Visit Bluff Country

DECORAH, Iowa —Visit Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, for Free Second Saturday on November 14, with free admission and a scavenger hunt from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Go on a physical and digital scavenger hunt to explore “Nordic Echoes: Tradition in Contemporary Art,” an exhibit of contemporary folk art made by diverse artists who use a variety of different materials and techniques to tell stories about identity, traditions, belonging, and the environment. This self-guided exploration is done in the gallery through Goosechase, a free program used on a phone or device. Free wi-fi is available to museum visitors.
Free Second Saturday is supported by a grant from McElroy Trust with additional gifts from The Depot Outlet and Black Hills Energy.
Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in the conversation of the American immigrant journey through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience. Vesterheim offers innovative and interactive exhibits, classes, and programs, both at the dynamic campus and park in scenic Decorah, Iowa, and online at vesterheim.org and Vesterheim social media. For more information on exhibits, classes, programs, tours, membership opportunities, and ways to donate and volunteer, connect at vesterheim.org, (563) 382-9681, and Vesterheim, 520 W. Water St., P.O. Box 379, Decorah, IA, 52101-0379.

DECORAH, Iowa —Visit Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, to see designer and educator Tammie Pontsler’s newest work in the exhibit, “Threads of Migration: A Fashion Collection.” This visual representation of her family’s emigration story is open November 8, 2026-January 17, 2027, in the second-floor gallery of Hanson Vesterheim Commons.
Pontsler will be at Vesterheim to give a free presentation on Saturday, November 7, at 1:00 p.m. in Hanson Vesterheim Commons. She will also give an online presentation on Saturday, November 21, at 3:00 p.m. Register for the Zoom link at vesterheim.org.
The silhouettes of the garments in this exhibit lean heavily into fashion from the 1910s, the decade when Pontsler’s great-grandmother emigrated. The collection displays themes of preservation, adaptation, assimilation, and innovation while exploring the tension between the tailored structure and bohemian ease of fashions during this decade.
Pontsler, who is from Grand Rapids, Michigan, created this show for an MFA degree from Savannah College of Art and Design. For her, fashion is a means of conveying culture, values, historical periods, and identity. She has collaborated with many Norwegian-American artists who practice traditional textile folk arts, demonstrating the preservation of the culture’s past. Her use of technology, including AI, digital printing, laser cutting, flat-bed printing, and machine embroidery, reimagines these crafts as a gateway to the future.
This exhibition is made possible thanks to gifts to the Vesterheim Annual Fund from the Red List Textile Study Tour Participants.
Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in the conversation of the American immigrant journey through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience. Vesterheim offers innovative and interactive exhibits, classes, and programs, both at the dynamic campus and park in scenic Decorah, Iowa, and online at vesterheim.org and Vesterheim social media. For more information on exhibits, classes, programs, tours, membership opportunities, and ways to donate and volunteer, connect at vesterheim.org, (563) 382-9681, and Vesterheim, 520 W. Water St., P.O. Box 379, Decorah, IA, 52101-0379.

Mainspring is excited to announce the seventh annual Vintage & Makers Market of vintage and locally made goods on Saturday, October 17th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Mainspring in downtown Caledonia (404 E. Main St, Caledonia).

The market will take place during Caledonia’s Fall Fest and Hot Air Balloon Rally, bringing visitors and residents together for a fun weekend of fall adventure and local finds. This year will feature ten vendors and two musicians. All of the vendors are regional makers dedicated to hand-crafted, artist-designed, well-made items, as well as beautifully cared for vintage home and clothing items. Live music will be provided by talented local musician Hannah Rae (10 – 11 am).

