I taught my eighth Frida Hansen transparent tapestry workshop at the Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo, Norway, this weekend, my first workshop outside the U.S. It had a surprising start when my public lecture at the museum became an official royal event. Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess Mette-Marit is a great supporter of weaving in Norway, and she wanted to hear my talk! She celebrated her 50th birthday last year by gathering weavers from all over the country for a weaving symposium. (Read her opening remarks in the Norwegian Textile Letter.)
This film segment gives a good idea of what it was like when the Crown Princess arrived at the museum. If you listen carefully, you can see that she asks me right away about our Scandinavian Weavers Study Group at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota.
When the Crown Princess stepped out of the car, I was lined up with Folkemuseum Curator Bjørn Sverre Hol Haugen, the Folkemuseum Director Nina Refseth, and the mayor of Oslo, Anne Lindboe, for handshake greetings. She stopped briefly to talk to the 13 (!) photographers and then entered the building. Of course the press was not interested in a weaving lecture, even if it was about Frida Hansen; they wanted to know more about the Crown Princess’s upcoming rehabilitation for her lung condition and whether she had watched the Netflix special on Märtha Louise of Norway and Shaman Durek Verrett, “Royal Rebels.” (She had not.)
All the attendees were instructed to arrive 15 minutes early for a lynkurs (lightening course) on royal etiquette. The doors would be CLOSED at that time, they were warned. No photos were allowed. “I couldn’t even take a photo of YOU,” a friend said. This photo was taken by the museum photographer.
And some illustrious audience members were right in front…
We followed Crown Princess Mette-Marit into the lecture hall. Bjørn Sverre Hol Haugen gave a lovely welcome and introduction as I struggled to hook the skinny, wiry headset over my ears.
Even though I had TESTED my laptop connection and it had not moved from the podium, it didn’t connect with the projector when I came up to speak. What?!! I muddled for a minute before my friend Ole Herman Ambur stepped up to the podium and saved the day, technologically. As he worked I stepped in front of the podium and began talking about one of my favorite Frida Hansen topics, the American story of the rediscovery of Frida Hansen’s Southward tapestry.
Then the presentation came up, but without my notes. So I spoke from memory and it went fine. A woman who had also been at my first presentation in Bergen told me afterwards, “I think it was even better than the last time!”
As an official event, strict time parameters had been arranged. Following the lecture, after flowers were given and it seemed like events were moving towards an exit, Mette Marit said, “Oh, do we have to leave?” She was still very interested. She stood to look at my weavings on the front table, and the audience stood too, as protocol dictates. She began to ask me questions, suddenly remembered all the other folks, turned to the audience, and told them to please sit if they like.
The Crown Princess has followed the activities of our Scandinavian Weavers Study Group, and has read the Norwegian Textile Letter, for many years. She asked about how our Scandinavian group operates in Minnesota. She said that our study group has done a good job of documenting our activities — and we have.
Then when we walked out, we stopped in the entry room, and she asked even more questions. I was aware that the 73 guests in the room behind us were not able to leave until the Crown Princess drove away. It was pretty amazing, all in all. Here are some shots of the building and the room.
This is the official photo I will frame for my desk.
I’ll write more soon about the workshop that began one hour after the lecture. It met from 6-9. I was tired that night!
During the first whole day on Saturday we took a break to see the Frida Hansen transparencies in the Norsk Folkemuseum collection, both those on display in the galleries and a favorite one of mine that Bjørn Sverre Hol Haugen took out of storage for us to investigate close up. I am teaching the workshop in Milwaukee in November and I’m feeling a bit apologetic — I’m sorry I can’t offer a royal visit and actual tapestries by Frida Hansen in Wisconsin!