2021 Annual Report

Annual Report 2021

MISSION

The National Nordic Museum shares Nordic culture, values, and ideas with people of all ages and backgrounds to create connections, generate dialogue, and inspire new perspectives.

From Hans Aarhus, President, Board of Trustees

In 2021 The National Nordic Museum hosted magnificent exhibitions, received prestigious awards, and garnered generous acknowledgment from our local, national, and international audiences.

Congratulations to Eric Nelson for receiving the Hazelius Medal in Gold at Stockholm’s Nordiska Museet in September 2021. The honor is only awarded in extremely rare cases for distinctive efforts in the promotion of cultural heritage, less than twenty have been given out in the last 140 years. The presentation of the Hazelius Medal to Eric demonstrates the significance of the new Museum among our peers in Scandinavia.

I know we all enjoyed the return of in-person events including several important programs and the 2021 Julefest, our much-loved Christmas festival. More than 12,000 people came out for this event last November benefiting the Museum and launching a joyful season for all of us. It was wonderful to be able to welcome so many of you back to the Museum after numerous restrictions and COVID related closures. Thank you so much for helping to make 2021 a success.

From Earl Ecklund, Treasurer, National Nordic Museum

Through a combination of expense control and increased philanthropy and public support, the Museum was able to remain solvent throughout the pandemic. Relief funds received in 2021 allowed us to address the COVID related losses incurred in 2020. The Museum’s earned revenue sources remained challenged in 2021. However, focused efforts on philanthropy and contributed revenue yielded positive results. In addition to addressing 2020 losses, the overall operational 2021 budget for the Museum rebounded to near prepandemic levels.

In 2021 the Museum completed the Capital Campaign for the New Museum with a generous capstone gift from Barbro Osher. The National Nordic Museum celebrated this significant milestone with the naming of our visiting exhibition space, the Barbro Osher Gallery.

From the Executive Director/CEO Eric Nelson

As we are all aware, the challenges of COVID continued into 2021. The year started with the return of mandated closures for the Museum. When we did re-open, the Museum experienced a slower than anticipated return to in-person participation. This negatively impacted the Museum’s earned revenue sources (admissions, café, store, event rentals).

To operate sustainably, the Museum reduced expenses and sought public and private support to ensure we could continue to provide the robust schedule of exhibition and programs our constituents have become accustomed to. Our community generously stepped forward and we were able to leverage private support from our members and donors to obtain public support through COVID relief and recovery grants.

We invested in expanding our digital capacity and website as well as the quantity and quality of our virtual programs in 2021. Because of this, our audience continues to expand locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. During 2021, we were able to deliver programs to viewers in all 50 States, all Provinces of Canada, and 70 nations on six continents. While COVID was a major challenge, it was also a significant opportunity that allowed the Museum to lean into the national designation that Congress awarded in 2019.

As we closed the year, we received terrific news that the Museum would be receiving $572,000 in COVID relief funding from King County’s Revive & Thrive program and significant support from the City of Seattle. With this and your continued support, we entered 2022 ready to expand our offerings as a truly national museum of Nordic art, history, and culture.

EXHIBITIONS

Among Forests and Lakes: Landscape Masterpieces from the Finnish National Gallery, was the first exhibit of 2021. It included an important selection of works rarely seen in the United States that drew critical acclaim. Organized into four themes, the exhibition demonstrated the sophistication of the Finnish art establishment and the concurrent development of the landscape genre from idealized views completed in the artist’s studio to realistic scenes painted en plein air. The National Nordic Museum was the exclusive North American venue for the exhibition.

We were also able to highlight parts of our collection through the exhibit, Sublime Sights: Ski Jumping and Nordic America—a collaboration with the Washington State Ski & Snowboard Museum. The exhibition examined how early Nordic-Americans connected to their adopted land through the sport of ski jumping, it featured ski equipment and memorabilia, photographs, film clips, and oral history interviews to examine the sport’s development and explore its cultural significance. In the summer we presented an exhibition drawn from the recently donated works by Danish-American artist Dines Carlsen. Dines Carlsen: In His Own Manner attracted the attention of scholars and the community.

