professional experience
Weaver, self-employed
May 2013-present
Weaving Instructor (ongoing)
“Norwegian Billedvev (Tapestry),” a four-day workshop given four times at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum and once at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota.
“Scandinavian Fringe Embellishments: Folk Art on the Edge(s),” a two-day workshop given at North House Folk School.
“Frida Hansen’s Transparency Technique,” a three-hour seminar at Convergence 2022 in Knoxville.
Publisher and Editor, Norwegian Textile Letter (ongoing)
The Norwegian Textile Letter (norwegiantextileletter.com) is a biannual digital publication for fans of Scandinavian contemporary and historical textiles, with more than 1500 online subscribers.
Education Coordinator, Weavers Guild of Minnesota 2014-2015
During a staff transition at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, I filled in as the Education Coordinator and managed the hiring process for the permanent Education and Outreach Coordinator.
Director, Minnesota Legislative Reference Library 2000-2013. My work as a reference librarian and then director of a special collection was a rich background for my ongoing textile research. Many of the works I weave are based on historical research for both content and design/technique.
exhibitions (participant)
2023. North Suburban Center for the Arts, Fridley, Minnesota. “Weaving the North.”
2022. (Solo exhibition) Nordic Center, Duluth, Minnesota. “Stories in Tapestries: The Landscape and Community of Valley Grove Church.” September 30-October 29, 2022.
2020. Norway House. Minneapolis, Minnesota. “The Baldishol: A Medieval Tapestry Inspires Contemporary Textiles.”
2018. Invited Show. Textile Center of Minnesota. “Artists in the Kitchen.”
2017. “Curator’s Pop-up Show.” Norway House. This show was in connection with the exhibit, “Traditional Norwegian Weaving: American Reboot.”
2015 (solo exhibition). “Edvard Munch (In Stitches).” American Swedish Institute. A series of woven and embroidered works in homage to Edvard Munch’s Skrik image.
In these venues, I’ve exhibited several times:
Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. “Annual Exhibition in Weaving in the Norwegian Tradition.” (Awarded Vesterheim’s Gold Medal for Excellence in Weaving, 2006; “Best of Show” twice; and “Peoples Choice” (twice)
Textile Center of Minnesota. “A Common Thread” member show.
exhibitions (curator)
Norway House. Minneapolis, Minnesota. 2020. “The Baldishol: A Medieval Tapestry Inspires Contemporary Textiles.”
Norway House. Minneapolis, Minnesota. 2017. “Traditional Norwegian Weaving: American Reboot.”
Textile Center of Minnesota. I curated several exhibitions of the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group.“Red,” 2016. “Everything Under the (Midnight) Sun: Scandinavian Weavings,” 2013. “Scandinavian Boundweave: Timeless Tradition,” 2010. “Symbols, Myths, and Fairy Tales,” 2008. “Trees,” 2006.
Weavers Guild of Minnesota. “A Passionate Pursuit: Scandinavian Weavings from the Collection of Carol Johnson,” 2018. 2016. “Historical Scandinavian Textiles,” 2016.“The Fruits of Rya Exploration,” 2015.
lectures and a video
“The Mystery of the Missing Swans and Maidens: A Frida Hansen Tapestry Tale.” Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, April 2023 (webinar).
“A Discussion of Innovation: Norwegian Tapestry Artist Frida Hansen.” Westfield (CT) Fiber Guild (zoom), March 2023; Denver Weavers Guild (zoom), January 2023; St. Louis Weavers Guild (zoom), February 2021; Norway House, Minneapolis, Minnesota, September 2019.
“The Woven Wise and Foolish Virgins: An Enduring Image.” (short video) August 2022.
“Valley Grove Project: Contemporary Norwegian Billedvev Tapestry Weaving.” Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. March 2022 (webinar).
“Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum Collections Connection: Billedvev (Norwegian Weaving).” June 2021 (zoom).
“Frida Hansen and her Transparent Tapestries.” St. Louis Weavers Guild, March 2021 (zoom).
“Textiles and Tea #8, guest artist interview. Handweavers Guild of America. February 2021 (zoom).
“From Kindness to Cutting Satire: Lila Nelson’s Tapestries Embraced the World and its Politics.” Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, September 2020 (webinar). Also for the Warped Weavers of Bel Air, MD, September 2020 (zoom) and for the Weavers Guild of Minnesota, December 2020 (zoom).
“An introduction to the Life and Work of Norwegian Tapestry Artist Frida Hansen – with some Connections to Scandinavian Weaving in the United States.” Den Gamle By [The Old City], Aarhus, Denmark, May 19, 2019.
“Scandinavian Tapestry Treasures.” Weavers Guild of Minnesota, May 2018.
“From Virgins to Spaceships: A Visual Voyage through Norwegian Tapestry.” Federation Weaving Conference, October 2016; Weavers Guild of Minnesota, January 2017; North House Folk School Northern Fibers Retreat, February 2018; Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum, September 2017; Sons of Norway, Mesa, AZ, January 2020; Telerana Textile Guild of Phoenix, January 2021 (zoom); Warped Weavers of Bel Air, MD, January 2021 (zoom); Livsreise, the Norwegian Heritage Center, Stoughton, WI, March 2021 (zoom).
“Norwegian Weaving: Textiles, Travel, and Tradition.” Midwest Weaving Conference. 1/2-day seminar. St. Paul, Minnesota, July 2015.
recent publications
“To the Point, with Textiles.” (A profile of three Norwegian artists who work with political themes). Vesterheim magazine, Vol. 19, No. 2, 2021.
“Look Back in Time, Look North: A Focus on Norwegian Tapestry,” Tapestry Weaver (Journal of the British Tapestry Association), March 2021.
“Art in a Time of Pandemic and Protest: A Minneapolis Exhibit Timeline,” Tapestry Weaver (Journal of the British Tapestry Group), Fall 2020.“
“Under Cover: Norwegian Coverlets and Customs.” Selvedge Magazine, the Nordic issue, Issue 96, September/October 2020.
What is Norwegian Weaving? A pamphlet written for Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, one of a series on major folk art types owned by the museum. March 2020.
“My Scream Series,” Journal for Weavers, Spinners, and Dyers, No. 255, Autumn 2015.
education
Master of Arts, University of Minnesota (Library Science), June 1984.
Certificate in Weaving, Valdres Husflidsskole, Fagernes, Norway, June 1977.
Bachelor of Arts, University of Minnesota (Scandinavian Studies), June 1976.
memberships
Weavers Guild of Minnesota. Convener, Scandinavian Weaving Study Group
Textile Center of Minnesota
Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
American Tapestry Alliance. Copy editor for the quarterly publication, Tapestry Topics (since 2014).