The Future Nordic Heritage Museum: A Vision for the Future

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

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THE NORDIC HERITAGE MUSEUM is making great progress toward our goal of building a new, world-class museum dedicated to the exploration of the past, present, and future of what it means to be Nordic. ď ° Above is a conceptual view of the new Nordic Heritage Museum as guests enter. Features include, from the left: the admissions desk; the Museum gift shop that opens both to the lobby and outward onto bustling Market Street; an orientation area for school groups; the light-filled hall opens out to a sun terrace and the Ballard working waterfront; the entrance to a spacious auditorium.

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

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We are confident that our exceptional team of scholars, architects, and exhibition designers has drafted a plan that reflects our vision of an internationally recognized museum and cultural center. People of all backgrounds will be inspired by the values, traditions, art, and spirit of the Nordic peoples.

Currently, we are examining the conceptual design to ensure that our plans meet our audiences’ needs and are relevant to the communities that we serve.

The campaign to fund this ambitious project has achieved significant success — we have now raised more than $26 million of the total project cost of $45 million. Fundraising will continue while we refine designs for the building and exhibitions. Efforts are guided by our strategic plan, which will ensure that we are prepared to operate the new facility in a sustainable manner.  Key stakeholders meet with architects from Mithun to discuss plans for the new museum.

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

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Support and collaboration are elemental to the project — from partnerships with innovative technological and design firms in the Nordic countries, to exhibition and scholarship exchange. We have a vision for a 53,000-sq.-ft. (4,924-sq.meter) purpose-built cultural center that reflects Nordic sensibility in every aspect of its design, programming, and operations. With your support, we will fulfill our mission to share the best of Nordic culture with tens of thousands of visitors from across the United States and around the world. ď ° A view from inside the current Dream of America exhibition, which will receive updates and new treatments in the new Nordic Heritage Museum.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

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THE NORDIC HERITAGE MUSEUM was founded in 1979 to honor the legacy of thousands of Nordic immigrants who flocked to the Northwest at the turn of the 20th century.

This is the only museum in North America to represent the five Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The Museum annually attracts 55,000 visitors, including 6,000 school children. ď ľ The entrance to the existing Nordic Heritage Museum features two works

by Finnish-American sculptor Eino Romppanen.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

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The Museum’s successes result from the careful and creative use of a 1907 school building, which is leased from Seattle Public Schools. This facility, however, lacks the systems and infrastructure required to support a thriving and secure museum in the 21st century.

Challenges faced in the current Museum include: • Antiquated environmental controls, and outdated seismic, security, and electrical systems put our treasured artifacts and artwork at risk, and limit our ability to receive loans from partner institutions in the Nordic countries.

• The current building lacks facilities to host large performing groups and international film festivals.

• Limited classroom space prevents us from serving hundreds of children and adults who are interested in learning more about Nordic cultures.

• There is limited space in which to show our permanent collection.

• Our location in a quiet residential neighborhood lacks visibility and easy public access.

• The Museum’s annual rent has increased significantly from $20,000 in 2000 to more than $230,000 this year.

These factors have motivated the Museum’s leadership to seek a new home — one that is purpose built and speaks to design and sustainability concepts pioneered in Scandinavia.  Exhibition spaces such as these need enhanced environmental controls and security, which will open more doors for new exhibitions from abroad and provide better stewardship of the heritage objects entrusted to us.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

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The acquisition of property for the future Nordic Heritage Museum began in 2003 and was completed in late fall of 2009. The site is ideally located in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, the heart of the Northwest’s Nordic community since the 1880s. The new Museum will be centered in a burgeoning commercial district with one of Seattle’s mostvisited tourist destinations, the Ballard Locks, located just a few blocks away.

Conveniently located on the Burke-Gilman Trail and public transit routes, the new site will be accessible and visible.

The new Museum will be a vital addition to downtown Ballard tourism.  With a view of the working waterfront and located in the heart of Ballard, the new site will be accessible for even more visitors while staying true to its Northwest Nordic roots.

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The Museum has retained a talented and experienced team to assist with the design and construction of the new facility. Mithun, a Seattle-based architectural firm founded by the son of a Norwegian immigrant, is working with Juhani Pallasmaa, an internationally esteemed Finnish architect on the building design. Exhibition design firm Ralph Appelbaum Associates has a 30-year history in international museum planning. The firm’s notable projects include the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. ď ° Mithun architects at work including partner Richard Franko, second from left.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

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The Museum has committed to involving as many constituents as possible. Multiple focus group meetings were held with Trustees, volunteers, members, donors, community groups, scholars, and staff, seeking their input and ideas. This feedback was influential in crafting the building and exhibition concept designs.