In October, we opened Paper Dialogues: The Dragon and Our Stories, which received a warm reception from a diverse audience and arts writers alike. The exhibition of papercuts explored the shared motif of the dragon by artists, Xiaoguang Qiao, and Karin Bit Vejle. The exhibit was featured in The Seattle Times, The International Examiner, Crosscut, The Norwegian American Weekly, and other media. Like our other exhibitions throughout the year, this exhibit featured sold-out gallery tours, as well as multiple online offerings. In November, we installed M(other) Tongues: Bodhild and Las Hermanas Iglesias—that explored bicultural (Norwegian and Dominican) identity within a family of artists. Textile artists, Bodhild, Janelle, and Lisa Iglesias, led a workshop for the Nordic Knitting Conference. They also taught high school students at the Seattle Academy, who created works inspired by the exhibit for a virtual student exhibition. During the exhibit the Museum partnered with the Henry Art Gallery on a virtual panel that brought together artists Derrick Adams, Barbara Earl Thomas, Janelle, and Lisa Iglesias for a conversation about intergenerational artistic collaboration.

Images, clockwise from top: M(other) Tongue gallery

Paper Diaglogues gallery

Dines Carlsen, Self portrait

Sublime Sights: Nordic Ski Jumping and Nordic America gallery

Among Forests and Lakes gallery

EDUCATION AND VIRTUAL EXHIBITIONS

In 2020, our Education team began working with local area schools to launch virtual exhibitions online in connection with the works on display at the Museum. The first of these exhibitions was Experimental Selfies: Students Respond to Edvard Munch’s Photography. Advanced Placement 2-D Art and Design (Photography) students from four Seattle schools took a virtual tour of The Experimental Self: Edvard Munch’s Photography, which opened at the Museum in October 2020, with curator Pat Berman. Then, as part of their advanced placement studies, they created portraits that responded to Munch’s process and self-exploration.

These portraits were placed on display at the beginning of 2021 on the Museum’s website. Inspired by a virtual viewing of the National Nordic Museum’s M(other) Tongues in 2021, students in the Fiber Arts at Seattle Academy used paint and textiles to create their own works. An exhibition of their work online was made possible with support from ArtsWA.

Other Education programs included programming for children through the year, including craft classes and Nordic Stories. In August, we also saw a return of summer camps (virtual only in 2021) with our partners at Seattle Children’s Theatre.

Images, clockwise from bottom left: Students work from the M(other) Tongues exhibit

Edvard Munch self portrait

Student self-portraits from Seattle area High Schools

From the Executive Director/CEO Eric Nelson

COLLECTIONS

The Museum’s collection expanded in 2021 with the donation of the Ibsen Water Ski Corporate Archives. Don Ibsen, Sr., an American of Danish descent, was among the first in the country to develop the sport of water skiing in the 1920s. He was a tireless promoter of the sport. The donation includes Ibsen water skis and an archive that traces the regional, national, and international history of the sport through photographs, and a variety of ephemera dating from the 1920s until 1980.

Other important additions to the collection include prominent works by Nordic glass artists such as Bertil Valin and Ulrica Hydman Valin from the collection of Herb and Lucy Pruzan. Additional gifts include Pacific Northwest sculptor Ron Petty’s working model and documentation for the Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial; the Nordic art and architecture library of University of Utah Professor and Dean Emeritus William C. Miller; Dr. Benjamin Hong’s collection of ephemera from the occupation of Denmark during World War II; and a gold nugget necklace and other items owned by Inga Sjolseth Kolloen, a Norwegian-American participant in the Klondike Gold Rush.

The Museum added a labyrinth designed by world renowned public artist Gordon Huether to its Fisherman’s Sun Terrace in 2021. The opening event in August included honored guests Robert O’Driscoll, Consul General of Ireland in San Francisco; Helge Marstrander, Counsul/ Deputy Chief of Mission, Royal Norwegian Consulate; Jeanne Kohl-Welles, King County Council Member; and project artist Gordon Huether.

Images, from upper left: Balcony view of the Labyrinth and guests

Image of Don Ibsen on water skis is from Life Magazine, August 12, 1957, photo by Marshall Lockman.

