From Our House to Yours / Holidays / Erika Skogg Interview
Posten
The American Swedish Institute Magazine
Featured Article From Our House to Yours
November 2021 – January 2022
Thank You! To all of the donors and members who make the work of the American Swedish Institute possible.
Contents 3 Message from Bruce Karstadt, ASI President & CEO 4-5 From Our House to Yours 6-7 Julmarknad: Handcraft Market and Festival
Minnesota artist activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
8 Your Home Away from Home
The American Swedish Institute
18-19 Memorials & Tributes 20-21 Nordic Happenings: Clubs & Performing Groups 22 Sweden & Swedish 23 ASI Museum Store
9-12 Stories, Stonework & Stewardship 13 ASI Community Fund 14-15 Excerpt from Jul: Swedish American Holiday Traditions by Patrice Johnson
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16-17 Northern Nature: Photography by Erika Skogg
Cover photo courtesy of Erika Skogg.
The membership publication of the American Swedish Institute. To update a subscription or become a member, call (612) 871-4907 or e-mail info@asimn.org.
Photo by Sharolyn B. Hagen
Message from Bruce Karstadt, ASI President & CEO As we approach year-end, a story comes to mind about a little girl in our Lucia choir who, rather than sing, began a conversation mid-concert with the carved griffin at the base of the staircase. She was concerned about the griffin’s teeth and demonstrated with her candle how to brush them — a charming moment in which even a kindergartener knew that this place needs tender care. This story illustrates that people of all ages and backgrounds have a deep affection for the Mansion and for ASI. Another child’s visit here with his parents later inspired him to pursue a career in architecture, specializing in historic buildings. Others talk of multigenerational ties to ASI (“my grandmother volunteered in the Museum Store”). Families have chosen ASI as a setting for weddings, memorial gatherings, even a christening. Friends who’ve emigrated from Sweden have said that ASI has helped them overcome homesickness. Teachers from nearby PICA Head Start programs thank us for opening our gardens as a safe place for playful learning by their students. (Looking up at our Castle, they invariably ask us to take them to the princess!) And many consider the Mansion as an inspiring setting where past and present are braided together through world-class exhibitions, collections, classes, festivals and programs that are both rituals of reassurance and voyages of discovery. The 2021 holiday season marks the 92nd anniversary of the Turnblad family’s announcement that their private residence would become a museum for the benefit of all. We will soon welcome people to our holiday exhibits and programs, to enjoy Nordicinspired cuisine at FIKA and to browse the Museum Store for holiday essentials. We’ll continue to bring our house into yours through virtual, online activities for people across the country and abroad to learn a
language, take a cooking or craft class, and hear a lecture or concert. All that happens at ASI depends upon our continued stewardship of the Mansion and Carriage House. You’ll learn in reading this issue’s insert that, after an exhaustive study of both buildings’ condition, a significant intervention is needed to address critical issues in these 100-year-old structures: outdated mechanical, electric and lighting systems; muchneeded stone and window repairs; and cracked plaster walls. We’ll restore selected rooms (such as the Turkish den), and the Carriage House will be fully updated into an accessible and modern work environment for staff and volunteers. This work begins next year and continues through mid2023. As of the date of this writing (October 6, 2021) we have raised more than half our goal from generous donors and friends and have confidence that our community will come together to support this effort. We have confidence that our community will come together to support this effort. We invite you to make a gift to ensure the preservationof a place that continues to inspire and bring joy to so many in our community. Please contact me or my colleague Christy Stolpestad to learn more. Let me conclude with my appreciation for the many contributions of our members, donors and volunteers, and for the inspired leadership of a deeply invested Board and creative staff. Your generosity makes much possible and provides a deep impact upon our community. Thank you. Tack så hemskt mycket! Gracias! Mahadsanid! Ua tsaug rau koj!
Bruce Karstadt, ASI President & CEO POSTEN
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The Level 2 Galleries will feature the photography series, Northern Nature, by Wisconsin-based National Geographic Explorer Erika Skogg. Learn more on pages 16-17
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The American Swedish Institute
Photo by Erika Skogg
From Our House to Yours Holiday Experience November 13, 2021 - January 9, 2022 For many, gathering together with family and friends for the holidays happens around the table, often with food and drinks to go around. While we can’t have real food and drink in the Mansion we can have inspiring décor.
“Being with family and friends around the table is like being wrapped up in a comfortable blanket. We laugh, cry, reminisce and heal together.” — Mai Huizel, Hmong Museum
In the spirit of safely reuniting for this year’s Holiday exhibition, our guest curators representing Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, and a few new voices from the Sami Culture Center and the Hmong Museum, will come together at one, oversized, round table in the Ballroom on Level 3. Side-by-side, they will share holiday stories and traditions though festive place settings and décor from the home. And perhaps some artificial cuisine.
