information from the National Nordic Museum

The National Nordic Museum will reopen February 18. Two previously installed exhibitions that opened in October have been extended through April: La Vaughn Belle: A History of Unruly Returns and The Experimental Self: Edvard Munch’s Photography.
 
“We are delighted to welcome people back to the Museum and look forward to an exciting 2021 including the North American premiere of an important exhibition of Finnish masterworks in May,” said Executive Director/CEO Eric Nelson. “Among Forests and Lakes is drawn from the collection of the Ateneum Art Museum/Finnish National Gallery. It is the first time many of these masterpieces have traveled to the United States. The exhibition considers how Finnish women and men have depicted the landscape of their native country since the mid-nineteenth century. With more than 50 paintings, prints, and video depicting 800 miles from the coast and archipelago in the south to the Arctic Ocean in the North, this is truly a stunning and comprehensive collection of Finnish art.”
 
Since the Museum’s closure in November, Museum staff have worked with its partners to extend some exhibitions and accommodate the needs of others.  This year’s exhibitions include the traveling show from the Ateneum Art Museum/Finnish National Gallery, as well as one co-curated by the National Nordic Museum and the Washington State Ski & Snowboard Museum. Both concentrate on the Nordic countries’ connection to nature.
 
In the fall, the Museum will premiere the cross-cultural exhibition: Paper Dialogues: The Dragon and Our Stories. The exhibition examines the importance of the same mythical beast in Norwegian and Chinese visual culture through the work of contemporary paper-cutting artists Karen Bit Vejle and Qiao Xiaoguang.
 
“As the exhibition title suggests, Paper Dialogues demonstrates how a common artistic language and shared symbols can foster a sense of community among different cultures and expand understanding of world traditions,” said Leslie Anne Anderson, Director of Collections, Exhibitions, and Programs.
 
Additional exhibitions and programs in 2021 will include a look at the Museum’s acquisition of the works of Danish-American artist Dines Carlsen and the premiere of an exhibition featuring the multimedia artists Janelle and Lisa Iglesias, who collaborate with their Norwegian-born mother Bodhild, a fiber artist.
 
Inspired by the “mother of modern textiles,” Anni Albers (1899-1994), Lisa and Janelle translate Bodhild’s abstract motifs from textiles into drawings. Visitors will be led through M(other) Tongues: Bodhild and Las Hermanas Iglesias by an audio-guided tour created by Bodhild’s grandchildren. The artists also will participate in the biennial Nordic Knitting Conference held at the Museum in November 2021. 
 
“With the Iglesias family, we will see how Norwegian and Dominican familial traditions are inherited and translated into unique works of art that explore transnational identity,” said Anderson.

Advance Tickets Required To Visit The National Nordic Museum
 
In keeping with the State and local health guidelines, the National Nordic Museum requires all visitors to purchase a timed ticket ahead of their visit. Tickets are available through nordicmuseum.org.
 
Once at the Museum, all visitors are required to be masked and follow a directional pathway that allows for proper social distancing. Information about current health and safety protocols can be found at nordicmuseum.org/welcomeback.