Image of Ron Petty from a postcard titled “Fishermen’s Memorial Work in Progress,” photo by Kurt Smith, 1986.

Stig Persson, (b. 1960 in Copenhagen), Layers No. 2, 2009.

PROGRAMS

The Museum presented more than 100 programs online and in person in 2021. Nordic Talks: Food Security and Sustainability, organized by the Museum and supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers, created a series of thematic panels. Nordic Talks examined clever solutions to timely problems in the areas of fine dining, food processing and packaging, and agriculture. One talk, Is There a Plan Bee?, can be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and the Nordic Talks website.

In 2021, the Nordic Knitting Conference was a hybrid experience over two weekends in November. The conference engaged participants from all over the world. Lisa and Janelle Iglesias provided the keynote address. Other virtual programs included a symposium titled On the Front Line: Arctic Museums and Climate Change, which the Museum organized in collaboration with the American Alliance of Museums; the International Council of Museums; and the National Museum Directors Council (UK). The symposium convened speakers in seven countries to discuss the impact of the climate emergency

on Arctic museums and the indigenous communities they serve. The same week, we presented as a hybrid event featuring Finland’s Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka in conversation with Museum Trustee and Microsoft CVP Tuula Rytila.

Members and non-members were engaged in more than a half dozen book talks, our popular Crafts & Cocktails program, and two film festivals throughout the year. Many of our Museum talks can still be accessed on the Museum’s YouTube channel. Children’s programs were offered throughout the year and included craft classes and Nordic Stories. In August, virtual summer camps returned which were offered in partnership with Seattle Children’s Theatre.

Nordic Knitting Conference 2021

From the Executive Director/CEO Eric Nelson

EVENTS

In November, we presented a very successful reimagining of Julefest. Thanks in part to a $50,000 grant from the City of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods, we were able to cover the increased cost of developing an outdoor winter market. The grant condition required that we offer Julefest free of admission. Our outdoor market was extremely popular, and we welcomed over 12,000 guests! The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, and many commented on the quality of the new layout and that the event provided a much-needed reprieve from COVID. The community expressed many comments of gratitude for the experience. Additional events during 2021 included a Virtual Northern Lights Auktion in June and the very popular Run Like a Viking in August.

Images, from top to bottom: Virtual Northern Lights Auktion (top three pictures)

Julefest 2021 (bottom three pictures)

Virtual

MEMBERSHIP

General membership exceeded 4,100 households by the close of the year. The Museum had hoped for a quicker recovery from COVID and expected audiences (and Members) to return earlier in 2021. Our budgeted General Membership revenue was ambitious; and we ended the year slightly below budget. The President’s Club, our leadership giving level, finished the year strong, reaching the goal of $140,000 and 120 Member households. We will be expanding our Membership possibilities including a new digital Membership in connection with our growing national and international reach as well as easily accessible online programming.

VOLUNTEERS

We were delighted to welcome back Volunteers to the Museum and events, beginning with the opening of Among Forests and Lakes in May 2021. Throughout the year, our Volunteers made many events possible and were instrumental in the success of Julefest in November—particularly the many bakers who prepared Nordic treats for Goodies2Go!

From the Executive Director/CEO Eric Nelson

MARKETING

Throughout 2021, our Marketing team built a robust outreach plan that included both paid and earned media. Overall, the year finished with statistics showing a significant increase in all areas: 13% increase in email subscribers, 21% increase in social media followers, and 18% increase in unique visitors to the website. In part, these increases were driven by new community partnerships with other local museums, Visit Seattle, and Puget Sound Attractions Council. A video featuring Seattle Kraken announcer Everett “Fitz” Fitzhugh at the Museum played repeatedly to excited crowds at the Climate Pledge Arena throughout 2021. The video clip also earned thousands of views on the Museum’s YouTube channel. Popular consumer websites like Rick Steves and AARP, and magazines like AAA Journey, featured the Museum as a gem of a tourist destination, driving thousands of new visitors to the website and social media as well as traffic to the Museum.

