Spring 2012 - Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical
Transcription
Spring 2012 - Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical
NORDIC SPIRIT Newsletter Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation Spring 2012 VOL. 22, No.2 The 2012 Scandinavian Festival will once again transform the campus of California Lutheran University with colorful flags and banners, fiddlers and dancers, feasting, dancing around the May Pole and amusements for all. STAVE CHURCH PORTALS EN ROUTE TO CLU M aster carver Phillip Odden, pictured at right, puts finishing touches on the replica model door portal, the first material manifestation of dreams for a future stave church at CLU. He and his Norwegianborn wife, Else Bigton, are both carvers who live on a farm in Wisconsin where they raise Fjord horses. They are driving to California for the Scandinavian Festival, bringing the portal with them, as well as some of their other carvings that will be for sale. During the Scandinavian Festival opening ceremony, Larry Johnson, SACHF president, will introduce them and give the history of the portal, as well as the vision for the future. The portal will be set up at the SACHF booth so people will be able to walk through it. The 38th annual festival will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 14 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 15 with APRIL 14 14--15 SCANDINAVIAN FESTIVAL GETS NEW LOOK SEE BACK COVER FOR DONATION INFORMATION inside... Replica door ornaments by Kjetil Groven 4 CLU Students plan Scandinavian Club 6 Norway’s Leif Ove Andsnes Directs OJAI FESTIVAL 5 (Special rate for SACHF members) entertainment, cuisine and demonstrations highlighting the Nordic cultures of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. Beginning Saturday morning with a colorful parade, Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish and Saami participants in their traditional costumes, carrying flags of their Nordic countries, will proceed to the main festival stage for the opening ceremony, with the singing of the national anthems and official greetings. Focal point for the festival this year is a newly combined entertainment and dining area located in Kingsmen Park, centered around the festival stage and surrounded by food booths serving popular Scandinavian meals and delicacies. Flags and banners will festoon the area to create a colorful festival atmosphere. Entertainment will continue on the festival stage throughout the weekend. Dr. Jerry Miller, CLU President Emeritus and member of the Festival Committee remarked, “We are excited about this year’s festival, especially because our newly combined dining and entertainment area will (continued on page 3) NOTES FROM SACHF PRESIDENT LARRY JOHNSON THREE MAJOR HAPPENINGS — SACHF makes things happen, great Scandinavian-American happenings that educate, inspire, inform, celebrate and keep alive our culture and history. Thanks to many people, the three major happenings are the Scandinavian Center, the annual Scandinavian Festival, and the annual Nordic Spirit Symposium. It’s time to highlight all the folks who make them happen. SCANDINAVIAN FESTIVAL The first Scandinavian Festival at CLU happened in 1974. In 2007, SACHF assumed full sponsorship and management of this annual happening which draws thousands of people. Thanks to dedicated volunteers under the able direction of Sandra Grunewald, festival director, who will make the 38th festival on April 14-15 another wonderful event. Beginning to make plans eight months ago, this year’s Festival Committee includes the following: opening ceremonies – Ingrid Isaksen; family activities – Joy Brooks and Kiersten Lucas; vendors/banners/signage – Lowell and Beverly Lykken; marketing – Dick and Vinetta Lundstrom; security – Bob Melsness; fundraising – Jerry Miller; ticket sales – Niels and Connie Mikkelsen; entertainment and lectures – Sandra Grunewald; CLU student workers and outreach program – WHO MAKES THINGS HAPPEN? Deb Erikson; cars and motorcycles – SCANDINAVIAN CENTER Joann Scott; CLU liaison – Jeff Miller; The center on the corner of festival worship service – as well as all