Exhibitions & Events
Exhibition: The Enduring Designs of Josef Frank
December 2, 2011 through February 19, 2012
Austrian-born designer and architect Josef Frank (1885–1967) continues to be celebrated as a leading pioneer of Swedish Modern design. Unlike the severe approach to modernism taken by many of his contemporaries, Frank emphasized comfort and informality, producing whimsical designs inspired by nature. Frank’s lavish use of bright, bold colors and floral patterns quickly became popular with a host of Swedish designers and clientele. Many of Frank’s timeless textile designs and furnishings remain in production today.
Frank made numerous trips to Sweden with his Swedish wife Anna, after they were married in 1912. He designed several houses there in addition to filling orders for Swedish clients who ordered textiles and furnishings from Haus & Garten. During the 1920s, in Stockholm, Estrid Ericson (1894–1981) established her interior design company Svenskt Tenn. Ericson 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 and his wife to accept her offer, and the couple moved to Stockholm in 1933. Frank emerged as the principal designer at Svenskt Tenn, beginning a long and fruitful relationship with Estrid Ericson that would last more than three decades.
Ericson helped inspire Frank to conceptualize and produce a distinctive body of work at Svenskt Tenn. The two complemented each other, Frank producing the textiles and furnishings, Ericson arranging the interiors and overseeing the company. Together, they formed a dynamic partnership, creating imaginative, comfortable, and harmonious interiors.
This new, more accessible approach to interior design became known as “Swedish Modern” following the Paris Exposition of 1937 and the New York World’s Fair of 1939 both of which featured work by Frank and Ericson. The Enduring Designs of Josef Frank showcases many of the remarkable textiles and furnishings Frank created for Haus & Garten and Svenskt Tenn.
This exhibition was produced by the San Francisco Airport Commission, and was made possible through a generous loan from Svenskt Tenn, Stockholm, Sweden.
New Exhibition: Cold Recall: Reflections of Polar Explorer
December 9, 2011 through February 5, 2012
Reception and Lecture: Wednesday, December 14, 6 – 8 pm
On December 14, 1911, Norwegian Roald Amundsen and the crew of the Fram were the first explorers to reach the South Pole. Cold Recall: Reflections of a Polar Explorer showcases images from the hand-colored lantern slides that Roald Amundsen used in public lectures about his expedition to the South Pole. Texts from Amundsen’s own manuscripts from these lectures offer a compelling first-person account of this exciting journey.The exhibition also includes original film footage of the expedition.
This exhibition was produced by the Fram Museum, Oslo, Norway.
December 14 is the 100th Anniversary of Amundsen's amazing feat.
Frozen Heart: A Film About Roald Amundsen
New date: Saturday, February 4, 2 pm
Frozen Heart (Norway/1999/English narration/90 min) tells the story of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen (1872-1928). Amundsen was his generation's greatest polar explorer, and probably the best known Norwegian of his time. Mixing reenactments with more traditional documentary techniques, this film tells the story of Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole. Some experts, doubting the documentation of Robert Peary and Richard Byrd, have made the argument that Amundsen was actually the first to reach the North Pole as well. Frozen Heart examines that controversy while also revealing the triumphs and tragedies of Amundsen's career and private life.
Frozen Heart probes beneath the surface of Amundsen’s heroic achievements to discover an ambitious, conflicted man who deceives women and betrays his own brother in order to achieve his goals, before dying heroically on a mission to save his worst enemy.
Directed by Stig Andersen and Kenny Sanders.
Cost: $5 suggested donation.
For reservations please call 206-789 5707 ext.10 or e-mail rsvp@nordicmuseum.org.
For more information please contact Stina Cowan at 206.789.5707 ext 21 or stinac@nordicmuseum.org.
Movie: The Vikings
Thursday, February 9, 7:00 pm
As part of our Vikings Series, we are showing the 1958 adventure movie The Vikings, directed by Richard Fleischer.
Viking half-brothers fight over a throne and a beautiful captive in this classic Technicolor movie starring Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine, and Janet Leigh.
Despite being derisively called a Norse Opera by New York Times critic Bosley Crowther, the film was a major box office success and spawned the television series Tales of the Vikings.
Suggest donation: $5.00.
Join us for Soup & Cinema!
The second Tuesday of the month at 12.15pm
Enjoy Nordic films and wholesome, nourishing soup for an afternoon at the Museum! Join us as we serve soup for lunch and show a Nordic movie. All movies are in the original language with English subtitles.
On Tuesday, February 14, we will celebrate Valentine’s Day here at the Museum by showing the Swedish romantic comedy Sommaren med Göran / A Midsummer Nights Comedy (2009) Directed by: Satffan Lindberg.
The Swedish summer is on and Göran, recently dumped by his girlfriend, is searching for the woman of his dreams. Göran is not altogether in harmony with himself or his work situation and is trying a little bit too hard to please everyone around him. Unlike his best friend however, he is not prepared to compromise with love and settle for the less than perfect girl. In pursuit of love he sails out to a Midsummer party in the seductive Swedish archipelago. Unexpected love lurks in the bright Swedish summer's night ready to rock the raft of romance. Comedy and romance are the main ingredients when a story unfolds about young urban self conscious people in a high society setting.
Tuesday, February 14, 12:15 pm
Sweden: Sommaren med Göran /A Midsummer Nights Comedy
Soup tbd.
