Museum Shop

Wit in Wood: Nordic Figure Carving
January 20–May 27, 2012

The distinctive figure carving of the Nordic countries has a captivating quality. Small wonder; generations of gifted whittlers carved not only for their own amusement, but also for others. Even by the mid-1800s carvers of little wooden men, women and horses marketed their works to supplement meager farm incomes to feed growing families.

The exhibition “Wit in Wood: Nordic Figure Carving” reveals the great mastery in these often understated, but clever, pieces, showcasing some of the masters represented in the American Swedish Institute’s extensive collection of woodcarvings, including Emil Janel, Axel Petersson (Döderhultarn), H.S. “Andy” Anderson, Herman Rosell, the Tryggs, and Urban Gunnarsson, with a special focus on Georg Brask.

The show is guest curated by America’s most accomplished Scandinavian-style figure carver, Harley Refsal, whose work will also be on display. Refsal, a professor emeritus of Scandinavian Folk Art at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, has for several years engaged in a collaborative art project called "Dalapalooza," inviting friends and fellow artisans to ornament his carved horses. More than 75 of these pieces will be on display at ASI as part of the exhibit.

The exhibit also includes a display of humorous works by carver Fred Cogelow of Willmar, Minn. Fifteen of the artist’s works are on display in the Mansion’s library, including a number of the mezzo and deep-relief works for which he is best known.

The exhibit is sponsored in part by Nordlys Foundation, Swedish Council of America, and members of ASI’s woodcarving classes.

Harley Refsal gave a talk on January 20, 2012, at the American Swedish Institute. The talk, "Following the Wood Chip Trail: From Nordic Forest to North America." marked the opening of the exhibit "Wit in Wood: Nordic Figure Carving.”

Pippi Longstocking: A Girl Made Out Of Words
February 11 – June 3, 2012

To many of us, Pippi Longstocking has come to be like a living person. Astrid Lindgren’s fantastic stories have been enjoyed by generations of families, and the films and songs give her even more dimension. All this began with a story. The exhibit, “Pippi Longstocking: A Girl Made Out of Words,” explores how great authorship blossoms forth into something that surpasses words on a page. In the exhibit, learn about Lindgren’s own childhood inspiration for her stories, and the characters who have followed in Pippi’s tracks. While you are at it, you’ll be able to explore and read in a setting designed just for kids. Test out a “thing-finder” to seek out the special details of this exhibit and other areas of the mansion! This exhibit coincides with “Pippi Longstocking,” showing at the Children’s Theater Company from April 24 to June 10, 2012.

The Enduring Designs of Josef Frank
March 17 – July 8, 2012

“The Enduring Designs of Josef Frank” is a travelling exhibition that comes to the American Swedish Institute from the classic Stockholm interiors firm, Svenskt Tenn, via the San Francisco Airport Museum and Nordic Heritage Museum. The exhibit combines textiles and furnishings designed by Josef Frank as well as didactic panels.

Austrian-born designer and architect Josef Frank (1885–1967) continues to be celebrated as a leading pioneer of Swedish Modern design, and many of Frank’s timeless textile designs and furnishings remain in production today. Estrid Ericson, who established Svenskt Tenn in the 1920s, was impressed by Frank’s work and asked him to design products for her store. The growing rise of Nazism in Vienna, coupled with the city’s economic depression, prompted Frank (who was Jewish) and his Swedish wife to move to Stockholm in 1933. After the German occupation of Denmark and Norway in 1940, the Franks decided to temporarily move to New York City, where Frank created his most innovative and substantial set of textile designs. After the war, the Franks returned to Stockholm where he produced further new furniture designs.

In Our Nature: The Tapestries of Helena Hernmarck
June 30 – October 14, 2012

"In Our Nature: Tapestries of Helena Hernmarck," is an assemblage of more than a dozen textiles by our era's legendary trompe-l'oeil weaver, Helena Hernmarck. Monumental works immerse the viewer in the best of nature: lush blooms, rich green forest scenes, and sunny poppy pastures. Hernmarck's work represents a lifetime of closely honed weaving technique which combines intensely sensitive attention to color with one-of-a-kind combination of textures creating layered, shaded effects. These tapestries will be on loan from three major arts museums, several corporate and individual collectors, and from Helena’s own collection. Also part of the exhibit will be twenty “Nordic Forest” themed tapestries created by “Team Hernmarck”, a group of advanced weaving students of Hernmarck from Sweden and the U.S.

In conjunction with the exhibit, Helena Hernmarck will teach a three-day workshop at ASI July 27–29 for intermediate and advanced weavers. Workshop details and the application form can be found on our Events page. Applications are due April 1, 2012. Four other weaving workshops will also be offered over the course of the summer, and that information can be found on our Events page as well.

Treasured Threads: Nordic Lace
July 21, 2012 – January 13, 2013

Lace holds a special place in the traditions of the Nordic countries. This precision knot-tying was practiced by ordinary farm girls and skilled, paid craftspeople alike. Lace was often tied to special occasions; weddings in particular were inevitably a time to prepare elaborately trimmed and ornamented garments, for both bride and groom. And the dowry chests that accompanied women into their new homes were laden with coverlets and pillowcases that showcased the lady’s handiwork.

The American Swedish Institute is happy to partner with the Minnesota Lace Society on the exhibit, “Treasured Threads: Nordic Lace,” — on display from July 21, 2012 to January 13, 2013 — which will feature lace in various styles from the Nordic countries. The show will highlight several pieces from the extraordinary collections of Österlens Museum in Skåne, representing the unique work of a core group of skilled women workers who practiced their craft in this Swedish region. ASI will also display items on loan from local collectors, and members of the Lace Society will demonstrate in the galleries on scheduled dates. The exhibit has been arranged in concert with the 59th Annual Conference of the International Old Lacemakers, Inc. taking place in St. Paul from August 5 to 11; for information visit www.minnlacesociety.org.

For more photographs of some of the pieces that will be featured in the exhibit, please click here.

Swedish Handknits: New Designs and Inspiration
August 4–October 14, 2012

In August 2012, Voyageur Press will release the book, “Swedish Handknits” by Minnesota authors, knitters and designers Sue Flanders and Janine Kosel. This is a follow-up to the wildly successful work, “Norwegian Handknits,” which offered 34 new knitting patterns inspired by the collections and history of Vesterheim Museum. For “Swedish Handknits,” Sue and Janine spent months researching the history, artifacts and artwork of ASI, as well as the Turnblad Mansion itself. The result is a rich book not only of interest to knitters, but also to those interested in Swedish-American history and ASI itself. From August 4 to October 14, ASI will display Sue and Janine’s own knitwork alongside the items that provided the inspiration for their designs. A book release and talk with the authors will take place on Wednesday, August 22.

“Four Tulips,” Collection of Minneapolis Institute of Arts

“On the Dock”