Midsommar Celebration, Saturday, June 17, at American Swedish Institute,

Showcases Music, Dancing, Shopping & FIKA’s Festival Food

Featured Performers include Swedish Jazz Musician Oskar Stenmark and the Vindonia Trio, as well as ASI’s Local Groups such as Spelmanslag fiddlers, Folk Dancers and the Men’s and Women’s Choirs.

The Weather Diaries Exhibition is open during the Celebration and on view until July 2, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS, MN—The American Swedish Institute hosts its popular, annual outdoor Midsommar Celebration on Saturday, June 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering all-day family fun for people of every age. The Midsommar tradition dates from ancient times as a magical moment to welcome back summer and the growing season. Similar to festivals in modern Sweden, ASI’s highlights include making fresh flower head wreaths and raising a greenery decorated Midsommar pole for everyone to dance around, singing traditional Swedish songs. Special to Midsommar this year are performances by world-class Swedish jazz flugelhornist Oskar Stenmark and Trio at 2 p.m., and the Vindonia Trio at 1 and 4:30 p.m. The ASI is located at 2600 Park Ave., Minneapolis. For more, visit ASImn.org or call 612-871-4907.

The Midsommar Celebration is FREE for ASI members as a thank you to our strongest supporters. For non-members, the festival is included with regular museum admission: $10 adult, $7 ages 62+, $5 ages 6-18 and students with ID. Buy your tickets on the day of the event. No discounts or special museum passes accepted. On Midsommer day, the hours for FIKA Cafe and the Museum Store will be the same as the festival, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Local performing groups including Impossible Salt, Open Eye Figure Theatre and Ole Olsson’s Oldtime Orkestra, as well as ASI’s artist clubs Spelmanslag, Nyckelharpalag, the Cloudberries Choir, the TC Swedish Folk Dancers and the Vasa Jr. Folk dancers, will also appear throughout the day. Other special offerings include sessions in Nordic ‘Know-How,” mini-workshops in cow calling with Peggy Larson, a Kulokk (Norwegian herding calls) expert and a “Crazy Cow” community art exhibition, for which ASI is now taking public submissions.

FIKA Café’ will serve festival food and family refreshments, plus offer a cash bar. The ASI Museum Store will host a two-day Pop-Up Shop featuring a variety of artist/community vendors. During the Midsommar Celebration and until July 2, 2017, ASI’s current exhibition The Weather Diaries will be on view. It continues ASI’s 2017 suite of programming inspired by Migration, Identity and Belonging

SCHEDULE

Music/Performances/Activities

10:00 DJingenting Curated Music – Courtyard

Scandinavian Ensemble – Nelson Cultural Center (NCC) Lobby

10:30 ASI Cloudberries choir (Stage)

11:00 Svenskarnas Dag Girls Choir (Stage)

Fiddles on Fire (NCC Lobby)

11:30 Midsommar Pole Raising – dancing, and music with the ASI Spelmanslag

Noon ASI Spelmanslag fiddlers group (Stage)

12:30 Ole Olssons Oldtime Orkestra (Stage)

12:15-1:00 Vasa Jr. Folk Dancers (Larson Hall)

1:00 Vindonia Trio (Stage)

1:30 Dancing around the Midsommar Pole (Vasa Jr. Folk Dancers & Musicians)

1:15 – 2 T.C. Swedish Folk Dancers (Larson Hall)

2:00 Oskar Stenmark Trio, Swedish/International jazz artist (Stage)

3:00 Nyckelharpalag

3:30 Dancing around the Midsommar Pole with Rävlek folk group

4:00 Open Eye Figure Theater

4:30 Vindonia Trio (Stage)

Ongoing

• Roaming Performers - Impossible Salt theater/storytelling
• Hej Lets Play (Mansion Lawn) Cow Calls and Story Time, learn a Midsommar dance from a Swede, check out Midsommar for Dummies – Nordic Know-How, try your hand at Swedish Kubb, kids enjoy ASI’s play cart, try pop-up Bingo, or spread out a quilt and take a nap.
• Craft Alley (Historic driveway), Natalie Norman Swedish Pocket, Carole Youngquist Folk Painting
• Community “Crazy Cow” Art, (Promenade, 2nd Floor NCC) The ASI is now accepting submissions for cow art creations that will be on display at Midsommar to celebrate the ASI’s Cows Can Dream exhibit and Nordic herding traditions.
• Flower Head Wreaths (Mansion Lawn) Weave flowers into wreaths and crowns to harness nature’s magic and attract good health.

Food and Drink by FIKA

• Festival food from FIKA includes traditional Strawberry Cake, Swedish Hot Dogs and other special treats.
• Refreshing beverages are available for the whole family, plus a cash bar with Sangria, beer and wine for those age 21 and older.

