Join artist historian Stephenie Anderson in a look at the traditional folk dress component referred to as “pockets”. During this presentation, Steph will show different pockets from Norway, around the world, and the Vesterheim collection. From bunad pockets to pockets for everyday use, she will lead us in a study of how pockets developed and how individuals showed their creativity through their stitches and fabrics.

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Join artist Derek Brabender in an exploration of birchbark weaving using recycled Vesterheim Folk Art School catalogues. Inspired by Nordic folk art, as well as the re-use of materials, this program will show families how we can still continue the folk art tradition using recycled materials.

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Maree Hampton is a knitting instructor for Vesterheim Folk Art School and one of the first recipients of a research grant from Vesterheim to study Norwegian knitting in Norway.

She will share what she learned in her month-long study in Norway, show images from her travels, highlight current trends in Norwegian knitting, and show how the experience has inspired her knitting, teaching, and more.

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This class is designed as a KAL (knit a-long), knitting alongside history and modern knitting trends.

Join to learn about sweater history and how traditional designs are carried into modern designs, as well as Norwegian sweater construction variations.

During the KAL, students may choose to knit their own version of the Fana sweater, for which a commercial pattern will be given.

Online on Saturdays, with the option of one in-person visit to Vesterheim.

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Kolrosing is a traditional Scandinavian art form used to decorate utilitarian wooden items such as spoons, plates, small boxes, and lefse sticks. You will be incising/stippling the surface of the wood and backfilling with various pigments. You will be able to complete numerous projects for family and friends.

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In this one-day class students will be introduced to the art of knotwork. Knot tying is a useful and meditative artform that can connect us to the journeys that people took to get to the new world.

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This class will start by viewing the distaffs in Vesterheim’s collections. Then we will practice carving by copying historic distaff designs while learning kroting (carving through painted surfaces) and basic chip carving using a knife. Students will then be able to design and carve their own distaffs, blending traditional designs with their own innovations.

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Join basketmaker Kimberly Crowley as she teaches the methods of creating a basket from black ash splints – a material harvested by local Ho-Chunk makers. Two sessions – one morning, one afternoon – are available. Participants will leave with a small basket.

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What is more fun than hand-carved ornaments? This beginner-friendly class will cover all the basics of chip carving.

These smaller projects you will get to bring home are perfect for the beginning carver.

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This special themed folk art show celebrates the past, the present, and the future of Norwegian folk art in the United States and abroad.

Contemporary artists submit pieces to honor folk art masters of the past; draw inspiration from contemporary culture bearers; explore what folk art might become in the future; or play with some combination of past, present, and future all in one piece.

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Exhibits at Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, explore the diversity of American immigration through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience and showcase the best in historic and contemporary Norwegian folk arts. This national treasure features a world-class collection of 33,000 artifacts and a Heritage Park of 12 historic buildings, as well as a Folk Art School in scenic Decorah, Iowa.

But you don’t have to be Norwegian-American to enjoy all the beauty and wonder Vesterheim has to offer. Be inspired, share history, and create art while visiting the exhibits, taking a class at the Folk Art School, and shopping the Museum Store!

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The Figge Art Museum is dedicated to bringing art and people together.

Located on the Mississippi River in downtown Davenport, Iowa, the Figge is the premier art exhibition and education facility between Chicago and Des Moines. Its landmark glass building, designed by British architect David Chipperfield, features a public art installation by world-renowned artist Leo Villareal called Evanescent Field that illuminates the Figge’s exterior with dynamic patterns of light.

The Figge is home to one of the Midwest’s finest art collections and presents world-class exhibitions, art classes, lectures, and special events that attract visitors of all ages. The collection features European, American, Spanish Viceregal art, Haitian art, and modern and contemporary works. The Figge is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

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The Quilts of Valor Foundation is a national non-profit organization with over 11,000 members across the United States who make and award quilts to service members and veterans who have been touched by war, to bring comfort and healing.

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