For 71 years, the Turnblad Mansion has been decorated and activated for the holiday season. 2020 brought the 70th year, as well as a pandemic that sent us outside and ultimately closed our doors for the season. This year we are back inside, as well as keeping the new tradition of an outdoor installation. The ASI courtyard will be decorated with our festive red holiday market stalls and activated with the Viking-era game of Kubb, warm fires and music on select days. This year our house is yours and the doors are open wide — so come on in.
“As Ingvar Kamprad once said, there’s always room for one more chair at a round table.” — Tia Keo, Finland Special guest curators from the Hmong Museum, representing Minnesota’s vibrant Hmong Community will provide a deeper exploration into the celebration of the Hmong New Year in the adjacent Artist Studio. A yearly celebration that happens every November, the Hmong New Year is a time to gather, celebrate the harvest and welcome in a new beginning.
Support for From Our House to Yours is generously provided by Mike and Barb Nelson, IKEA, and ASI’s members and donors. The exhibition’s Media Partner is the Star Tribune.
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Julmarknad Vendors For a full list of Julmarknad vendors, visit asimn.org. Additional vendors will be in the Courtyard on select Thursday evenings and weekends throughout the season.
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Julmarknad Handcraft Market & Festival Saturday, December 4 – Sunday, December 5, 2021 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. both days
Preview Night Friday, December 3, 2021
We are thrilled to welcome back Julmarknad, one of the American Swedish Institute's most beloved traditions. Once upon a time — in 2008, so not that long ago — ASI opened its doors to its first Christmas Fair. Over the years it has evolved from a quiet winter market in the Mansion to an over 4,000-attendee festival thanks to the addition of the Nelson Cultural Center in 2012. With more than 40 local and regional handcraft artists to shop from, a Mansion full of music and holiday magic, family activities, bonfires, kicksleds, and outdoor fun, Julmarknad weekend continues to grow as more people include this special weekend in their annual holiday traditions. With this growth comes the opportunity for change. We are excited to share with you some new Julmarknad traditions for 2021. This year, FIKA Café's bake sale — historically only a part of Julmarknad weekend — will start during the festival and extend through Christmas. Bake sale pre-orders will now be required and must be made at least one week in advance. The entire lower level of the Mansion will now be a family-friendly zone with more room for hands-on craft and story time right next door to the Family Gallery.
New this year! Advance registration required. Advance registration is required for both days of Julmarknad, as well as the Preview Night. See asimn.org for more information and how to register.
Mansion, NCC, and courtyard with smaller, pop-up performances to add that little bit of magic to every area of the festival. In true Scandinavian form, head outdoors to stumble upon the (almost) new little red market sheds nestled among the fire pits where you’ll find even more handcraft artists and pastries from FIKA to enjoy with a warm cup of glögg. Also new to the outdoor experience this year, we are excited to include our inaugural Kubb Tournament Playoffs during the weekend where you can watch 10 teams compete for the title of Julmarknad Kubb Champion. Finally, in order to bring you the best — and safest — experience possible, we will be requiring advance tickets to the festival this year. We are excited to welcome you back for our largest weekend of the year to celebrate the warmth of the season. From our house to yours… Happy Holidays!
Musical performances will move out of the ballroom and be spread out amongst the POSTEN
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Your Home Away from Home Contribute to ASI this Holiday Season When the Turnblads built the historic Mansion, the structure was only intended to be a personal residence briefly. Historians speculate that the grand home was never fully furnished and saw few visitors during the time in which the Turnblad family called the Mansion home in the early 20th century. Today, ASI is the home away from home for thousands of individuals across the country. Loved ones have gathered to celebrate special milestones in the courtyard. Families have eaten a meatball lunch from FIKA Café take-out style in their own homes. Friends separated by great geographical distances have participated in virtual language classes or handcraft workshops. ASI, our home away from home, offers a space to connect in community. Supporters have welcomed ASI into their homes in amazing ways during the ongoing pandemic. We have found creative ways to virtually bring value
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and meaning into the homes of our community members. Our homes are more than transient places we pass through between work, travel and commitments, but rather the cornerstones of our daily lives. Regardless of our own experiences with home, our physical dwellings carry more significance than ever before. When the future feels unknown, the commitment to build a gathering place, a home, fit for generations to come remains more important than ever. This holiday season, we invite you consider a gift to the American Swedish Institute. Your commitment ensures ASI continues to bring value to your home and ASI remains a "home away from home" for generations to come.