Mountclef and Faculty opened in 2003. the Scandinavian pastors. It’s been a “Happening Place” ever since. Weekly Brown Bag Lunch gatherNORDIC SPIRIT SYMPOSIUM ings happen with enlightening speakers The 13th Annual Symposium in put together by Anita Londgren, plus February this year again brought some thanks to Dick Londgren as of the world’s top Scandinavian scholcenter director who oversees center ars to the CLU campus one of the finest needs. Also there are Norwegian and academic, creative and well-planned Swedish language classes, laceScandinavian-focused conferences in making, book discussion group, rosethe country. It, however, doesn’t just maling, genealogy assistance, CLU “happen.” It is the result of the marvelScandinavian Student Club, board and ous ongoing work headed by symposi- committee meetings. um founder and director, Howard A lot of it happens thanks to behind Rockstad. -the-scenes folks: hospitality – Sandee Kane, Lana Lundin, Ingrid Isaksen, Thanks also for those joining him Mary Welz, Siri Eliason, Fred Tonsing on the planning committee – Jane and CLU students Sarah Peterson and Sandler, Elissa Della Rocca, Larry Mirielles Gilbert; yard – Diane Seal, Ashim, Fred Tonsing, Allan Carlson. Mary Welz; library – Rachel Schmidt, There are many other task groups: Marilyn Peterson, Anita Londgren, nametags, registration, packets – Joy Lana Lundin; handyman work – TorBrooks, Diane Seal, Lana Lundin, sten Olsson, Dick Londgren, Howard Mary Welz, Larry Ashim, Ingrid Rockstad, Jan Wennberg; museum – Isaksen, Howard Rockstad; audience Dick and Anita Londgren, Fred microphones – Aleta Buckelew, Sonja Tonsing, Diane Seal; genealogy assisBuckelew, Marty Schwalm; transport- tance – Jerry Baldwin; book group – ing speakers – Larry and Karen Lana Lundin; historian – Pat Sladek. Ashim; coffee breaks – Norseman Lodge members Sandee Kane, David All SACHF MEMBERS can be proud of and Karen Bosworth, Bonnie these major happenings and the people Braaten, Jane Colby, Norma Cretal, who make them possible. If you are not Beverly Lykken, Frances Marshall, a SACHF member, we invite you to beMarilyn Molinari, Carolyn Peterson, come one and support in any way you Sharon Smith, Karen Switzler; Scan- can our mission to keep making good dinavian Center socials – Dick and things happen for our Scandinavian Anita Londgren, Diane Seal, John culture and heritage community. Syrdahl, Renato Della Rocca. the Nordic spirit newsletter SCANDINAVIAN AMERICAN CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL FOUNDATION, INC. The Scandinavian Center at California Lutheran University Richard and Anita Londgren, Directors 60 W. Olsen Road - 2600, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 President Larry H. T. Johnson Larry H. T. Johnson EDITOR: Vice President Siri Eliason Siri Eliason Judith Gabriel Vinje Secretary Joy Brooks Joy Brooks Jgabriel.vinje@gmail.com CFO Sandra Grunewald Sandra Grunewald Past President Howard K. Rockstad BOARD OF DIRECTORS Howard K. Rockstad Lynn M. Anderson, Larry D. Ashim, Joy Brooks, C. Allan Carlson, Siri Eliason, Sandra Grunewald, Mary Hekhuis, Larry H.T. Johnson, Anita Hillesland Londgren, Lana Lundin, Robert Melsness, Niels Mikkelsen, Agneta Nilsson, Rueben Perttula, Howard K. Rockstad, Joann Scott, Paul Sellin, Patricia Sladek, Leonard S. Smith, Ernst F. Tonsing, Judith Gabriel Vinje. 2 Nordic Spirit Newsletter 38th Annual SCANDINAVIAN FESTIVAL Something for Everyone April 14-15 at CLU ‘AFFORDABLE FAMILY FUN’ EDUCATIONAL CRAFTS Among the offerings for kids and youth this year are crafts and projects representing all the Scandinavian countries. Viking whipcord with weighted bobbins and colorful strings is fun for the whole family. Adults can try their hands at crafts such as Hardanger and bobbin lace. Emcee Ross Sutter Returning to the Festival will be the Ravens of Odin Viking Encampment, and Nathan Muus and his Saami Siiddastallan (community gathering). Nathan will also lecture in Nygreen 101 and present a film, “Solveig.” ABBA NORDIC SHOPPING Shoppers can choose from a variety of Scandinavian Girlz Festival Director handicrafts and other items offered by 40 vendors on the Sandra