We have taken an integrated approach to planning the new facility, designing spaces that respond directly to the programmatic directions that reflect the Museum’s mission and vision.  Programs and events are vital to the Museum and the community; featured above (clockwise) folk dancers and a children’s group perform at Yulefest; volunteers provide traditional Finnish foods at Viking Days; Danish aebleskiver is served at Yulefest.

HERITAGE, COMMUNITY, LEGACY

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ď ° Exterior rendering, entry courtyard. Stephanie Bower, Mithun.

HERITAGE, COMMUNITY, LEGACY

THE CONCEPT DESIGN for the new 10

Nordic Heritage Museum integrates the core exhibition with the architecture, embodying both sleek Nordic modernism and the sense of warm community in which the Museum has thrived.

Continuous glazing along a pedestrian stretch of Ballard’s busiest street provides glimpses of the activity inside the Museum’s central gathering place.

A procession of boats suspended down the breadth of the dramatic, two-story Fjord Hall evokes the journeys of Nordic people both ancient and modern.

Gallery space is devoted to the five Nordic countries, providing areas for guests to explore the national identities and distinctive characteristics of the cultures of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.  A conceptual rendering of Fjord Hall.

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From Fjord Hall, the visitor enters a 4,000 sq.-ft. (371 sq. meter) changing exhibition gallery with state-of-the-art environmental and security controls. Here, temporary exhibitions devoted to historical and contemporary Nordic and Nordic-American art, design, and culture complement the permanent exhibitions. With new climate control and security systems, we will be able to display treasures on loan from Nordic museums, which will enhance the Museum’s role as a facilitator of cultural exchange between the United States and the Nordic countries.

With a focus on serving the community as a cultural center, the new Museum has dedicated spaces for classrooms, an auditorium, craft rooms, and a demonstration kitchen. ď ° Features of the first floor and grounds include the Kaffestuga and Museum Store, which both open to the street; dedicated class and craft rooms; a 4,000 sq.-ft. changing exhibition gallery; the National Identity Galleries; a Sculpture Court; auditorium; and ample parking.

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On the second story, the core exhibition chronicles the parallel histories of Nordic communities in Europe and North America. Nordic sagas provide a powerful metaphor for the exhibition journey, encouraging us to reach back into the deep past as well as to explore more recent history, focusing on the goals and values of the Nordic communities.

The Museum’s stories will be modern sagas, crafted from the personal and communal histories of those who left the Nordic region and came to North America, those who stayed in the Nordic countries, and those who returned to their homeland.

A series of bridges spans Fjord Hall, providing an architectural metaphor for the immigration experience; letters and photographs displayed on the bridges illustrate personal stories and reveal aspects of individual triumphs and struggles — such as the difficulty of leaving home and hopes for a new future.  A conceptual view from the second floor of the new Museum, by Ralph Appelbaum Associates.

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“The Nordic Experience” provides a sweeping history of the Nordic region. As the journey continues into the 19th and early 20th centuries, connections are made to the Nordic American story. The exhibition chronicles the ways in which the Nordic countries are exemplars in the fields of environmental sustainability and social justice.

First person narratives will illustrate the push and pull of the immigrant experience. The stories also reveal NordicAmerican contributions to the fabric of American society and the ways in which character and values are carried from the homeland to a new life.  The flow of the exhibition leads visitors back and forth across Fjord Hall and through galleries that explore the significance of Nordic Heritage.

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The second floor also includes the Cultural Resource Center. In this research library and interactive forum, visitors can meet, share or record stories, and explore Nordic genealogical resources.

The third floor houses the Museum’s staff offices and the Board Room. The rooftop observatory is the setting for a broad range of day and evening programs and will be a place of reflection and inspiration. ď ° The second floor will include the core exhibit and provide a valuable research center for scholars, visitors, and community organizations.

HERITAGE, COMMUNITY, LEGACY

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ď ° A model of the exterior of the new Nordic Heritage Museum as seen from 28th Street on the west side of the property.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION

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AS WE LOOK TOWARD A NEW, PERMANENT HOME for the Nordic Heritage Museum, we seek collaboration with cultural organizations, agencies, and firms both in the United States and abroad.

