Nordic Echoes: Tradition in Contemporary Art
Opening in April 2025 at Scandinavia House, Nordic Echoes — Tradition in Contemporary Art is the first major traveling exhibition of contemporary Nordic folk arts and cultural traditions from the Upper Midwest (North and South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan). Featuring 55 works by 24 contemporary artists whose practices are grounded in Nordic traditions, the exhibition will showcase the malleability and persistence of Nordic folk art in the U.S. Nordic Echoes highlights how innovations and variations on traditional themes have led to living, evolving forms rather than static objects rooted in an imagined past. Featuring artists living and practicing within the pan-Nordic regions of the Upper Midwest, the exhibition explores themes of identity and belonging as well as how traditions have been shaped by their U.S.-based environments, both in materials used and in their reflection of local communities.
On view through July 2025, the exhibition will be accompanied by a wide range of programming including artists talks and panels, workshops, films, music, guided gallery tours, and family activities.
Roses in a Broken Vase (2024) will be on view as a part of this group show.
From Sett to Shrinkage: Weaving Project Planning Webinar
Are you having trouble determining your ends per inch? Are you tired of planning a project that turns out to be way smaller than you'd hoped it to be? Then this is the webinar for you! Join Christine Novotny as she walks through planning a project for floor loom weaving, step by step. In this webinar, we will use a mock project and follow Christine’s tried and true Project Planning Sheet to demonstrate how to determine sett, plan warp length and width, calculate how much yarn you'll need to order (down to the ounce!), easy ways to do weaving samples, working with drafts, and more! We will also cover how to assess your projects after they come off the loom as well as good record keeping. This is an excellent opportunity for new floor loom weavers to gain confidence in creating their own handwovens, or experienced weavers hoping to learn a few new tricks to improve their planning skills.
This is a VIRTUAL class on Zoom.
Artist Talk with Christine Novotny
Tune in to hear from featured local exhibition artist Christine Novotny about her inspiration and process for her 2024 ASI exhibition of vibrant woven work, Christine Novotny. Christine will discuss her journey as a weaver, give her thoughts on the relevance of hand weaving today, and share some stories behind the exhibition pieces.
This talk is being held virtually on Zoom.
Time:6:30-8 pm CDT
Cost: $15 ($10 American Swedish Institute Members)
Christine Novotny in the Artist Studio
Explore the impressive work of a handweaver, educator, and designer, Christine Novotny, in a new exhibition at the American Swedish Institute.
Christine weaves vibrant textiles, all guided by her love for surprising color and design interactions. Her work reflects a belief that handwaving retains reverence and relevance in a modern world dominated by industrialized goods. Working in a similar spirit to that of Karin Larsson, Christine seeks to bring an energy to handweaving that invites people to reconsider the textiles in their lives, and to evolve the practice of handweaving through contemporary handwoven goods and craft education.
The artworks on view feature both new and existing designs by Christine, woven and crafted in her studio in Grand Marais, Minnesota. Also on display is a bespoke piece completed in collaboration with acclaimed Swedish textile artist Ulla Parkdal during Christine’s recent study trip to Sweden, supported by a grant from the American Scandinavian Foundation.
Christine Novotny is presented alongside Karin Larsson: Let the Hand Be Seen.
Rya Rugs on a Floor Loom
Explore the possibilities of pile rugs! In this class, we will learn about weaving rya in the Swedish tradition to create our own contemporary work. Students will weave a small rya sample rug (roughly 12"x12") of their own design on a floor loom. In class, we will learn design and material calculation, rya knot technique, edge treatment to make the rug strong, material and color blending, and finishing techniques. We will also explore the Scandinavian history of pile rugs from their purely utilitarian purpose in the Viking Age to the expressive designs of Mid-Century Modern and more contemporary pile rugs. This method of hand knotting rugs is slow and focused, but so rewarding. When leaving the class, students will have a solid foundation in rya practice to make their own larger scale rugs or wall hangings in this global knotting technique.
This class will be taught at North House Folk School, in person!
REGISTER for this in-person class here!
Warp and Weft: Introduction to Floor Loom Weaving
Textiles are integral in our lives, yet so often overlooked! Creating one’s own cloth empowers expression through color, texture, and design. In this course, we will explore these elements through weaving on a four-harness floor loom. Students will learn the principles of handweaving, including designing a project, preparing a warp, dressing a floor loom, and weaving their own cloth. After this 4-day course, students will gain an understanding of how woven cloth is created, how to read a pattern draft (the language of weaving), and basic weave structures. Each student will create a finished wool scarf, an expression of their own aesthetics.