Grunewald festive Nordic Shopping Avenue. With its emphasis on (continued from p1) “Affordable Family Fun,” the festival will feature a variety of edugenerate an energized and festive atmosphere that will per- cational, craft and other entermeate throughout the festival. Our entertainment is outtainment activities for the standing. We are also using the park to give a greater pres- children as well as the entire ence to the various Scandinavian groups in the area who family. CLU students will help participate and support our festival.” kids make a variety of Scandinavian items, from head wreaths to `an energized and festive atmosphere’ troll puppets, Norwegian fish bags to wood butter knives and Ross Sutter will be emcee on the Main Stage, and Saami wooden reindeer heads, will also play his accordion for the festive circling around or families can try on Viking garb the traditional Maypole, which will start at the Festival and pose for a picture in the Stage at 1:45 p.m. each afternoon. “Take a Liking to a Viking” activiFrom rock to Saami yoik, there will be a variety of mu- ty. “It’s a festival that has somesic. The Abba Girlz will stage their flashy tribute to the fathing for everyone,” noted Sanmous Swedish rock group ABBA at 4 p.m. on Saturday and dra Grunewald, festival direc3 p.m. on Sunday. The New York City based tribute duo tor. will perform on the Festival Stage both afternoons. Also appearing on stage will be the duo Jensen and Bugge, master fiddler and accordion musicians from DenSPEAKERS TENT — Programs in the Speakers Tent mark; Deborah and Garth Phillipsen singing Norwegian and Nygreen Hall will introduce festival-goers to Saami and Gospel tunes; Västkustens Spelmanslag will play on culture, the Swedish Nyckelharpa and Norwegian settlers Sunday for open dancing and veteran fiddler Tim Rued will in the Conejo. Speakers will include Leonard Smith, Ernst give a variety of lectures, plus play a variety of instruments. Tonsing, Mary Olsen Rydberg, Gerry Olsen and others. Dance performances will be presented by the Scandia Lecture times and locations are listed in the festival proDancers of California, the Katirilli Dancers, and the Swegram, and on the festival website. dish Folkdance Club of L.A. And for everyone, the Gammaldans (old-time dance) scandinaviancenter.org/scandinavian_festival/ will be back again under the main tent at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 14. Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation 3 STAVE CHURCH PORTALS, METALWORK REPLICAS ARRIVING AT CLU ‘All the proportions are just perfect’ — Kjetil Groven Borgund Stavkirke at Lærdal in Western Norway is the only stave church that has remained unchanged since the Middle Ages photo by Ernst F. Tonsing REPLICA ORNAMENTS — Blacksmith Kjetil Grovel with the keyhole plate and knocker he made for the stave church door. NORWEGIAN-BORN BLACKSMITH MAKES REPLICA TRIMMINGS FOR CHURCH DOOR Kjetil Groven was born in Skien, Norway, the largest town in Telemark. He came to the U.S. in 1999 to finish his degree in mechanical engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. He met his wife Lori during that time and has lived in the U.S. ever since. After a while, he found out that working as an engineer was not what he wanted. “Engineering was too little hands on work. So I started working as a log home builder, and then I started to do blacksmithing, the reason being that I could make my own tools for log construction.” He joined a local blacksmith group and took a couple of 4 classes, but mostly he is selftaught in both wood and blacksmith work. He also had three years of school as a farm mechanic in Norway, “so that gave me a good metal background.” His first big blacksmithing job was for the Borgund stave church in Rapid City, South Dakota, for which he made the hand railing on the outside of the church. “I am drawn to stave churches and other old Norwegian buildings, first of all for the craftsmanship,” Groven said. “It is amazing how they got it done with the simple tools they had in those times. The architecture is also very appealing to me – all the proportions are just perfect.” Nordic Spirit