The market will feature locally made goods from vendors including:

• Bokey Hill Honey: locally sourced honey goods
• Capra Nera Creamery: farm-raised artisan goat cheese
• Cheeky Chickadee Creations: handmade sewn items & soaps
• Johanna Moldenhauer Art: artistic ceramic homegoods & jewelry
• Merfolk Katie: whimsical embroidery art, clothing, and print art
• Mainspring Vintage: hand-selected vintage clothing, plus screenprinted Mainspring merchandise and youth craft kits
• Meraki Art & Design: beautiful acrylic paintings, wood-burned jewelry, and vintage
• Mikula Mini Farm Pop Up Bakery: delicious homemade baked goods
• Rainbow Rose Art: felt art, ink pen art, digital designs and stickers
• Art by Vinnie: art, bookmarks, and felt ornaments made by young artist Vinnie
• Vintage Vibes: curated vintage goods and clothing

This is a great event to get a start on holiday shopping, or to find unique, one of a kind items for all. This event takes place during Caledonia’s Fall Fest and Hot Air Balloon Rally, so be sure to check out all of the family-friendly fall festivities happening in town that weekend.

This event is free and open to the public.

Mainspring
Mainspring is a nonprofit community arts organization that provides meaningful opportunities for Houston County residents to connect, inspire, and be inspired. Mainspring celebrates and invests in Houston County’s community, culture, and creatives through events, education, and shared resources.

Mainspring offers surprising and meaningful programming aimed to spur community connections, spark new ideas, and enhance Houston County’s economic vitality.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.

Visit Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, for Free Second Saturday on October 10, with free admission from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

At 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., Vesterheim tour guide, Martha Griesheimer, will lead a Touchable Objects Tour, ideal for children and youth, but all are welcome. “If you’ve ever wondered what some of the artifacts feel like, today is your lucky day,” tour coordinator Chivonne Marlow said. The tour will include examples of different objects that guests can examine with their hands. Meet in the lobby of the Museum Building.

Free Second Saturday is supported by a grant from McElroy Trust with additional gifts from The Depot Outlet and Black Hills Energy.

Free Second Saturday is a great time to visit the special exhibits at Vesterheim. Open now is “Nordic Echoes: Tradition in Contemporary Art,” “Lars Fletre: Resistance, Resilience, and Artistry,” and “Emigrating to America,” where families can play the interactive game that leads visitors through a series of decisions as they pretend to immigrate to the U.S. from Norway. Visitors can discover who they are when they leave Norway and what happens along their travels to a new home.

Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in the conversation of the American immigrant journey through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience. Vesterheim offers innovative and interactive exhibits, classes, and programs, both at the dynamic campus and park in scenic Decorah, Iowa, and online at vesterheim.org and Vesterheim social media. For more information on exhibits, classes, programs, tours, membership opportunities, and ways to donate and volunteer, connect at vesterheim.org, (563) 382-9681, and Vesterheim, 520 W. Water St., P.O. Box 379, Decorah, IA, 52101-0379.

Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, hosts a spooky storytelling and music presentation, Makaber Antologi, on October 16 at 7 p.m. in Hanson Vesterheim Commons. The event is free and first-come, first-served. Seating is limited and doors close at 6:50 p.m.

Norwegian storyteller and comic Chad Filley and master Hardanger fiddler Eden Ehm are partnering to present this 75-minute journey through dark moments in Norwegian history, both fact and folklore, accompanied by eerie fiddle tunes.

Told with horror and humor, some stories are real, some are tall tales, and most are somewhere in between. Themes include stabbings, justice, the devil, trolls, tricksters, witches, mythical creatures, and more.

“The program is for older teens and adults who enjoy folk music, history, or a scary campfire story, and it’s perfect for October in anticipation of Halloween,” Chivonne Marlow, program coordinator, said. “Chad weaves together tales of tradition that connect generations and will surprise and startle you while making you laugh. Eden’s expertise with the haunting sound of the traditional Norwegian Hardanger fiddle will create the perfect atmosphere for a spooky night,” she added.

Chad Filley, from Cambridge, Minnesota, and known as The Norsk Storyteller, brings Scandinavian heritage to life through a captivating blend of humor, history, and heartfelt storytelling. Whether performing at libraries, festivals, or community events, Chad’s engaging stories celebrate the spirit and resilience of the Nordic people.