Contribute to ASI this holiday season! Visit asimn.org, or call Eleanor Beaird at 612-870-3349.
Stories, Stonework & Stewardship A Campaign to Restore the Historic Turnblad Mansion and Carriage House
A Gathering Place for All People
A Gift to Community, A National Treasure Our story begins with visionary immigrants, their generous gift, and their dream to create lasting impact on the world. Over nearly a century, through passionate stewardship and creativity, the majestic Turnblad Mansion became one of America’s premier historic houses and the heartbeat of a wide community. Swan, Christina and Lillian’s castle is now home to exhibitions and concerts by worldclass artists, musicians, chefs and authors, the site of the region’s largest celebration of Midsommar, a destination for cultural learning, the setting of countless weddings, and a place for a multitude of experiences that challenge us to understand ourselves in a complex world. But our beloved Mansion is showing its age, and the deteriorating impact of time and weather have left their marks on its exterior and interior.
All of us — whether our interest is rooted in ancestry, design and architecture, arts and culture, language, craft or food, community and world affairs — are caretakers of this cherished iconic landmark and ASI’s legacy. Together, we can continue to be stewards of our Mansion and our community. We have launched a $20 million campaign to rehabilitate the interiors and exteriors of the Mansion and Carriage House, and to reimagine the Mansion’s interior spaces for programs, gatherings and world-class exhibitions. We have scheduled project launch in spring 2022 and completion by fall 2023.
Visit asimn.org/support/mansionproject for a detailed description of this project and to learn where your help is needed.
With the assistance of HGA Architects & Engineers, we have developed a comprehensive plan that respects the Mansion’s historic integrity and our contemporary mission to provide accessible, beautiful public spaces for a wide range of exhibitions, programs and events. Along with many other critical outcomes, this plan will:
Restore Mansion Interiors Select rooms, including the Den, will be restored to their original design.
Restore the Windows All 165 original windows need varying levels of repair to stem ongoing deterioration.
Rebuild the Veranda Decades of natural weathering combined with salt and ice have led to irreparable damage to the limestone.
Brace the Solarium Visible cracks in the stonework are evidence that the metal support structure behind is rusting and shifting.
Stabilize the Tower & Turret These iconic features are severely cracked and structurally unsound.
Update Building Systems To support future museum experiences new HVAC and electrical services are needed.
The Impact of Our Work The project will restore and revive the Turnblad Mansion so that this historic home is preserved for future generations and can best serve our 21st-century visitors by sharing and prompting stories of how, through migration, people bring ideas that transform themselves and their communities. The project will rehabilitate the Carriage House into an accessible, functional, and tasteful space for staff and volunteers that encourages creativity and collaboration.
Photo: Michael Boeckmann
Ways to Give and Support the Campaign Just as the American Swedish Institute welcomes all into its community, we invite you to join us in supporting this campaign. The mission is clear. The need is imperative. The time is now. •
Contribute online at: asimn.org/support/mansionproject
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Call us at 612-871-4907
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Email us at christys@asimn.org
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Mail a check to: American Swedish Institute Attn: Mansion Project 2600 Park Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55407
Tack så mycket!
Our Mission The American Swedish Institute is a gathering place for all people to share experiences around themes of culture, migration, the environment and the arts, informed by enduring links to Sweden.
Our Vision The American Swedish Institute will be a leading museum and cultural center of international reputation that invites all people to gather to connect their pasts to their shared future, to understand their heritage in relation to others, and to discover their role as neighbors and global citizens. Vibrant, ongoing ties to Sweden will illuminate and inspire these endeavors.
2 6 0 0 P A R K AV E N U E MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55407 A S I M N . O R G/ S U P P O R T/ M A N S I O N P R O J E C T FA L L 2 0 2 1
ASI Community Fund Announces Latest Round of Recipients The American Swedish Institute announced the latest round of awards made through its new ASI Community Fund, offering short-term aid to service-oriented organizations located primarily in the Phillips and adjacent Minneapolis neighborhoods. Fund amounts ranged from $1,000 to $2,000, for a total of $6,000 awarded to the following groups: Alley Communications, English Learning Center, Joyce Preschool, Phillips Community Free Store and Sisters’ Camelot. The ASI Community Fund was founded in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and seeks to help respond to emerging needs and support ASI neighbors as they build, invigorate and reimagine our shared community. ASI support for the Alley Newspaper will help launch an editorial leadership committee, help develop an advertising/sponsorship strategy to promote BIPOC businesses and encourage students to report community news. At the English Learning Center, ASI Funds support free in-person and online language, math and U.S. citizenship courses. At Joyce Preschool, ASI helps provide scholarships for tuition and food emergency assistance to low-income, Latinx students from the Phillips neighborhood to help address the access gap to quality education. At the Phillips Community Free Store: ASI support helps provide food, hygiene supplies, diapers and other household goods to community members. Sisters’ Camelot supplies community kitchens in south Minneapolis and serves free healthy food from a vintage kitchen bus with selected distribution dates at ASI.