Newsletter The stave church door portals, a magnificently re-created version of the ornate carved panels framing the door of the Borgund Stave Church in Norway, will be officially dedicated during the opening ceremony of the Scandinavian Festival. Master woodcarver Phillip Odden will drive to CLU from his home and workshop in Wisconsin with his masterful portal, which will be on display at the SACHF booth during the Scandinavian Festival. The portal is a scaled copy of the panels on the Borgund Stave Church in Norway. The arrival at CLU represents a step toward the dream of building a replica of an authentic stave church erected on the CLU campus. Odden was commissioned by the Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation to carve the panels. Funds were raised by contributions from members and friends desiring to preserve Scandinavian heritage with this iconic tribute. Odden and his wife, Else Bigton, are master carvers of the ancient styles found on stave churches in Norway. They made portals for stave churches at Disney World Epcot Center, which is an 80% replica of the Borgund church, and the full-scale replica of the Gol Church in Minot, North Dakota. The patterns for the carving were taken directly from the original church. The Borgund Stave Church, located in Lærdal, Norway, on the Sognefjord, is the best preserved of Norway's 28 extant stave churches. It was built sometime between AD 1180 and 1250. The dream of seeing a stave church replica at CLU originally stems from Jim Hage, a member of Aasgaarden Sons of Norway Lodge, Monterey, who has pledged to make a major donation toward its fulfillment, as part of his estate plan. In an article in CLU’s Horizons magazine, Hage, who had been looking for a West Coast site for a stave church reproduction, noted that he chose CLU because it is “a strong institution with vision for the future, and I am pleased to commit a major gift to enrich its facilities, programs and connections to the vitality of Nordic cultures.” Members of the CLU Stave Church Advisory Committee are Eloise Cohen, Siri Eliason, Sandra Grunewald, Tim Hengst (CLU), Larry Johnson, Allan Leland, Richard Londgren, Bob Melsness and Howard Rockstad. Leif Ove Andsnes and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra NORWEGIAN PIANIST LEIF OVE ANDSNES . . . MUSIC DIRECTOR FOR ‘...the idyllic, unspoiled and honest atmosphere of Ojai’ THE 66TH OJAI MUSIC FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE JUNE 7-10, 2012 clarinetist Martin Fröst; Dutch mezzo-soprano Christianne Stotijn; German actress Barbara Sukowa; and American composer John Luther Adams. During the four-day music event, audiences will enjoy the U.S. premiere of composer Bent Sørensen’s Piano Concerto No. 2 written for Andsnes, as well as works by the The Ojai Music Festival will welcome Norwegian th Icelandic composer Haflidi Hallgrímsson and emerging pianist Leif Ove Andsnes as Music Director for its 66 Norwegian composer Elvind Buene’s Langsam und season, June 7 to 10, which will explore his wide-ranging Schmachtend, which reflects on the music of Wagner. musical interests and celebrate his artistic collaborations. Andsnes is one of the most sought-after pianists of his Andsnes and Hamelin will perform Stravinsky’s arrangement for two pianos of the massive Rite of Spring. generation, appearing regularly with the world’s leading orchestras and giving recitals in the foremost concert halls. Also an active chamber musician and award-winning reTickets and Information cording artist, he performs at the Risør Chamber Music For detailed programs and tickets, visit Festival, Norway, which he co-founded and served as artisOjaiFestival.org. Single tickets range from $15 to tic director from 1992 to 2010. $110 and festival passes from $25 to $685. This will not be Andsnes’ first visit to Ojai. “When I visited Ojai for the first time last April, I fell in love with the place, saw the possibilities and came away with the inspiraSACHF members receive 20% discount tion for our festival. My thoughts on programming are on total ticket order. heavily influenced by place. As in Risør, the idyllic, Please use SACHF20 promo code