By Heidi Goldberg

It was 14 years ago that my friend Dawn Tommerdahl and I began taking weaving classes together. It wasn’t long after that I became aware of the wonderful world of Scandinavian weaving. We both fell in love with weaving (already being avid knitters and fiber fanatics). In short time we had a “string gang” as Dawn and I were joined by friends Charlie Hovde, Sharon Marquardt, and Marian Quanbeck-Dahlberg, who are all marvelous weavers. Fiber communities seem to be ever-expanding groups (particularly with the marvel of communication via social media at our fingertips) where the culture of sharing, support, passion, and knowledge keeps us all moving forward. Over the years the string gang has motivated and learned from each other while taking classes at the Vesterheim Museum in Decorah, Iowa, and at our highly anticipated annual get-togethers. These experiences I revel in as an artist also feed my work as an educator. Exposing students to the thrills of cultivating and working with natural materials through observation and practice is exhilarating. Naturally I want to share this culture of learning and accomplishment with students and see them embrace the joys of seeing, designing, and making. Having the opportunity of going to Norway with a group of students and connecting with artists in Norway was a sweet adventure that I couldn’t have dreamt of in my early days of teaching, and one for which I am extremely grateful. 

After years of preparation and an invaluable scouting trip to Norway to explore and set up contacts, things were set for a summer school course in Norway from May 9^th–June 7^th, 2017, called Craft and Identity. The goal of the course in a nutshell was to study art and craft practices and traditions, and to look at how they relate to ourselves as individuals, makers, and artists considering the following;

• influences of history on art/craft
• fundamental connection of art/craft to nature and environment
• function and design as they relate to form/intention
• technical processes of various media
• critical use of fundamentals of design elements and principles
• aesthetic/style 
• integration, support, and importance of art/craft in society 
• connections between traditional and contemporary arts 
• connections and differences between Nordic (Scandinavian) arts and arts of other cultures

Our travel group consisted of four students; Allison Pahl, Alexis Anderson, Kristina Brunson, and Rachel Johnson, plus my 13-year-old Aubrie, and me. Traveling from Fargo to Lillehammer went well, and despite full understanding on the part of this northern crew of the necessity of cold weather preparation, some wardrobe upgrades were vital. So, the day after our arrival and an exhilarating morning walking through sleet in Lillehammer and Maihaugen, we discovered Fretex (a treasure trove of second-hand quality goods) where some fine bargain lambswool was procured! Exploring the exhibits at Maihaugen laid the foundation of historical and creative inquiry for the trip with its extensive and holistic collection of artifacts that illuminated the art and culture of multiple eras in Norway.

Niblet, the Concordia College mascot, visits the Olympic ski jump in Lillehammer..

Museum and gallery visits (balancing historic and contemporary foci) were an important part of the course in each location to which we travelled, but the hands-on components were particularly memorable. We took a bus to Gjøvik for a short workshop to learn about and print skinnfell with Britt Solheim in her studio. She treated us to an unexpected traditional Norwegian lunch in her home, the first of a number of very special moments of warm hospitality we encountered. The next day we were treated to a wonderful talk about the prints of Vegard Stalsberg at Galleri Zink, and we investigated the exhibitions at the Lillehammer Kunstmuseum. Another highlight was walking up to the Olympic ski jump at the top of the city. 

When we arrived in Oslo, it was appropriate for us to begin our stay with a visit to the National Gallery. We were happy to find Oslo welcoming and easy to find one’s way around in. We stayed just north of the Royal Palace, allowing easy mobility around the central part of the city. We packed a lot into our 11 days in Oslo, along with a day-trip to Eidsvoll Verk to see Constitution Hall. We toured the facilities of the National Opera, took in the ballet of Don Quixote, window-shopped on Karl Johan, saw Akerhus Fortress and Castle, Vigeland Park, Vår Frelsers graveyard, Grünerlokka, The Munch Museum, Aker Brygge, the Astrup Fearnley Museum, and much more. Occasions when people shared their expertise were particularly special. 

In front of the National Gallery: Aubrie Goldberg, Alexis Anderson, Rachel Johnson, Alli Pahl, and Kristina Brunson

We spent time at the Norwegian Folk Museum and met with ethnologist, curator of textiles and costumes, and bunad expert Kari-Anne Pedersen to prepare for the multitude of bunads from all regions we were to see on Norwegian Constitution Day. On Syttende Mai we had tickets to stand on the palace grounds and see the royal family and the parade from a great vantage point – which was memorable because one becomes completely surrounded by the festivities. The following day we were invited to the home of Kari-Anne Pedersen to learn some basic embroidery techniques. She taught us a bit of the beautifully contrasting geometric technique with linen thread called smøyg, while her friend Helen Juell taught us some organic/floral rosesaum with wool thread. We sat together around the table, talking, listening, and learning. All this while enjoying good chocolate and coffee, and a wonderful lunch with home-made lompe, cheese, meat, and jam. Delicious!