The cost of the new Museum project is approximately $45 million, which includes land acquisition, site work, facility construction, exhibition design and installation, as well as other hard and soft costs. Our business plan ensures the long-term sustainability of operations in the expanded facility. Thanks to generous individual, foundation, and government support, we are well on our way to meeting our goal.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION The Museum is working with Nordic firms interested in showcasing technologies and products in our new facility. These partnerships will enhance the Museum’s ability to incorporate Nordic elements throughout the building and introduce North American audiences to innovative Nordic products.

Partnerships with museums and cultural centers in the Nordic countries are providing access to artifact and exhibitions loans; curatorial and artistic exchanges; research collaborations; and exchange of historical and genealogical resources.

To discuss these opportunities, please contact:

ď ° 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

We are exploring green solutions such as these for the new Museum Ground-source heat pump wells to reduce heating and cooling costs Solar shading at south and west elevations Photovoltaic panel option to generate electricity Green roof option for stormwater cleansing, carbon sequestration Rain garden at sidewalk to cleanse stormwater runoff Daylight at Fjord Exhibit Hall

ERIC NELSON Chief Executive Officer Nordic Heritage Museum 3014 NW 67th Street Seattle, WA 98117 USA 206.789.5707, extension 14 ericn@nordicmuseum.org

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BUDGET & TIMELINE

Project Budget & Timeline

19 TIMELINE

CONSTRUCTION AND EXHIBITIONS Construction — Sitework

$ 2,269,598

Date

Activity

Construction — Building

$17,526,377

June 2003 to October 2009

Site Secured

Exhibits

$ 4,000,000

December 2007

Selection of Architects

Construction and Exhibits

$23,795,975

June 2008

Selection of Exhibit Design Consultants

January 2011 to December 2013

Exhibit Design Process

April 2012

Finalized Building Design Concept

March 2013 to June 2014

Detailed Design and Master Use Permit Process

July 2014

Secure Guaranteed Maximum Price

OTHER COSTS Fundraising/Administrative Costs

$ 4,415,000

Furnishings

$

Land

$ 6,656,453

Moving

$

Soft Costs (fixed & variable)

$ 9,399,595

August 2014

Begin Demolition/Sitework

Other Costs

$ 20,846,048

October 2014

Start Building Construction

October 2015

Complete Building Construction

November 2015

Complete Exhibit Installation

December 2015

Nordic Heritage Museum Opens

GRAND TOTAL

325,000

50,000

$44,642,023

NAMING OPPORTUNITIES

Capital Campaign Donor Recognition Opportunities 21 CREATE YOUR LEGACY The new Museum will offer unprecedented opportunities to continue your family’s legacy with gifts ranging from $10,000 to $15 million. Every gift makes a difference as it will encompass the building a new facility. Giving to the Museum’s Capital Campaign is an investment for future generations and growing audiences who are engaged and interested in Nordic culture.

PERMANENT NAMING OPPORTUNITIES The opportunities listed below are available to visionary donors who make a pledge of $500,000 or more to the Capital Campaign. Exclusive naming rights will be given to donors who make generous contributions at the levels listed below.

$15,000,000

$10,000,000

Fjord Hall and Wall of Dreams

Core Exhibitions Galleries

The Fjord Hall and the Wall of Dreams form the iconic architectural and exhibition experience for the Museum. A procession of boats is suspended down the breadth of the Fjord Hall, while the Wall of Dreams displays costumes and personal treasures illustrating the continuity of traditions.

The heart of the new museum (11,000square-foot space) will feature the permanent exhibits including The Dream of America, The Dream of Scandinavia, and The Maritime Gallery.

NAMING OPPORTUNITIES

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DONORS ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO NAME AN AREA WITHIN THE CORE EXHIBITIONS BEGINNING WITH GIFTS AT $1,000,000:

$5,000,000

$3,000,000

Maritime Gallery

Dream of Scandinavia

Exhibits examine the ways in which Nordic maritime traditions have survived and evolved in a North American context, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. Sweeping views across Ballard’s working waterfront will enhance the interpretive experience of the Maritime Gallery.

This area will explore Nordic history, chronicling the development of the Nordic model, the ways in which the Nordic nations are exemplars for social democracy and environmentalism, and the emergence of Nordic design as a cultural distinction of worldwide renown.

$3,000,000

$1,000,000

Dream of America

National Galleries

(Secured by Scan|Design Foundation

by Inger & Jens Bruun)

These galleries will be devoted to the national identities and distinctive character of each of the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

The heart of the current Museum, this exhibit will further illustrate the immigrant experience and new lives in a new land.

A donor wall will also be placed within each of the named five National galleries for gifts of $50,000-$499,999.