Cost: $7 Members, $10 General
All Museum Members are invited to the Nordic Heritage Museum's
Annual Meeting
Tuesday, February 21, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Please join us at the Museum on Tuesday, February 21, to learn first-hand about the accomplishments of 2011 and our priorities for 2012. The Annual Meeting is open to all members, and is your opportunity to hear the latest developments, ask questions, and meet our new curator, Lizette Gradén, as well as our current and new trustees.
A brief reception will begin at 6:30 pm, followed by the meeting at 7:00 pm.
The 2011 Annual Report will be available here on our website on February 20. To have a hard copy mailed to you, please contact Katy Ahrens at 206.789.5707 ext. 33 or email katya@nordicmuseum.org.
2012 Mostly Nordic Chamber Music Series and Smörgåsbord
We’re delighted to announce the 2012 season of Mostly Nordic, presenting internationally and nationally acclaimed artists. These cultural ambassadors represent all five Nordic countries and will capture the magic of rarely heard masterpieces. This is a rare opportunity to sample the many moods of the Nordic landscape - without buying an airline ticket! Each of the concerts is followed by a smörgåsbord of gourmet Nordic delicacies from the featured country.
Admission to all Nordic Heritage Museum exhibits is free to concert-goers before the performance.
A true bargain of cultural pleasures - and one not to be missed.
2012 Mostly Nordic Chamber Music Concert Schedule:
ICELAND: “Glissando on Ice”.
Sunday, February 26, 2012, 4 pm
NORWAY: “One Man, Two Hands, Three Talents”
Sunday, March 25, 2012, 4 pm.
DENMARK: “A Thirty Finger Festival - One Piano, Six Hands!”
Sunday, April 15, 2012, 4 pm.
FINLAND: “The Finnish Heart with a Touch of Jazz”
Sunday, May 6, 2012, 4 pm.
SWEDEN: “Drottningholm to Monticello - Music for a Royal Democracy!”
Sunday, June 3, 2012, 4 pm.
For a complete schedule and concert details, click HERE.
To download a ticket order form, click HERE.
**Please note: concert programs are subject to change.
To order tickets by phone: 206.789.5707 x10 or email katya@nordicmuseum.org.
Costs:
5 concert series and Smörgåsbord:
Museum Members $ 170 per person; Non-Members $ 190 per person.
Single Tickets: Concert and Smörgåsbord:
Museum Members, $40 per person; Non-Members, $45 per person.
Single Tickets: Concert Only (does not include Smörgåsbord:
Museum Members, $20 per person; Non Members, $25 per person.
Mostly Nordic Chamber Music Series and Smörgåsbord: ICELAND
Glissando on Ice
Sunday, February 26, 4:00 pm
Gunnhildur Einarsdóttir, harpist FROM ICELAND!
Tomek Dziekonski, violinist
Award winning Icelandic-born harpist, graduate of the Conservatory of Amsterdam and Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Gunnhildur is joined by the versatile and spectacular violinist Tomek Dziekonski in a program of Icelandic composers with a French twist — Þuríður Jónsdóttir, Daníel Bjarnason, Leifur Þórarinson, Jón Nordal, Debussy and Rameau.
The Ship in the Hill: Slide Show and Book Signing
Saturday, March 3, 2:00 pm
Guidebook author and novelist William L. Sullivan takes us through Norway, Denmark, and Sweden in search of Viking ship burials, runic stones, and treasure troves. Sullivan toured Scandinavia seven times to research The Ship in the Hill, a historical novel based on the true story of a Viking ship excavated from a Norwegian farm in 1904.
Sullivan is the author of three novels and a dozen nonfiction books, including Oregon Trips & Trails and Hiking Oregon's History. His journal of a 1000-mile hike he took across Oregon in 1985, Listening for Coyote, was chosen by the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission as one of the 100 most significant books in the state’s history.
Free for Museum members, free with admission for non-members.
Karasjok, Norway - Photo by Kjell Harald Sæther
2012 Northern Lights Auktion
Sunday, April 29, 4:30 pm
Where: Grand Hyatt Hotel Ballroom, 720 Pine Street, Seattle
Save the date for this elegant affair – a dinner and exciting auction with true Nordic flair!
The Nordic Museum’s annual Northern Lights Auktion began 27 years ago as a way to raise much-needed funds for the daily operating expenses of the Museum. In the early years, the Auktion was a small, modest event. With time, it has grown to attract over 300 people to the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown Seattle every year to bid on more than 500 items ranging from handmade baby clothes to exciting vacations throughout the world.
A delicious dinner, which always begins with pickled herring, is served to the audience, many of whom wear their beautiful native Nordic costumes or black tie. The Auktion takes more than six months to organize and produce, but the excitement of the evening makes it well worth the effort, as do the resulting benefits to the Museum.
Donations are now being accepted for the auction. To download an auction donation form, click
**here**
For information on how to be a Northern Lights Auktion sponsor, click
**here**
Questions? Please contact Anastasia at 206.789.5707 ext. 32 or email anastasiaa@nordicmuseum.org.
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is a social network providing experiences to people with Nordic heritage or with an interest in the Nordic culture. The Arctic Circle organizes events and programs with an emphasis on contemporary Nordic arts and contributions to such global issues as environmental sustainability and social justice. For information about the Arctic Circle, or to sign up for e-mail notifications of upcoming events, please contact Stina Cowan at stinac@nordicmuseum.org or (206) 789-5707 ext. 21