The Fund was established with independent donations, mostly by individuals, with an ASI staff committee selecting recipients. It is rooted in ASI’s founding by Swedish immigrants and reflects a commitment to sharing its own story of migration and nurturing longstanding community relationships through collaborative programs including the Pippi Project at Andersen and Bancroft Elementary Schools, PICA Head Start graduations and the Story Swap program with Wellstone International High School. ASI recognizes that there is more we can do to build bridges for cross-cultural understanding. The next ASI Community Fund submission deadline is January 31, 2022. Visit www.asimn.org/communityfund for applications and information and to contribute to the Fund.
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Excerpt from Jul: Swedish American Holiday Traditions by Patrice Johnson ASI's Nordic Table teaching artist Patrice Johnson and the art of holiday foodways.
I hear the crackling of tiny meatballs frying in butter, and the house is filled with a familiar heady perfume of beef, pork, and allspice. There is a nuance to the sound and smell, and I instinctively know when to turn the balls or remove them from the heat and add another dozen to the pan. If the smoke alarm goes off, I’ll know I’ve channeled my late father, who was a notorious meatball burner. Anyone who has ever made multiple batches of Swedish meatballs in a single afternoon knows that you lose count after fifty and the balls get bigger as afternoon becomes evening. There is a comfort in knowing that for more than one hundred years someone in my family has spent Christmas Eve standing watch over the meatballs. For generations before me and generations to follow, the traditional dishes placed upon our julbord (Christmas table) honor our collective past, nourish our present, and demonstrate hope for our future. Food is a compelling tool for telling our stories, especially our stories of immigration. For immigrant families like mine, the simple but significant meatball is loaded with meaning.
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My family pulled out our Swedish traditions mostly during the holidays. Our house was a good mashup of Swedish and American celebration, and our post-Thanksgiving lead-up to Christmas was filled with Saturday afternoons painting the sugar cookies that mom baked and sprinkling rosettes with powdered sugar. I was beyond excited with each year’s Christmas tree, so large that it practically pushed us out of our living room.
Is it the Nordic way of contrasting yet balancing color and texture: pairing meat dishes with fruits and subdued whites and tans with bright berries and herbs? Is it the rich but not overly sweet dessert? Does this definition of Swedishness include the macaroni and cheese my family serves every Christmas Eve, just as our greatgrandmother served it nearly one hundred years ago?
Patrice Johnson
All twelve months of my kid calendar rotated around annual viewings of A Charlie Brown Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. When it was time to hang our stockings, we five sisters carefully patched our names with a swath of glue and glitter, then hung the stockings in chronological order (mine being the smallest and last due to my position as the youngest). It was all so thrilling I could hardly bear it. Yet the true thrill of it all was anticipating Christmas Eve dinner, when we would sit together at a table bursting with all manner of Swedish concoctions. Always present were typical Swedish julbord dishes like tiny allspice-kissed meatballs, boiled potatoes with “runny butter,” fruit salad, and the borrowed Norwegian specialty lefse (we ate it warm with butter and never sugared). Before my time there was lutfisk, a cream sauce, dilled peas, and rice pudding. The meal also included a a hefty hot dish of baked macaroni and cheese — makaronipudding.
All foodways are influenced by place and time. Food is a dynamic phenomenon. Yet, much of the Swedish food we place on our celebratory tables is what our grandparents brought with them from a time long past. Certainly, the recipes, ingredients, and cooking techniques have evolved, yet the core of the dishes remains intact. The result is a unique regional Swedish American cuisine. Purchase Patrice's book, Jul: Swedish American Holiday Traditions at the ASI Museum Store or online at asimn.org. Text reproduced with permission from the Minnesota Historical Society Press.
Register for Virtual Food Programs Today Visit asimn.org to browse virtual demos, workshops, and classes.