Shopping – at the ASI Museum Store and Special Midsommar Pop-Up Shop

Friday, June 16, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. With vendors Larissa Loden, Polarn O. Pyret, and Maguba/Båstad. Parents coming for the Kids at the Castle event on Friday from 9-10 a.m. can shop before or after.

Saturday, June 17, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Vendors during the Midsommar Celebration:

• Fjällrjäven, backpacks and clothing
• Horredsmattan, plastic woven rugs/mats from Sweden
• Larissa Loden, local handmade jewelry
• Ann Lyons, handcrafted Swedish style rag rugs
• Polarn O. Pyret, Swedish children’s clothing
• Lisa Rydin-Erickson, graphic artist
• Troentorp/Båstad, playful, sustainably handmade Swedish clogs

Featured Performer Biographies

Oskar Stenmark, performing with Lars Ekman on double bass and Alex Pryrodny on piano, is an acclaimed Swedish jazz flugelhornist visiting Minnesota to play at the ASI and the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Stenmark, who now lives in New York City, is traveling as part of his “In My Grandmother’s Footsteps” tour, which revisits some of the cities that his grandmother Elsie performed in 61 years ago during 1956 when she toured with the fiddle group Rättviks spelmanslag. He brings alive the music of his ancestors in Gärdebyn, Dalebarlia. Stenmark has worked with musicians such as Chris Potter, Dave Liebman and the multiple Grammy award winning Maria Schneider Orchestra. Born in Gothenburg, Sweden, he is the 7th generation in a family of professional musicians. Stenmark received a Bachelor in Improvisation from the University of Gothenburg and a Master’s in Jazz Performance and composition from the Manhattan School of Music.

Vindonia is a trio, with Lise Enochsson on vocals, Susan Syverson on harp and vocals, and Karin Blom on fiddle, cello and vocals, that performs music including Swedish folk songs from the Scåne region, using instruments such as Celtic harp and Jämtlandish fiddle. The group draws from the pure joy of making music, with an affinity for playful tunes and melodies to lift body and mind, as well as songs of desire and despair. Their music leads listeners on a journey through a landscape rich in contrast, personal color and meaning.

Upcoming Programming. For a full schedule, visit ASImn.org or call 612-871-4907.

First Look–Karin Broos: Still Life, Exhibition Preview Party

Friday, July 14:, 2017, 6:30 –10:00 p.m., $15 ASI members / $20 non-members

This First Look preview party features activities and special guests artist/painter Karin Broos and her daughter/filmmaker Sara Broos. The award-winning FIKA Café offers night-of specialty cocktails, a cash bar and curated appetizers. Karin Broos will also lead tours of the exhibition the following day.

Also On View - ASI 2017 Exhibitions

Cows Can Dream – an Exhibition/Installation in ASI’s Youth & Family Gallery

Through October 29

ASI’s Youth & Family Gallery on the Turnblad Mansion’s third floor is inhabited by Cows Can Dream. This colorful and imaginative play environment for kids was inspired by the children's book of the same name, illustrated by Swedish visual artist Maria Bajt with text by Jason Diakité (aka Swedish rap star Timbuktu). The Gallery brings to life the dreams of (Ms.) Sam the cow who wanders through Sweden's Wanås Konst sculpture park. Buy the book at the ASI Museum Store and take the joy of creativity and discovery home with you.

THE AMERICAN SWEDISH INSTITUTE Ais a museum and cultural center that is a gathering place for all people to share experiences around themes of culture, migration, the environment and the arts, informed by enduring ties to Sweden. ASI is located at 2600 Park Avenue, Minneapolis, 55418. The Wall Street Journal called ASI “[a] model of how a small institution can draw visitors through exciting programming.” For more information, visit www.ASImn.org or call 612-871-4907.\

Museum Admission: $10 adults, $7 ages 62 +, $5 ages 6–18 and full-time students with ID. Free for ASI members and kids ages 5 and under.

ASI MUSEUM HOURS: Regularly on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, Noon–5 p.m.; closed Monday.

*Please Note – FIKA and the ASI Museum Store will be open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on June 17 during the Midsommar Celebration

*FIKA, ASI’s award winning café, is open regularly Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 8:30 a.m. –5 p.m.; Wednesday, 8:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

*The ASI MUSEUM STORE’s regular hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10 a.m. –5 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m. –8 p.m. Sunday, Noon-5 p.m.\

SUPPORTERS

Special thanks to ASI contributing members and donors. Their ongoing contributions help make our programs, exhibitions and community work possible.

Thanks to our Hospitality Sponsors, Delta Air Lines and Borton Volvo and Event Sponsor – Yelp.