Visit Nordic America no matter where in the world you are with these exhibitions, photo essays, short films, and more that amplify the traditions and work of Scandinavian Americans in the region. These featured stories present Nordic America through the work and words of Nordic Americans themselves as they continue to practice and sustain traditions and folk arts here in the Upper Midwest. We hope you enjoy some of the stories highlighted here and encourage you to explore the rich traditions—both Nordic American and non—that make the Upper Midwest such a rich and culturally diverse region. And be sure to check out the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Culture’s YouTube page for more stories about the language and cultures of the region.
Photo Essays
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 …
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 …
LeRoy Larson: Preserving Scandinavian Folk Music in the Upper Midwest
By Jared Schmidt Since 2015, LeRoy Larson of Lakeland, Minnesota, has begun donating his treasure trove of Scandinavian folk music and related materials, including photographs, interviews, and 333 78 RPMs to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This …
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 …
Short Films
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 …
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 …
Building the Bonfire: 2018 Juhannus Midsummer Festival
As part of the 2018 summer field school—FOLKLORE 490: Field Methods and the Public Presentation of Folklore—students and instructors from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Finlandia University, and St. Olaf College volunteered at and documented the …