The Valley Grove tapestries arrived at my house last week, in their new custom box.
There was plenty of space to add materials for the upcoming show at the Nordic Center in Duluth, “Robbie LaFleur’s Tapestries: The Landscape and Community of Valley Grove Church.” In addition to the four Valley Grove tapestries, the sketches/collages and working cartoons for the tapestries will be on display, and a few messy woven samples. Other tapestries feature my family, including Great-grandfather August Wurden, Great-great uncle Frederick Wurden, and my daughter as a medieval queen on a horse. My Great-grandmother Gunvalda feeds chickens in one tapestry, and wears a hat in another portrait.
I added many copies of a booklet I wrote for Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum to the box, “What is Norwegian Weaving?” There will also be a Valley Grove Tapestry coloring book (!), designed by local artist Alison Aune.
The gallery hoped to have pieces for sale, so I framed the more beautiful Valley Grove samples and prepared custom bags for them.
One other large non-tapestry piece will be on display and for sale, featuring a red star in rya.
I can’t wait to see how everything will be displayed in the downtown Duluth gallery. The opening is this coming Friday, September 30, from 5-7. I will give a gallery talk on Saturday, October 1, at 2 pm. Tell your Duluth friends!