REGISTER for this in-person class HERE
Online Lecture: Handweaving in Sweden Today
This online lecture is hosted through American Swedish Institue.
Are you curious about the state of handweaving in Sweden today? Weaver Christine Novotny of CAN Goods traveled through the Nordic countries summer 2022 as part of North House Folk’s Artisan Development Program and is here to report on her trip! In particular, Christine has takeaways from visiting the new generation of weavers coming out of Sweden’s largest craft education schools, Handarbetets Vänner in Stockholm and Sätergläntan Institute for Craft in Dalarna. She will share the stories of some of the younger weavers she met, the work they are doing, and how they are both pushing the boundaries of traditional Swedish weaving as well as preserving knowledge of techniques and materials. Christine will also share some of her other favorite travel highlights (textiles and beyond) from her time in Stockholm and Dalarna.
Photo of work by Vega Määttä Siltberg
This is a live virtual lecture led over Zoom. Students need a strong internet connection and a device with video capabilities.
American Craft Made / St Paul
I’ll be selling a collection of handwoven goods at the American Craft Made, hosted by the American Craft Council in St Paul! Come on by and shop vibrant textiles and check out the rest of the incredible artisans. I’ll be at booth #625.
Unplugged Artisan Marketplace
Come shop wares from an array of craftspeople who teach and support North House Folk School! I’ll be there with handwoven goods, and there will be awesome music 3 nights in a row.
Weaving and Designing Turned Twill Block Weaves
Weaving turned twill is the ideal opportunity to learn about weave structures, play with color, and begin to draft your own patterns. In this class, we will explore a weave structure category called “block weaves” using a classic two-block turned twill. Turned twill is an 8 shaft weave structure that contains two design blocks showing more warp on one side of the cloth and more weft on the other. Students will begin the class by learning about block weaves and designing their own unique geometric textile with tips from the instructor. Then they will warp the 8 shaft loom with their design and create their choice of several towels, placemats or a table runner. A variety of colors of cotton will be provided.
REGISTER for this in-person class HERE
Color Theory Through Weaving
We all have an innate color personality - colors that we're drawn to that describe who we are and how we see the world. Just as painters mix colors on a canvas, weavers combine colors on the loom to create new combinations optically. However, the colors that we're drawn to don't always react as predicted on the loom! In this class, we will study color theory and apply it to textiles and weave structures, while learning various techniques for designing on and off the loom to create stunning weavings. Through curiosity and playfulness, students will weave four cotton samples in various weave structures and a variety of colors of their choosing. Prior experience in floor loom weaving is helpful for this course.
REGISTER for this in-person class HERE
Please note: North House is looking forward to hosting this course on campus in the safest way possible. Students must agree to wear a mask at while indoors on campus, and to practice social distancing of 6 feet, as well as adhere to other safety protocols in some cases, regardless of their vaccination status. See the full details of our COVID-19 protocols here.
From Sett to Shrinkage: Weaving Project Planning Webinar
Are you having trouble determining your ends per inch? Are you tired of planning a project that turns out to be way smaller than you'd hope it to be? Then this is the webinar for you! Join Christine Novotny as she walks through planning a project for floor loom weaving, step by step. In this webinar, we will use a mock project and follow Christine’s tried and true Project Planning Sheet to demonstrate how to determine sett, plan warp length and width, calculate how much yarn you'll need to order (down to the ounce!), easy ways to do weaving samples, working with drafts, and more! We will also cover how to assess your projects after they come off the loom and good record keeping. This is an excellent opportunity for new floor loom weavers to gain confidence in creating their own handwovens, or experienced weavers hoping to learn a few new tricks to improve their planning skills.
REGISTER for this online webinar HERE
Warp and Weft: Introduction to Floor Loom Weaving
Textiles are integral in our lives, yet so often overlooked! Creating one’s own cloth empowers expression through color, texture, and design. In this course, we will explore these elements through weaving on a four-harness floor loom. Students will learn the principles of handweaving, including designing a project, preparing a warp, dressing a floor loom, and weaving their own cloth. After this 4-day course, students will gain an understanding of how woven cloth is created, how to read a pattern draft (the language of weaving), and basic weave structures. Each student will create a finished wool scarf, an expression of their own aesthetics.
REGISTER for this in-person class HERE
Please note: North House is looking forward to hosting this course on campus in the safest way possible. Students must agree to wear a mask at while indoors on campus, and to practice social distancing of 6 feet, as well as adhere to other safety protocols in some cases, regardless of their vaccination status. See the full details of our COVID-19 protocols here.