Hundreds of thousands of migrants came from Finland to the United States beginning in the 1870s. Some sought religious freedom, others economic opportunity. Some followed family, friends, and lovers. Others fled Russification. Still others simply …
News
Gloria Johnson’s “Finnish bread with a Swedish touch”
Gloria Johnson is known for her cardamom bread, but it was only about 10 years ago that she made her first loaf. For 55 years, Gloria and her husband Arnold raised strawberries and ran …
The Oulu Cultural and Heritage Center
Oulu, Wisconsin, is a small town originally settled by Finnish immigrants in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. A group of residents formed The Oulu Cultural and Heritage Center in 2014 to preserve and share Oulu’s history and …
Carving Community: Preservation and Revival of Scandinavian Styles
By Mirva Johnson Interviews and Documentation by Johanna Weissing Wood carving in the Nordic countries has a long history with styles distinctive and representative of specific eras and regions: Acanthus style carving such as that …
Dance To The Song Of This School Room: The Highlandville Dance
by Annika Quinn* The old schoolhouse in the tiny community of Highlandville in northeastern Iowa seems nondescript at first glance. However, a few nights a year people from near and far make their way to …
Show of Hands Recap
Folk artists from around the Upper Midwest and the Nordic region converged in Madison from May 2–4 for Show of Hands: Art in Education. In partnership with Wisconsin teachers of Local Culture and the Society …
Folklore and the Wisconsin Idea Recap
The folklorists were out in full force on campus from September 20–22, 2018, for the Folklore and the Wisconsin Idea conference in Madison. With folklorists from every corner of the country in attendance, the University …
Nordic Art on the Minnesota Prairie
by Johanna Weissing* The prairies of western Minnesota have more to offer than first meets the eye. The area is often overlooked in favor of popular tourist destinations along the North Shore or the state’s …
Kokko and Aurinko: A Finnish-American Juhannus Festival
by John Prusynski* The Upper Peninsula of Michigan can be a cold, dark place at times. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that the Finnish-American immigrants who came to this area brought with them traditions of …
New Film about Nordic America
In 1965, citizens of the small town of Ulen, Minnesota, founded the Ulen Historical Museum. Since then, the museum has continued to be run by an all-volunteer staff and become a central part of the …