Sometimes life brings such a wealth of opportunities that they can’t all fit in the time allotted on the calendar. Last year I had the opportunity to work with the Valley Grove Preservation Society to create a series of tapestries in historical billedvev style to hang in the historical 1862 stone church, funded by the Nordic American Churches Preservation Project. The tapestries celebrate the landscape of the area, the Norwegian immigrants who founded the church, and the beautiful church structures. I am completing work on the fourth tapestry now. There will be an open house to celebrate all four tapestries in place on June 25. (Read about the open house here.)

Coming August 15: A Special Double Issue of the Norwegian Textile Letter 

With the tapestry commission deadline, other writing and editing projects, and family obligations, I have not been able to format and publish all the wonderful material prepared for the current issue of the Norwegian Textile Letter.  Instead, this summer a special double issue will be published on August 15. These are the topics you can look forward to: 

Focus on Finland:  The Finnish raanu rug tradition.

Focus on Finland: The unbroken tradition of raanu rugs in the U.S.

Rosetepper: Karin Bø from Setesdal writes about an unusual group of coverlets in Setesdal with geometric rose patterns.

Marta Nerhus: The Bergen-based artist creates large-scale sculptural work with knitted wire, often commenting  on political issues. Translated from an article by Sten Nilsen in the Norwegian magazine Kunst Pluss.

National Exhibition on Folk Art in the Norwegian Tradition: The Norwegian Textile Letter traditionally highlights works in the weaving division of the exhibit at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. After a pandemic hiatus, we are happy the exhibition is back in 2022!  

Mendable: The artist/members of Norsk Kunshåndverkere [Norwegian Craft Artists] from the area near Viken, Norway, held an exhibition in 2020 with this theme, arranged by Ann Kristin Aas. How did prominent textile artists address “mendable” in their new works? 

Tapestry artist Brita Been: In connection with a retrospective exhibition of Been’s work at the Telemark Kunstsenter, Stephanie Sundby interviewed the artist about her weaving and folk art. Translated from the magazine Kunsthåndverk.

Replacing Tapestry Cushions at Oslo City Hall: Read about the ambitious 2-½ year project by four weavers to recreate 20 seat cushions and 40 back cushions, which were designed by Else Poulsson and woven in 1949-50. 

Flamskväv: A brief history of traditional Swedish tapestry in Skåne, by a long-time Hemslojd instructor, Marianne Asp.  

Nordic News & Notes: There are always interesting exhibits and artists and videos to discover. 

And more: Additional content is in the works….

An Update about Frida Hansen’s tapestry, Sørover (Southward)

People ask: Is it sold? No, not yet. But for those who were not able to see it on display in New York, there is another chance coming up. 

I first dove into research on the missing tapestry when two curators, Bobbye Tigerman from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and Monica Obniski (then at the Milwaukee Museum of Art) were trying to find it to include in a large exhibition, Scandinavian Design and the Unites States, 1890-1980. No one could find it. But now it has been found and will be included in the exhibit in Los Angeles, October 9, 2022-February 5, 2023. There is plenty of time to arrange a fall or winter California trip! 

Robbie LaFleur
Publisher, Norwegian Textile Letter

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