A studio visit with Kari Steihaug

A tour with Kathy Elliott, Lecturer in the Department of Exhibitions at the Cultural History Museum, was wonderful; she imparted rich knowledge and stories and is so passionate about teaching Viking and medieval art. We also explored an island in the Oslofjord called Hovedøya. It was an honor to be invited into the studios of noted fiber artists Inger Johanne Rasmussen (who makes mesmerizing colorful large works with inlaid felted wool), and Kari Steihaug (who creates poignant and beautiful socially active works in the form of installations). It was critical for us to witness contemporary artistic process with the works they shared and make connections between the past and present. We left Oslo with many more miles on our shoes and took the scenic train trip to Bergen en route to the largest inland island in Norway, Osterøy.

We stayed on an idyllic farm, Skjerping Gård, among grazing Vilsau sheep and we walked back and forth to the museum each day. It was at the Hordaland Museum where we took a week-long intensive workshop on warp-weighted weaving. I knew Marta Kløve Juuhl from a previous course at the Vesterheim in Decorah, Iowa, and was delighted to meet Monika Sunnanå Ravnanger (a fashion designer and weaver who also has expertise in traditional dying methods), who is also working at the Hordaland Museum. The two were marvelous teachers. 

Preparation for a day at the loom,

We worked on warping and weaving a variety of techniques on warp-weighted looms, with two people working per loom. The students had the choice of making a sampler of a traditional colorful åkle with various weave structures, or a Viking varafel with dehkhår (long fibers of the wild sheep – Vilsau). The students all chose the colorful åkle project while Aubrie and I opted for varafeldur, so it was nice for everyone to see variety of work progressing during the week. We were also fortunate to watch Monika develop a special project. She was weaving white varafel sleeves on the warp-weighted loom as part of a collaboration with a Norwegian fashion designer for a piece for the famous Norwegian musician Aurora. It was exciting seeing this work being done, and it was a striking example of how old craft lends itself to contemporary practice in art. We were treated to Marta’s talk on some extraordinary historic objects in the collection (both tools and weavings), and Monika’s talk on traditional dye methods. Also, there was excitement about Marta’s newly released book, The Warp-Weighted Loom (a worthy investment). The week-long workshop was a well-placed break from the faster pace of exploration we had up to that point. It was good to have time to reflect, walk in nature, and pursue the single goal in learning new technique and weaving for the week. 

Concordia students working on back-to-back warp-weighted looms at the Hordaland Museum in Osterøy, Norway

Unforgettable Bergen antique shop

It was bittersweet to leave Osterøy but exciting to head to Bergen for our last days to explore the famous port city with its incredible fish market and charming streets. We began understanding the city with a ride up the mountain on the Floibanen, where one is rewarded with an aerial view of the city below. We followed that with healthy miles of hiking on the mountain and back down to and through the city. The next day we were kindly given a tour in the backrooms at Husfliden to see preparations of bunads (thanks to Monika for arranging it with a colleague). We enjoyed the Kode art museums as well as antique stores in Bergen. A Norway in a Nutshell tour (by train, bus, and boat) featured jaw-dropping nature along the Bergen Railway, Flåm Railway, Aurlandsfjord, Nærøyfjord, and Stalheimskleiva. It was awe-inspiring to absorb the incredible scenery along the fjords from our front row seats. It was a fluid connection to where we started in Lillehammer at Maihaugen, looking at the objects people used that were inspired by the power of nature and the necessity of navigating through it. Everything comes full circle.

Six months after the trip we shared the results of our work in Norway with our community. We put together a modest exhibition of the weavings we made called Craft and Identity – Summer School in Norway: Learning Weaving Traditions of Western Norway, at the Prairie Fiber Arts Center in Moorhead, Minnesota. My hope is that these marvelous students who helped make the trip so delightful, will be inspired to continue with what they have learned on this adventure and that they let the experience inspire life choices that will cultivate inspiration and satisfaction for many years. 

Heidi Goldberg is an Associate Professor of Art and Chair of the Art Department at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, where she has taught since 1995. She graduated with a BA from Hamline University in 1990, and earned her MFA in printmaking and works on paper from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1993. Inspired by topics regarding the natural world and our relationships to it, Goldberg works in mixed media, fiber, and printmaking.  Her works have been exhibited in local, regional, national and international juried exhibitions. She lives in the sand hills near the Sheyenne National Grasslands in North Dakota.