At the American Swedish Institute—

The Great Makers Exchange Highlights Nordic Craft and Artisans

with Mini-Workshops, Demonstrations and an

Artist Market, August 6

MINNEAPOLIS, MN— The American Swedish Institute (ASI) is presenting The Great Makers Exchange, a second annual, hands-on celebration of Nordic Craft, on Sunday, August 6, 2017. This festival of learning for makers young and old features workshops, demonstrations, an artist market, live music and a featured maker talk by Tia Salmela Keobounpheng. The Exchange runs noon – 5 p.m. with Mini-Workshops at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Entrance to The Great Makers Exchange is included in ASI Museum Admission: $10 Adults, $7 ages 62+, $5 Students with ID and youth ages 5-12. FREE for ASI members. Registration for the workshops is $25. The ASI is located at 2600 Park Avenue, Minneapolis. For more information and to register for workshops, visit ASImn.org or call 612-871-4907.

Beginners, professionals and the curious can all find something to experience. Join in the making, watch how it’s done and take home a finished work that you’ve crafted during a workshop or purchased from an artist. A respected group of master regional craftspeople and ASI resident instructors, including woodworkers, painters, weavers, textile artists, ceramicists and jewelers, will lead the workshops for youth and adults and offer on-site demonstrations. The partner organizations are FOCI Minnesota Center for Glass Arts, North House Folk School, Silverwood Park and Women’s Woodshop

Special Activities

• Live Music:

- 12:30 - The Hunky Dory Scandinavian All-Stars;
- 1:30 - Tjärnblom

• Featured Maker Talk and Art Installation: - 1p.m., Practicing Creativity — Finnish-American designer/jewelry maker Tia Salmela Keobounpheng
• Interactive Water Color Station with Artist-in-Residence Tara Sweeney
• Ongoing: Craft & Design Focused Micro-Tours of the Turnblad Mansion
• Makers Market in the ASI Courtyard

Artists share their love of the craft. Watch how they create, try new techniques and purchase unique, hand-made pieces.

• Makers Market Artists and Workshop Instructors:

Carin Ekstrand-Anderson (STITCHESbycarin), Liz Bucheit (Crown Trout Jewelers), Sue Flanders (Kilns of Flanders), LizHilde (illustrator), Beth Homa (Birch Bark Weaving), Tia Salmela Keobounpheng (Silvercocoon - jewelry), Natalie Norman (Folkdress Fantasy), Chiaki O’Brien (SAORI Studio FUN - weaving), Angela Robins (woodcarver), Nora Schaper (Bodylish –body care), Cecila Schiller (Scultor/woodcarver), Julie Steller (Steller Handcrafted Goods), Kelsey Oseid (Kelzuki, illustrator/author) and Vevang MPLS (woodcarvers)

Mini-Workshops — $25 each

These two-hour mini-workshops are a great way to try a new craft. Registration required. Some sessions have an additional materials fee payable to instructor. Most workshops accommodate youth and adults. Check ASImn.org for details and to register.

Schedule:

Morning: 10 a.m. – Noon

• Birch Bark Card Holder Weaving

• Youth Only – Intro. to Embroidery (ages 7-17, adults can register with youth participants)

• Pocket Dala Horse

• Intro. to SAORI Weaving

Afternoon: 2 – 4 p.m.

• Sami-Inspired Bracelets

• Youth Only- Fabric Stenciling (ages 7-17)

• Mechanical Marvels – automata moving figures

• Hooked! – carved wall hooks

Other ASI 2017 Exhibitions and Related Activities

For more information, visit ASImn.org or call 612-871-4907.

Still Life: Karin Broos, on view at ASI through October 29, 2017, is the artist’s U.S. debut and a new solo exhibition by one of Sweden’s most acclaimed artists. She is known for her contemplative, photorealistic depictions of women, often including her daughters and grandchildren, set amidst the lakes and forests of her home in Värmland. Her work has drawn emotional comparisons to that of Johannes Vermeer or Edward Hopper.

Curator-Led Cocktail Tour Series: Still Life: Karin Broos

Tuesdays, 5:30-8 p.m. — July 25, August 22, September 19 and October 24

$50/members $55/non-members (26 people per tour)

Tour the Still Life: Karin Broos exhibition with long-time ASI curator, Curt Pederson — complete with a crafted cocktail and light bites from the award-winning FIKA Café. Learn more about Broos' techniques, the symbolism in her art and Broos’ stature as an artist in Sweden.

Wednesday Night Nordic Craft & Cocktails Series!

Wednesdays, July 26-August 16

6:30-8:30 p.m.

The ASI continues its Nordic Craft offerings with our Wednesday night series. While sipping a beverage, try a different handcraft each week, from wire art or wood painting to paper cutting. Beginners welcome! Please register in advance. Cost includes a cocktail of your choice from FIKA and materials.

ASI Members $30, non-members $35

July 26 -Wire Art

August 2 - Etching in Wood (Kolrosing)

August 9 - Folk Painting

August 16 - Paper Cutting

A to Zåäö: Exploring ASI’s Collection – Artist Residency

July 14-August 6

Tara Sweeney and Nate Christopherson, a local mother and son team in residence at the ASI, will illustrate a series of 29 objects from our historic collection, with action and characters representing Swedish verbs and letters from the Swedish alphabet. ASI visitors were asked to vote for their favorite objects. Sweeney’s lush watercolor portraits are enhanced with Christopherson’s mischievous little ink narrative characters. Sweeney is an award-winning book illustrator/designer who teaches at Augsburg College. Christopherson is an illustrator, engraver and printmaker.

July 15-October 20

Hilma Ljung lived on a farm near the small town of Svalöv in Skåne, Sweden. From 1908-1922, she used a 4 x 5 view camera to beautifully photograph people in the surrounding farm land. Ljung’s images chronicle everyday activity with a deep and genuine passion, and offer a refreshing feminine perspective. San Francisco photographer Henrik Paul used the glass plate negatives to develop small-scale contemporary prints.

THE AMERICAN SWEDISH INSTITUTE is 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. The 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.

ASI MUSEUM HOURS: 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. 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.

FIKA, ASI’s award winning café, is open 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 is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10 a.m. –5 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m. –8 p.m. Sunday, Noon-5 p.m.

SUPPORTERS

Minnesota artist activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, and a grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota. Special thanks to ASI contributing members and donors

Press Contact: Karen R. Nelson

Karen.N@ASIMN.org, 612-870-3373