Eden Ehm, a master Hardanger fiddler from Decorah, has played the Hardanger fiddle for 16 years. She has studied at exclusive music programs and workshops in the United States and Norway, learning from master fiddlers and becoming one of the few U.S.-based tradition bearers. Eden frequently teaches and mentors across the country, continues her music studies, and serves on the board of the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America (HFAA). The Hardanger fiddle has an extra set of strings that creates a unique sound. Eden is passionate about preserving and sharing this unique instrument and its music with everyone.

Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in the conversation of the American immigrant journey through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience. Vesterheim offers innovative and interactive exhibits, classes, and programs, both at the dynamic campus and park in scenic Decorah, Iowa, and online at vesterheim.org and Vesterheim social media. For more information on exhibits, classes, programs, tours, membership opportunities, and ways to donate and volunteer, connect at vesterheim.org, (563) 382-9681, and Vesterheim, 520 W. Water St., P.O. Box 379, Decorah, IA, 52101-0379.

Visit the exhibit, “Nordic Echoes: Tradition in Contemporary Art,” open at Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, through December 31.

Organized by the American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF), the traveling exhibit features contemporary Nordic folk arts and cultural traditions from the Upper Midwest (North and South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan).

It includes 54 works of paper cutting, rosemaling, weaving, decorated sheepskin coverings called skinnfell, sculpture, and ceramics by 24 contemporary artists. Highlighting innovations to and variations on traditions, this exhibit presents artists’ works as living, malleable forms grounded in traditional skills rather than as static objects rooted in the imagined past.

“It’s wonderful to have these artworks, some of which test the boundaries of Scandinavian folk art, at Vesterheim,” Laurann Gilberston, Vesterheim Chief Curator, said. “Come see why the exhibit is titled, ‘Tradition in Contemporary Art!'”

Many of the artists included in the exhibit have Vesterheim Connections. Pieper Blomquist and Tara Austin are presenting upcoming online webinars about decorative painting. They are also Folk Art School instructors, along with KJ Groven, Jerry Johnson, Lucy and Gene Tokheim, Karen Rebholz, Beth Homa Kraus, Elizabeth Belz, and Christine Novatny. Teresa Faris’s work has been in previous Vesterheim exhibits, and a piece by Bill Amundsen is in the Vesterheim collection.

Look for announcements of upcoming online and onsite programs in connection with the exhibit. Sally Yerkovich from American Scandinavian Foundation will give a gallery talk, joined by several artists, at Vesterheim’s Norwegian Christmas celebration on December 5.

Based in New York City, the American-Scandinavian Foundation is a leading cultural and educational link between the U.S. and Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden that works to build international understanding through an extensive program of fellowships, grants, intern sponsorship, publishing, and cultural offerings.
“Nordic Echoes” is hosted at Vesterheim is supported by a generous gift to the annual fund from Dr. James and Christine Tuve Burris. The exhibit is a program of the American-Scandinavian Foundation with the support, in part, from The National Endowment for the Arts and the following ASF Funds: The Bonnier Family Fund for Contemporary Art, The F. Donald Kenney Fund for the Visual Arts, and The Centennial/Second Century Fund. Mid-America Arts Alliance/Exhibits USA is facilitating the Upper Midwest exhibition tour, which is supported by Margaret Cargill Philanthropies, a generous contributor to the exhibition’s development.

Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in the conversation of the American immigrant journey through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience. Vesterheim offers innovative and interactive exhibits, classes, and programs, both at the dynamic campus and park in scenic Decorah, Iowa, and online at vesterheim.org and Vesterheim social media. For more information on exhibits, classes, programs, tours, membership opportunities, and ways to donate and volunteer, connect at vesterheim.org, (563) 382-9681, and Vesterheim, 520 W. Water St., P.O. Box 379, Decorah, IA, 52101-0379.
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