Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum (Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum)
Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa is the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, with over 33,000 artifacts, 12 historic buildings, and a library and archives. This treasure showcases one of the most extensive collection of Norwegian-American artifacts in the world and highlights the best in historic and contemporary Norwegian folk and fine arts. Some of its buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Vesterheim’s exhibitions explore the diversity of American immigration through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience, and its classes welcome students to participate in the continual evolution of traditional folk art as it meets new influences. Vesterheim also offers educational events, publications, and lectures related to its mission.
Vesterheim Museum was founded in 1877 as the Norwegian-American Historic Museum. It began as a part of nearby Luther College. In 1965, the Norwegian-American Museum became an independent non-profit museum with its own staff and board of directors. Soon after, it was referred to as Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. In 1969, Luther loaned the artifacts owned by Luther to the museum. In 1991, the museum acquired legal title to that collection and the museum’s name was officially changed to “Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum.” Vesterheim means “western home” in Norwegian.
The museum's main building is the historic Arlington Hotel/Publishing House. Luther College purchased the abandoned building in 1932 and moved the museum collection to that site in 1933. Luther sold the building to Vesterheim for $1.00 in 1969. In 1973, the museum purchased land on Mill Street behind the main building for the future Heritage Park (initially called the Open Air Division).
The museum's first curator (from 1895 to 1902) was Haldor Hanson, Luther’s professor of music. He changed the focus of the museum to an institution dedicated to the everyday life of a Norwegian-American by combining artifacts already acquired by Luther and adding more. Curator from 1911 to 1921, Christian Keyser Preus brought the idea of an “Open Air Division” back to Luther College in 1913 after seeing a collection of buildings at a museum called Maihaugen in Lillehammer, Norway. Four buildings were moved to the Luther College campus between 1921 and 1930. It would become the first of its kind in the United States.
Knut Gjerstet was curator from 1922 to 1935. Under his direction, the museum’s artifacts increased along with its recognition. In honor of the 1925 centennial of Norwegian immigration, museums in Norway made large donations of artifacts to the museum in Decorah. Maihaugen’s curator, Anders Sandvig, was in charge of collecting and shipping the gifts that would fill five semi-tractor trailers when they reached the United States. When the artifacts were on the way, Anders wrote to Knut telling of their journey, "May these objects work so that the Norwegian-ness in you will not die too soon and the connection with the homeland will because of this be tighter. Receive this gift as proof that we follow you all in our hearts even though the big Atlantic Ocean parts us." In 1930, Gjerstet bought 6,000 Norwegian-American artifacts known as the P. D. Peterson Collection from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and the museums in Norway made another large gift in 1939.
Vesterhem's Folk Art School began in 1967 with two classes - Hardanger embroidery, taught by Carola Schmidt of Decorah, and rosemaling, taught by Sigmund Aarseth from Norway. The folk-art education program grew in 1968 to five classes with 63 students from 12 states, and now offers over 100 classes each year in fiber arts, painting, woodworking, metal working, food traditions, language, and more, both onsite and online. "The National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition" and Gold Medalist program also were born in 1967. This annual exhibition is a collection of art work entered by contemporary artists from all over the country who compete for ribbons in five categories - rosemaling, weaving, woodcarving, knifemaking, and metalworking, and earn points toward a Vesterheim Gold Medal.
Vesterheim’s exhibitions explore the diversity of American immigration through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience, and its classes welcome students to participate in the continual evolution of traditional folk art as it meets new influences. Vesterheim also offers educational events, publications, and lectures related to its mission.
Vesterheim Museum was founded in 1877 as the Norwegian-American Historic Museum. It began as a part of nearby Luther College. In 1965, the Norwegian-American Museum became an independent non-profit museum with its own staff and board of directors. Soon after, it was referred to as Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. In 1969, Luther loaned the artifacts owned by Luther to the museum. In 1991, the museum acquired legal title to that collection and the museum’s name was officially changed to “Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum.” Vesterheim means “western home” in Norwegian.
The museum's main building is the historic Arlington Hotel/Publishing House. Luther College purchased the abandoned building in 1932 and moved the museum collection to that site in 1933. Luther sold the building to Vesterheim for $1.00 in 1969. In 1973, the museum purchased land on Mill Street behind the main building for the future Heritage Park (initially called the Open Air Division).
The museum's first curator (from 1895 to 1902) was Haldor Hanson, Luther’s professor of music. He changed the focus of the museum to an institution dedicated to the everyday life of a Norwegian-American by combining artifacts already acquired by Luther and adding more. Curator from 1911 to 1921, Christian Keyser Preus brought the idea of an “Open Air Division” back to Luther College in 1913 after seeing a collection of buildings at a museum called Maihaugen in Lillehammer, Norway. Four buildings were moved to the Luther College campus between 1921 and 1930. It would become the first of its kind in the United States.
Knut Gjerstet was curator from 1922 to 1935. Under his direction, the museum’s artifacts increased along with its recognition. In honor of the 1925 centennial of Norwegian immigration, museums in Norway made large donations of artifacts to the museum in Decorah. Maihaugen’s curator, Anders Sandvig, was in charge of collecting and shipping the gifts that would fill five semi-tractor trailers when they reached the United States. When the artifacts were on the way, Anders wrote to Knut telling of their journey, "May these objects work so that the Norwegian-ness in you will not die too soon and the connection with the homeland will because of this be tighter. Receive this gift as proof that we follow you all in our hearts even though the big Atlantic Ocean parts us." In 1930, Gjerstet bought 6,000 Norwegian-American artifacts known as the P. D. Peterson Collection from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and the museums in Norway made another large gift in 1939.
Vesterhem's Folk Art School began in 1967 with two classes - Hardanger embroidery, taught by Carola Schmidt of Decorah, and rosemaling, taught by Sigmund Aarseth from Norway. The folk-art education program grew in 1968 to five classes with 63 students from 12 states, and now offers over 100 classes each year in fiber arts, painting, woodworking, metal working, food traditions, language, and more, both onsite and online. "The National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition" and Gold Medalist program also were born in 1967. This annual exhibition is a collection of art work entered by contemporary artists from all over the country who compete for ribbons in five categories - rosemaling, weaving, woodcarving, knifemaking, and metalworking, and earn points toward a Vesterheim Gold Medal.
Map - Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum (Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum)
Map
Country - United_States
 |
 |
| Flag of the United States | |
Indigenous peoples have inhabited the Americas for thousands of years. Beginning in 1607, British colonization led to the establishment of the Thirteen Colonies in what is now the Eastern United States. They quarreled with the British Crown over taxation and political representation, leading to the American Revolution and proceeding Revolutionary War. The United States declared independence on July 4, 1776, becoming the first nation-state founded on Enlightenment principles of unalienable natural rights, consent of the governed, and liberal democracy. The country began expanding across North America, spanning the continent by 1848. Sectional division surrounding slavery in the Southern United States led to the secession of the Confederate States of America, which fought the remaining states of the Union during the American Civil War (1861–1865). With the Union's victory and preservation, slavery was abolished nationally by the Thirteenth Amendment.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD | United States dollar | $ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| EN | English language |
| FR | French language |
| ES | Spanish language |