Members of our Scandinavian Weavers Study Group considered our exhibit at Norway House as thirty years in the making, decades of study, collaboration and friendship. Vibrant Tradition: Scandinavian Weaving in the Midwest ran from January 31-April 19, 2025.
I visited one last time during the final week. It will be a while before our group has such a comprehensive exhibit again. It reached many weaving fans, and made many new fans. Among the many admiring comments in the guest book, my favorite was one by Thomas, probably a younger attendee:
I love Lila Nelson’s Terrorist Cat too, Thomas, and luckily I own it. He has returned to my living room wall this week.
People came from far away to see the exhibit. One guest from Park Ridge, Illinois, wrote, “Came up for the exhibit–definitely worth it–excellent job.” When I was at Norway House for a gallery talk, Max Stephenson said people had come from Philadelphia, Chicago, and two from Canada. “My friends are boycotting the U.S.,” the Canadian told him, “But we figure Minnesota is different.”
This exhibit was meaningful to me personally. My pieces included Nest (Golden-Winged Warblers are Happy in their Minnesota Habitat), the largest piece I have made in Frida Hansen’s transparent technique (until my eagle comes off the loom very soon). My friend Margit Johnson and her husband saw the exhibit, and he commented that there isn’t an actual nest in the image. He’s right! I hadn’t even thought about that; I was just thinking about the habitat in which they make their nests. I wonder how many other people have noticed the “no actual nest” aspect.
My other piece was Margaret, the Medieval Queen. Perhaps you can find the cell phone and the surveillance camera in this updated historical tapestry image?
Outside the exhibit is another favorite weaving of mine, part of the permanent Norway House collection: Edvard Munch’s Scream painting, much larger and in rya.
The exhibit is also meaningful because I remember exactly when my friends were weaving them. Mary Skoy wove a long danskebrogd weaving for a relative. I probably won’t see it again, so I spent time looking at the various beautiful pattern bands.
Two pieces were special because they were woven in workshops I taught. Kelly Marshall (rock star weaver) took my billedvev (Norwegian tapestry) workshop and wove her personal version of a historical tapestry in honor of Lila Nelson.
Mary Erickson wove beautiful poppies in my workshop on the Frida Hansen transparent tapestry technique.
Finally, I took time to appreciate some special details during my last visit.
Goodbye Vibrant Tradition: Scandinavian Weaving in the Midwest!