What makes this food Swedish? It is dill, cream, or potatoes? Does it capture a time and place? Is it in the intention of those who bake the rye bread or roll tiny meatballs scented with allspice? POSTEN
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Northern Nature Photography by Erika Skogg November 13, 2021 January 9, 2022
Images radiating the warmth of tradition balance the winter chill as part of Wisconsinbased National Geographic Explorer Erika Skogg’s photography series, Northern Nature, on view at ASI this holiday season. Taken during visits to homes and communities across the Upper Midwest, Erika’s joy-filled and thoughtful photographs preserve and uplift Nordic-American culture and are the perfect complement to ASI’s holiday exhibition, From Our House to Yours. Learn more about Northern Nature online at asimn.org. American Swedish Institute: You describe yourself as a “direct descendant of an ancient clan of Norwegian Vikings.” What are the traditions that you have preserved or adapted as part of your life today? Erika Skogg: I wrote that bit about being a Viking descendent to be melodramatic,
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but the part that follows: ‘a propensity towards exploration and resilience to freezing temperatures' are all traits that encourage her adventurous nature is true. I grew up camping and skiing through our State Parks and took most of my summer baths in the Great Lakes (still do). The friluftsliv Nordic concept of spending time outside no matter what the weather has become an integral practice in my life and work. Many photographs I took were during some of the coldest winters on recent record. The families happily hiked through chest deep snow and proudly tended to their sheep and fjord horses during polar vortex temperatures so they could introduce me to their worlds. The only time I finally put my camera away was when it was too cold for my batteries to function, or when I was invited into the sauna for some "cultural immersion." I did not grow up with many of the Scandinavian traditions, so this project became a personal, cultural and educational journey for me.
ASI: Has the process of photographing Scandinavian celebrations made you more interested in finding out about your own family’s genealogy? ES: Midsommar and Lucia are both such beautiful homages to our perpetual ties with Sweden and Scandinavia; by photographing them I’m hopeful it will contextualize our ties to our immigrant past and foster the necessary respect and understanding of today’s immigration. The numerous Nordic celebrations and parades I photographed made me question why we don’t get out there and attend each other’s cultural celebrations more often. We would probably learn a bit more about each other and most likely try some new food … sort of like traveling abroad, right? ASI: You have worked with National Geographic in such diverse places as Morocco, Cuba, Tanzania to Ecuador. What have you discovered in your travels? ES: My original attraction was to explore places rich with history, stories and culture. It never occurred to me that I would realize that the Midwest had its own unique subculture worthy of a photography project. I applied for one of the National Geographic Society’s Storytelling Grants with the idea to start documenting our Scandinavian and Nordic-American communities in the Upper Midwest and have been working on this project since 2018. The incredible Scandinavian culture was too close for me to see it — so it took leaving home to realize it. A common thread while traveling is how much the images are enjoyed. You don’t need to know the language or specific words to turn the camera around and let people look through the digital photographs; everything is translated by the expressions lit up by the screen. ASI: You’ve worked with Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and other groups and organizations.
Join Erika Skogg at these ASI Events Virtual Artist Talk Thursday, November 18, 1 – 2 p.m. Photography Lecture & Workshop Saturday, November 27, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Learn more and register at asimn.org.
Do you think “Scandinavian Americans” are becoming more similar over time? ES: Each culture wants autonomy, but at the same time is happy to share the Nordic stage. I attended a winter parade in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with Vikings, Santa Lucia and a Finnish reindeer herder all attending. But I also learned that the Finns don’t like to be grouped into the "Scandinavian" label as they don’t speak a Scandinavian language. So I began substituting "Nordic" to cover my bases. The most distinctive trait among ScandinavianAmericans is that we have created our very own culture separate from the motherland. Wool outfits have shifted to cotton to endure hot U.S. summers and family recipes have evolved to incorporate local ingredients. It feels less about getting it exactly right, and more about how we can continue to celebrate and make sure the next generation is excited about their culture and history. POSTEN