NAMING OPPORTUNITIES

$5,000,000

$5,000,000

Changing Exhibitions Gallery

Auditorium

Home to exhibits on loan from both U.S. and Nordic museums, this 5,000-square-foot gallery will feature changing displays of art and objects.

(Secured by Allan Osberg and Family)

$3,000,000

This flexible community space will be available for concerts, lectures, programs, and other gatherings. At 3,750 square feet, the auditorium provides a significantly larger stage than the current Museum. Opening to the lobby, this space can accommodate 200+ people for a seated dinner or event.

Courtyard The Courtyard features landscape elements that evoke the Nordic natural environment, flags that represent the five Nordic nations, and iconic works of art by Nordic and Nordic American artists, commissioned to enhance the Museum’s architecture.

$3,000,000

$3,000,000 Rooftop Observatory Overlooking the waterfront, Ballard and the mountains in the distance, it will be a place for reflection. It will also hold a broad range of activities and programs by the Museum and the community.

Lobby Adjacent to the main Market Street entrance, the 2,800square-foot reception area will serve as a warm and inviting space for all museum visitors. It will be a hub of activity, linking the exhibits to the classrooms to the auditorium.

$2,000,000 Sun Terrace This large outdoor area will be the heart of community gatherings and Museum events, including the annual Viking Days festival. Nordic cooking, dance, and craft demonstrations will be featured here.

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NAMING OPPORTUNITIES

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$2,000,000

$2,000,000

Nordic Promenade

Cultural Resource Center

Set along a long a pedestrian stretch of Ballard’s Market Street, the promenade will feature continuous glazing at the street level, providing passersby with glimpses of the activity inside.

At 1,600 square feet, the Cultural Resource Center will house the Museum’s growing collection of books, music, and reference materials. The Cultural Resource Center is also an interactive forum, where visitors can explore questions of identity and cross-cultural global connections.

$1,000,000 Board Room This 500-square-foot room will be available for meetings and events hosted by the Museum and community groups.

$1,000,000 Kaffestuga (secured by Jane Isakson Lea)

This quintessential café will be a gathering place for area residents and visitors alike. Opening to Market Street where outdoor seating will be available, this social space will feature Nordic specialties, magazines, and newspapers.

$1,000,000 Kitchen (Secured by Floyd Jones)

This 1,000-square-foot commercial kitchen will be the hub of the Museum’s catering and café activities. It will also be used as a teaching kitchen for new classes.

$500,000 Collections Storage Space for storing the museum’s expanding collection will increase by 30% to 3,000 square feet in the new Museum.

Storage will feature much-needed state-of-the-art technology, including humidity and temperature controls.

NAMING OPPORTUNITIES

$500,000

$500,000

Collections Work Room

Museum Store

At 500 square feet, this space will support curatorial activities with work tables and computer stations.

Double the size of the current store, this new 800-square-foot space will open to Market Street and the Lobby, providing an attractive retail showplace for all things Nordic.

$500,000 Exhibitions Work Room At 500 square feet, this space will support exhibit activities, including mounting, matting, framing, and cleaning artwork and objects.

$500,000 Classroom 1 or Classroom 2 Two adjoining classrooms will serve as flexible multipurpose rooms with partitions and utility areas. They will be used together or separately depending on the needs of different Museum and community events.

$500,000 Craft Room Home to the Museum’s craft classes, this space will feature work tables and lockers to accommodate a variety of needs and uses.

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NAMING OPPORTUNITIES

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$499,000 – $250,000 $249,000 – $100,000 $ 50,000 – $ 99,000

GOLD SILVER PEWTER

$ 10,000 – $ 49,000

Site-Specific Donor Recognition

Capital Campaign Donor Wall

These unique giving options are available to the community who wishes to support the Capital Campaign with a pledge of $50,000 or more. The Museum will acknowledge donors on a plaque within dedicated areas such as the National Galleries, Sun Terrace and other select locations which the donor may choose. Donors will be listed by their giving levels.

The Museum will show their gratitude to all major donors to the capital campaign with a donor wall placed in the lobby near the admissions entrance. Donors who give a minimum gift of $10,000 will be recognized on this permanent Capital Campaign Donor Wall.

The Nordic Heritage Museum shares Nordic culture with people of all ages and backgrounds by exhibiting art and objects, preserving collections, providing educational and cultural experiences, and serving as a community gathering place.

www.nordicmuseum.org

Jan2013

NORDIC HERITAGE MUSEUM 3014 NW 67th Street, Seattle, WA 98117 206.789.5707