Arts and Cultural Heritage

In my artistic practice I engage with Nordic folk art as an homage to my ancestors who immigrated to Minnesota from Sweden (1869) and Norway (1900). Like many other Scandinavian Americans I have found ways to preserve traditions through language, food, and cultural artforms. One of the groups I have a long-standing connection to is the Swedish Cultural Society. This organization was founded in 1934 to support Swedish language and culture. I have actively participated in events for over 25 years. I have given numerous presentations, workshops, and my artwork has appeared on programs and artifacts. The community coming to my exhibition and workshops at the Scandinavian Festival in Moorhead will consist of all ages and backgrounds. They will be interested in the theme of celebrating cultural heritage. The Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival has been a landmark festival with a commitment to authentic programs in the Fargo, North Dakota-Moorhead, Minnesota community since 1977. After the exhibition and workshops in June, I will reflect on the new work created, review the measurable outcomes as stated above, and reflect on community engagement with, and demonstrated interest in, Swedish folk art. I will reflect on the data and discussion about my work. I will measure the effectiveness of the project in social media data collection and analysis by counting umbers of comments, likes, and shares. I will know that the project has been successful if I have contributed to meaningful community engagement with art. In this way, I will know that I have successfully preserved an evolving cultural art form in Minnesota that celebrates Swedish heritage.