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Memorials & Tributes
Richard “Dick” Dahlquist Bruce Karstadt Michelle Madeline Dalquist Bruce Karstadt Dorothy Staugaard Dalquist Bruce Karstadt
IN MEMORY OF
Anthony (Tony) Almén Marilyn Almén Louise Anderson Peggy Korsmo-Kennon and Michael Kennon
Dorothy “Dot” Delegard Kirsten Delegard and James Shiffer Mary (Molly) Flowers Mary Swenson Paul and Ruth Tillquist Margareta Eide Margit Schott
Roger and Audrey Anderson Jean E. Anderson and Tony Lawrence
Irma Ekstrom Clarice Hibbard Diane Nelson
Margrét Kristjánsdóttir Arnar Rannveig Arnar Hommema
Pauline “Polly” Erickson Roland Erickson
Betty Jean Benson Orion L. Benson and Eloise Graham
Lars Fällström, Sweden David and Sheryl Johnson
Bob and Irene Benson Elsie Boquist Roger Berglund Terri Berglund Dr. William Charles “Bill” Beyer Matthew Dion Jeanne Bjornberg Michael Bjornberg and Ann Haugejorde Marilyn Lundberg Boyce Becca Lundberg My Father, Harris V. Brandt Gaylon Brandt Carmen Hope Brunner Donald Wahlberg Lorene Bursch Beverly Bursch Margareta Crabo Sonja and Bjoern Ahlgren Douglas and Linda Foster Ewa and Anders Rydåker Kathryn Loseth and Paul Pederson Jeannette Cummings Betty Aldrich
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Marjorie Green Hammel, Green and Abrahamson (HGA) Jerome and Elaine Green Shelley Green Chris Johnson Jill Kaczke Muriel Lundell and Joy Felix Holly and Gary Martini Leslie Volbert Bo Hedlund John and Lani Bennett Jane and Michael Brodie Paul and Susan Dragsten Grandparents Margreta and Johan Dennis and Sandra Nelson Roy Ragnar Johnson James and Donna Blomquist Charles and Lucille Grosch Jean Hammond Sheryl Lindholm Nancy Youngdahl Karin Maria Hellzen Hakanson Rolf and Lisa Bjornson Barbara Burleigh
Lars and Ingrid Graff Donna Meier Wayne Schmidt Oscar Melvin Hokanson Marie Cone William C Holt Jr and Joyce Schlander Holt Thomas and Candyce Hals Märta Johansson Dan and Corinne Engstrand Todd Richter Betty Johnson Scandinavian Friends Josephine P. Johnson Carol Brandenburg Roger Johnson Carol, William, Jacob, and Max Stauffer Kathryn (Kitty) Johnson Marilyn Johnson Wayne “Barney” Johnson Charlotte Erickson Bruce Karstadt Lisa Paulson Jeanne Koeppl Jeff and Sue Anderson Ralph and Diana Ledin Eva Lancello Sandy Flynn Carolyn and John Forney Eivor Lund Cheryl Ranck Margit Schott Jan Tserchne Karin L. Larson Peggy Korsmo-Kennon and Michael Kennon Marlys R. Larson Kenneth Larson Bernard W. Lindgren Carol Lindgren Jacobs and William Jacobs Richard T. Lindgren Lois Lindgren Robert “Bobby” Lindholm Robert and Susan Brinkhaus Michael and Jean Lindholm
Roy N. Magnuson Jorene Magnuson Robert Marsyla George and JoAnn Swanson Anna-Mari N. Martz Ulla H. and Erik Martz Conrad Nelson Muriel Johnson Lowell B. Nelson Mary Jo Nelson and Michael Naas Margaret Stensköld Nelson Laurie Jacobi and Cotty Lowry Bruce Karstadt Ewa and Anders Rydåker Margaret and Bert Nelson Peggy Korsmo-Kennon and Michael Kennon Marie Markley (Tei-Tei) Glen and Betty Lindberg Joy Olson Scandinavian Friends Gerald Peterson Susan Peterson Rodney Rappe Louise Rappe Bernard Reisberg Joanne Reisberg Joyce Rudquist and Mary Kay Rudquist Barbara Rudquist and Barry Schreiber Axel Åke Rydeen Carl Boberg LaVonne Sauter Marlys Gillund Lynn Berit Schreyer Elizabeth Smith William “Bill” Sjolund Gordon and Renae Dierauer Corrine and Dan Engstrand Karen Gabrielson Margo Greuel Nancy Horberg Kent and Birgit Johnson Muriel Johnson Sherry and Grace Kleinsasser David and Sandra Macpherson
Steve and Jo Meyer Marilyn Nelson Louis Ehasz and Elizabeth Newberry Debbie Nielsen Jeanne Nordby and Family Faye Olson Diane and Rick Peck Richard and Judy Sandeen Gerald Shoultz The John and Norma Westman Family Jeff and Gloria Whessel Melvin Skoglund Michelle Halverson Corinne Strand Ewa and Anders Rydåker Andrew Stenbro Margaret and Thomas Vinson Swan and Matilda Strand Dolores Jacobson John W. (Peterson) Vezina David G. Anderson Harlan Widholm Vicki Munson Duane Wiita Margaret Wiita Maria Winters Kathryn Symes Cheryl Zilka IN HONOR OF Erma Comstock’s 90th Birthday Christine and Charles Lane Herbert Johnson Judith Miller Christiana and Dave Stolpestad
