducing tradition and expre...

05/22/2026

It’s National Road Trip Day, and if your travels include Decorah, here’s a checklist for your Vesterheim stop:

☐ Step inside a historic building
☐ Find your favorite artifact
☐ Explore the outdoor Heritage Park
☐ Bring home a Norwegian treat or gift from the Museum Store
☐ Snap a photo and share your visit

Road trip season is here. Add a little history, folk art, and fresh air to the itinerary! View https://vesterheim.org/visit/plan-your-visit/ for visit information!

Guided tours of Heritage Park are Wed. through Sun., excluding holiday weekends. (Call ahead to confirm.)

05/22/2026

The 2026 Textile Study Tour – “Red List" has continued with deep dives into Norway’s textile traditions. The group enjoyed a special program by Dr. Sallie Anna Pisera on smettvev (also called rutevev or geometric tapestry) at Sunnfjord Museum, learned about local and endangered techniques, including brikkevev or tablet weaving at Oppdalsmuseet, and visited Selbu Bygdemuseum to study two-color knitting and wood-block printing, including efforts to revive the technique for the Selbu bunad vest. Now they are currently at Culture Farm Bjerkem enjoying two days of hands-on workshops!

05/21/2026

Join Vesterheim for its next free webinar in its series of cross-cultural webinars exploring decorative carving on chairs from multiple cultural perspectives!

On June 6 (10-11 AM CT), Lara Reisigl Domeneghetti presents “From Birch to Walrus Tusk: Reconstructing the Tylldal Chair across Media and Territories”. Through practice-based reconstruction and comparative material analysis, this presentation examines the Tylldal Chair as a birch “ivory” throne — linking Nidaros cathedral sculpture, walrus-tusk carving, and portable ecclesiastical furniture The focus lies on tools, surfaces, and how craft knowledge traveled across media, workshops, and North Atlantic territories. Learn more and register here: https://vesterheim.info/4uhCjVQ

05/19/2026

Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!
We enjoyed a beautiful day celebrating Syttende Mai, Norway’s Constitution Day a little early on May 15, at Vesterheim with a children’s parade through Vesterheim’s Heritage Park, live music, Decorah’s Nordic Dancers, free admission and ice cream, and lots of fun. Thanks to everyone who celebrated with us!

Vesterheim’s Syttende Mai activities were supported by a generous gift to the Vesterheim Annual Fund from Marvin Bruha. Concert supported by Bob and Mary Jane Lake. Ice cream provided with support from Decorah’s Sugar Bowl.

05/18/2026

The 2026 Textile Study Tour – “Red List" started their travels in Norway last week! First with a stop to Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, a family-owned spinnery in business since 1898, and a younger textile business Oleana. Then they visited the studios of the Bjørgvin Husflidslag (handcraft association) where they got to see demonstrations of and practice red list techniques, including nuperller (tatting) with Rita Oppedal, knipling (bobbin lace) with Elbjørg Bredeli, and smettvev/rutevev (geometric tapestry) with Jan Mostrom. They got to explore Bergen including the Bryggens Museum and Syttende Mai celebrations! More to come!

Photo captions have more information!

05/15/2026

🇳🇴 Decorah Nordic Dancers at Vesterheim’s Syttende Mai celebration! 🇳🇴

05/15/2026

Entries for the upcoming National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition close soon! Get your entries in before Wednesday, May 20!

The exhibit welcomes artists at every stage, whether you're just getting started or have been practicing your craft for years. Show your work in a gallery setting, receive feedback from judges, connect with other makers, and you can choose to offer your work for sale if you’d like! Blacksmithing, knifemaking, rosemaling, weaving, woodworking, and more are all part of this celebration of Norwegian-inspired folk art. Find entry information here: https://vesterheim.info/4dQcq8P