A giant warp-weighted loom sits on display in the middle of the Mondale gallery at Norway House where 48 pieces of modern weaving are on display. I am in awe of the fine detail in these weavings… it is simply stunning.
The history of looms that use stone weights to hold the warp (vertical threads) in place as the weaver works dates back to 10,000-2,000 BC. At that time they were used throughout central Europe, but died out in the 1850’s everywhere except in Scandinavia because they were so isolated.
When Nordic immigrants came to North America they brought this skill with them and the tradition of weaving as a domestic art continues to thrive as a living tradition in our community. The Weavers Guild of Minnesota is the nation’s largest weaving guild and the exhibition marks the 200th anniversary of the first organized arrival of Norwegian immigrants. This year also marks 30 years since the founding of the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group.
The weavers in this group take their art seriously, and many who started in decades past spent time in Scandinavian folk schools where they were grounded in skills of different types of weaving learned through international study.
One type of weaving I wasn’t at all familiar with is tapestry weaving, which I find fascinating… to me it seems more like a painting conveyed through weaving.
The three examples above are all tapestry weaving, but all a little different.
The one on the left, Nest by Robbie LaFleur, is done in a technique she learned in Stavanger, Norway… wool open-warp transparent tapestry technique. It is fascinating how the warp stays open stays open while the birds are firmly planted among the leaves on tree branches. It was inspired by an article in the Star Tribune, “Minnesota’s forests a haven where rare bird still sings.”
The middle one, The Wedding Anniversary by Kevin L. Olsen was created in celebration of his 6th wedding anniversary. It is based on a traditional Scandinavian tapestry motif called The Betrothal.
I love the fusion of the ancient and the modern in the colorful weaving on the right, Margaret, The Medieval Queen. Although the colors and the horse are inspired by Renaissance-era Norwegian tapestries, it isn’t a king riding the horse… Robbie LaFleur used her daughter as the contemporary model for the queen, holding her cell phone with a surveillance camera in the tree… welcome to the surveillance society!
Interested in learning more? Do an online tour of the exhibit and meet the artists of the Vibrant Traditions exhibit! The title of each piece is linked to a page giving details on the artist and their work.
Want to try your hand at weaving? There are two family days planned, when weavers will be in the gallery to assist visitors who want to try their hand at various forms of weaving… February 22 and March 22.
The activities are free and suitable for all ages at Norway House, 913 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – shensrud@homesmsp.com
RELATED POST: Weavers Guild, coffee shop, bookstore, gift shop and more… all at Open Book