Martha Manning Karen Bieschke Swedish Hospital Alumnae Association Bruce Karstadt Thomas Nelson Esq. Allen and Linda Saeks Rebecca Ramgren Judy Ramgren Russell Susag on his 90th Birthday Katie Bauer Anne Susag Amy Susag Maynard Ross Sutter Barbara and Van Anderson Jeanine Westling Joan and Ted Brinkman If you would like to make a gift in honor or memory of a loved one or special occasion, you can always visit ASImn.org/support or contact Eleanor Beaird, Member and Donor Services, at eleanorb@ asimn.org or (612) 870-3349 or mail Attn: ASI Development Office, American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55407. Gifts Received April 30 – October 5, 2021
Duluth Swedes and a Friendship that lasted 90+ Years Adelaide Cline Family Dennis Erickson In Honor of Ann-Charlotte Harvey and In Memory of Maury Bernstein: “Memories of Snoose Boulevard” Gib and Judy Krohn Carleton Molin Rebecca Alamat Massey
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Nordic Happenings Lilla Spelmanslag The Lilla lag is a youth fiddle/cello folk music group of young musicians ages 8 to 18. We learn traditional Swedish folk music. In 2022 we will travel to Sweden to connect with three young folk music groups in three different parts of Sweden and attend a folk music festival and fiddle camp. We are doing outdoor rehearsals until further notice. New members are welcome. Visit our website for more information: www.asispelmanslag.org. Contact music director Ingela Haaland with questions at: ingela_eilert@yahoo.com. Swedish Genealogical Society of Minnesota There will be a virtual presentation by Jan Carlson on January 15 at 10 a.m.: “How to Travel Trouble-free and Absorb Your History.” Check our website, www.sgsmn.org for program and registration details. For research and translation help contact us at sgsm1983@gmail.com. Västergötland Society Välkommen! The Västergötland Society will meet Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. for their Annual Harvest Potluck and Elections, to be held in Paulson Hall. Please call Gordon Anderson with any questions at 763-788-8532. Tack så mycket! The Västergötland Society does not meet in December 2021 or January 2022. Vasa Junior Folk Dancers Meet the second and frouth Saturdays from 10-11:30 a.m. The Vasa Junior Folk Dancers meet in the downstairs classroom. Boys and girls from 3 to 18 are welcome to join. Contact Carolyn Spargo at carolynspargo@gmail.com. The Twin Cities Nyckelharpalag For information about reharsals and events, contact inquiries@tcnyckelharpalag.org or Cheryl Paschke at 612-670-6356.
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The American Swedish Institute
Clubs & Performing Groups Scandinavian Friends Scandinavian Friends will meet for lunch at noon on November 8 and December 13 in Larson Hall at the American Swedish Institute. We will not meet in January. Call or email Muriel Johnson at 952-831-4180 or murjo3663@gmail.com for further information. SWEA International in Minnesota Our Julfest/Christmas Party is back! Join us on December 4 at Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church. There are more winter get-togethers and our interest groups — book, film, gourmet, outdoor, downtown, mother and child — offer a variety of activities. For more information contact sweaminnesota@gmail. com or visit our website at minnesota.swea.org ASI Male Chorus New members welcome. Contact Chuck Upcraft at 612-371-3731 or email Ted Johnson at tdreamintl@mindspring.com. More information can be found at asimalechorus.org. ASI Male Chorus Circle of Friends This group supports the ASI Male Chorus through promotion and fundraising. To volunteer or contribute contact us at asimccf@gmail.com The Cloudberries ASI Women’s Choir Check us out on Facebook at “ASI Cloudberries”. ASI Spelmanslag The ASI Spelmanslag will be continuing to make plans for holiday practices and events. For more information, please see our website asispelmanslag. org or call Suzanne Walters at 651-633-1607. Svea Club Svea Club will have a Christmas Potluck in the Kaffestuga at 12 noon on Wednesday, December 8. Contact Margareta Beyer at 651-644-5116.
Kaffestuga Friends Kaffestuga Friends meet for conversation, coffee, and treats in the Stuga at 1 p.m. on the last Wednesday of each month (except November and December). Our net meeting will be on January 26. Questions? Contact Margareta Beyer at 651-644-5116. All ASI Members are welcome! Swedish Cultural Society of Duluth The Swedish Cultural Society of Duluth will meet November 21, 2021 at 2:30PM at First Covenant Church, Duluth, for singing, a program and fika. Our Lucia Celebration will take place on December 11, 2021 at the Duluth Holiday Ballroom. Tickets must be purchased in advance. There will be no meeting in January. For more information, please contact Jenn Conboy at 218-623-2262 or jenniferconboy@hotmail.com.