Local media took particular interest in our exhibitions toward the end of 2021, with stellar coverage of Paper Dialogues and M(other) Tongues. One of the region’s most popular TV programs, Evening, used the Museum as a filming location twice during the year and featured Julefest as a recommended festival.

Images, clockwise from top left: Eveningfilming at the Museum in 2021 Eric Nelson answers questions in The Seattle Times feature on things to do in Ballard post-pandemic Publications and posters produced by the Museum’s Marketing team Metro bus stop on Market Street featuring the National Nordic Museum

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Throughout 2021, the Museum worked to identify vendors and to begin building a new website and a new ticketing system that would allow for the best Member and visitor experience virtually and in-person. We also began to build a customer management system that would enhance our knowledge of our audience, better serve their needs, and provide more information applicable to strategic planning for the coming years.

From the Executive Director/CEO Eric Nelson

And additional support from Thank you to our media sponsors

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Trustees

Hans Aarhus (President)

Jay L. Bruns, III (Vice President)

Earl Ecklund (Treasurer)

Monica Langfeldt (Secretary)

Thomas Malone (Immediate Past President)

Electa Johnson Anderson

Lars Anderson

Anne-Lise Berger

Jann Blackbourn

Ray Brandstrom

Ulf Edwaldsson

Ann-Charlotte Gavel Adams

Mike Hlastala

Jane Klausen

Terje Leiren

Kurt Manchester

Jens Molback

Kurt Ness

Krystn Nesselquist

Per Norén

Aaron Overland

Tuula Rytilä

Maria Jones Staaf

Johan Erik Strand

Henrik Strabo

Heli Suokko

Lisa Toftemark

Honorary Consuls

Mark T. Schleck, Honorary Consul, Denmark

Matti Suokko, Honorary Consul, Finland

Kristiina Hiukka, Honorary Vice Consul, Finland

Geir Jonsson, Honorary Consul, Iceland

Viggo Forde, Honorary Consul, Norway

Petra Hilleberg, Honorary Consul, Sweden

Honorary Trustees

Senator Reuven Carlyle

Leif Eie

Irma Goertzen

Senator Mary Margaret Haugen

Lars Jonsson

Council Member Jeanne Kohl-Welles

Senator Marko Liias

Fidelma McGinn

Representative Gael Tarleton Margaret Wright

MUSEUM STAFF

Executive

Eric Nelson, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer

Andrea Millikan, Chief Operating Officer

Jacob Andsager, Head of Digital Strategy

Leela Martin, Administrative Assistant

Development

Erik Pihl, Development Director

Jenny Iverson, Development Manager

Hanna Corneliussen, Donor Services Coordinator

Taylor Morgan, Senior Grant Writer

Dan Saunders, Special Event Coordinator

Curatorial

Leslie Anne Anderson, Director of Collections, Exhibitions, and Programs

Gillian Cobb, Public Programs Producer

Alison DeRiemer, Archivist and Oral History Specialist

Kate Dugdale, Education and Interpretation Specialist

Peter Klett, Exhibition Designer and Preparator

Kaia Wahmanholm, Registrar and Collections Specialist

Marketing & Communications

Rosemary Jones, Director of Marketing

Carly Hinman,Marketing Specialist

Dana Lo, Marketing Assistant

Janay Nowlin, Graphic Designer

Finance & HR

Pamela Brooks, Director of Finance and Human Resources

Carolyn Carlstrom, Bookkeeper

Michael Ide, HR Coordinator

Timothy Krumland, Volunteer Coordinator

Operations & Facilities

Charlie Sullivan, Director of Operations and Facilities

Donna Antonucci, Guest Services and Event Associate

Roberta Chen, Retail and E-Commerce Specialist

Allie Cheroutes, Venue Services Coordinator

Abigail Fredrickson, Store and Guest Services Associate

Seth Harrell, Facilities Manager

Damion Hernstrom, Guest Services and Store Associate

Mary Hill, Guest Services and Store Associate

Joni Hughes, Guest Services and Retail Manager

Kendall Martin, Guest Services and Store Associate

Neil Tiland, Custodian/Facilities Assistant

With support from the Nordic Embassies