The Swedish Cultural Heritage Society of the Red River Valley The Swedish Cultural Heritage Society of the Red River Valley in Fargo, North Dakota, is hosting our Santa Lucia Celebration on Saturday, December 11 at 10 a.m. at Bethesda Lutheran Church: 401 40th Ave S Moorhead, MN. The event will be followed by a potluck brunch. Open to the public. Family-friendly.
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Sweden & Swedish News from ASI and abroad
ABBA Thrills Fans with New Songs and “Abbatars” Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, better known as ABBA, have just released their first new music since 1982 and landed a top 10 UK single. The Swedish supergroup, now all in their 70s and lauded for such pop classics as “Dancing Queen” and “Take a Chance on Me,” garnered more than 400 million album sales over 50 years. They also announced a new album and the launch of a new theatrical show called “ABBA Voyage,” in which they will perform as digital avatars — or “Abbatars” — using sophisticated hologram technology alongside live performers. A website called abbavoyage. com promises a “historic livestream.”
Work with us!
ASI is hiring for a number of full-time, part-time, and seasonal positions. Visit asimn.org to learn more.
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The American Swedish Institute
Coming soon! Paper Dialogues The Dragon and Our Stories Opens February 19, 2022 In this world-traveling exhibition, papercut artists Karen Bit Vejle (Norway) and Xiaoguang Qiao (China) explore a motif common in both Nordic and Chinese art — the dragon. Joined by Jersey artists Layla May Arthur and Emma Reid, the artists explore the intersections between their cultures and traditions through pieces that include intricate papercut dragon eggs, a papercut dragon that stretches more than 30 feet, and many more. The exhibition comes to ASI this February presented by Fredrikson & Byron.
Vocabulary julgran :: Christmas tree vantar :: mittens friluftsliv :: open-air living Gott nytt år :: Happy New Year For pronunciation, visit The People’s Dictionary: folkets-lexikon.csc.kth.se/folkets/folkets. en.html
ASI Museum Store Jul Shop opens November 11, 2021 – January 9, 2022 Shop in-person or online at asimn.org. New from Åsas Tomtebod: Hand-felted Wool Tomtar Made in Gislaved, Sweden from all natural materials, including the curly grey wool of Gotland sheep, Åsas Tomtebod’s hand-felted wool tomtar are a holiday favorite! New this year are Alfred, Gustav and Hilma (pictured left to right). Alfred: $29 / Gustav: $49 / Hilma: $64
Oiva Toikka Glass Apple Ornaments Ring in the holidays with Iittala’s Oiva Toikka handmade glass apple ornaments. These 3-piece ornament sets are inspired by the Finnish Christmas tradition of decorating with apples. Available in green, yellow, clear or red. $49/set of 3
Klippan Yllefabrik Cashmere and Merino Wool Scarves Klippan Yllefabrik products are known worldwide for their ability to combine modern Scandinavian design with high-quality, traditional craftsmanship. These new winter scarves are made from a blend of cashmere and merino wool and are the perfect way to cozy up for the cold months ahead. Pictured are ‘Storm’ (dark gray) and ‘Tippy’ (blue). $115
Member Appreciation Weekend!
From November 11 – 14, in-store only, ASI members get special discounts. Find out more at asimn.org
Merino Wool Blankets from Öjbro Vantfabrik Drawing from the rich traditions of folk art, the textile patterns of Swedish designers Åse and Ted Öjbro speak to the rustic charms of Nordic life and history. Their newest, generously-sized blankets are woven from 100% merino wool and are perfect for keeping cozy on long winter nights. Available in the Dalarna (pictured, top), Ekshärad Sot (pictured, bottom), Ekshärad Röd and Futhark Thorbjörg designs. 52” X 87”. $150
Your purchases support the education, programming and exhibitions of the American Swedish Institute.
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Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit No 290 2600 Park Avenue Minneapolis MN 55407 (612) 871-4907 asimn.org Return Service Requested
From Our House to Yours November 13, 2021 January 9, 2022
Extended Holiday Hours Starting December 1, we're adding Wednesdays, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., including the Museum Store and FIKA.
Mansion & Galleries Thursday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Hours
ASI Museum Store Thursday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. FIKA Café Thursday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Photo by Erika Skogg
To Book Your Private Event (612) 524-5105 | events@asimn.org Become an ASI Member (612) 870-3349 | eleanorb@asimn.org Contact ASI Phone: (612) 871-4907 info@asimn.org asimn.org
Full menu served — (11 a.m.–3 p.m.)
© 2021 American Swedish Institute
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Museum Admission $12 adults; $8 seniors (62+); $6 ages 6–18 and students with ID; FREE for children Advance under 6 and ASI members. admission required