unspoiled and honest atmosphere of Ojai seemed to demand programs that are built not around specific artists but at www.OjaiFestival.org rather pieces in both a spatial and temporal context.” or call 805 646 2053. Joining Andsnes at the Ojai Music Festival will be (offer expires 4/20/2012; some restrictions apply) many of his favorite artistic collaborators: the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra; pianist Marc-André Hamelin; Dutch conductor/composer Reinbert de Leeuw; Swedish Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation 5 Five Languages CLU STUDENTS LAUNCHING SCANDINAVIAN CLUB Festival Worship Worship, sing and pray in Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish and English Sunday, April 15, 10:30 a.m. in Samuelson Chapel at CLU. The service this year will include a brief message by each pastor focusing on hymns from the various traditions. Holy Communion will be celebrated on this second Sunday of Easter. The offering received this year will be given to the newly formed Student Scandinavian Club on the CLU campus, according to Larry Johnson, SACHF president and coordinator of the service planning committee. Participating will be the Rev. Pernilla Hakansdotter-Olsson of the Church of Sweden, Los Angeles; the Rev. Line Kvalvaag of the Norwegian Seamen's Church, San Pedro; the Rev. AnneGrethe Krogh Nielsen of the Danish Lutheran Church, Yorba Linda; the Rev. Rueben Perttula of the Finnish Lutheran Church, Van Nuys; the Rev. Guy Erwin, CLU religion professor; and Kyle Johnson, CLU organist. The Scandinavian Book Group meets at the Scandinavian Center to discuss books written by Scandinavian authors. It will meet March 29 to discuss “The Man from Beijing” by Swedish writer Henning Mankell. To learn about Mankell and read a synopsis of the book, go to henningmankell.com. Participants take turns selecting a book and leading the discussion. The group meets at 1 p.m. the fourth Thursday of the month. SACHF board member Lana Lundin is the group coordinator. As of March, the group has read the following books: Finnish, “The Lapp King’s Daughter” by Stina Katchadourian; Norwegian, “Berlin Poplars” by Anne B. Ragde; Swedish, “Astrid and Veronika” by Linda Olsson. 6 Planning to form a Scandinavian Club at CLU — From left, Jared Berman, Christine Neal, Sarah Peterson, Mirielles Gilbert and Breanna Drummond. ‘Preacher’s Kid’ and his new book LEONARD SMITH TO LEAD FESTIVAL DISCUSSION A book by SACHF board member Leonard Smith, emeritus professor of history at CLU, is receiving rave reviews in scholarly publications such as The Lutheran Quarterly and American Historical Review. Religion and the Rise of History: Martin Luther and the Cultural Revolution in Germany, 17601810, published by Cascade Books, addresses the 18th century emergence of a new view of history called historicism. In it, Smith describes how Martin Luther's thought and a distinctly "Lutheran ethos" deeply influenced the rise of a modern historical consciousness during the formative period of modern German thought, education, and culture from 1760 to 1810. In The Lutheran Quarterly, Mark Mattes of Grand View University, Iowa, calling it a “remarkable book,” notes that Smith is describing the rise of historicism, the notion that all thought is shaped by history, which was included in Lutheran thought. Nordic Spirit Newsletter According to Smith, Luther’s interpretation of the Lord’s Supper represents a set of values that Lutherans share, an “in-with-andunder” way of viewing life by which God’s spirit animates the world. ‘...in-with-and-under’ Richard L. Gawthrop of Franklin College wrote in the American Historical Review, "Nevertheless, Religion and the Rise of History, the product of several decades of teaching, reading, and reflection, is a work of outstanding originality and deserves a wide readership. Smith's thesis has major, potentially transformative, implications for the fields of historiography, German cultural history, and the history of Western Christianity." Smith, a true “PK,” (that is, a “Pastor’s Kid”) is indeed the son of a pastor. He will lead a discussion on “Confirmation, The Parsonage and PKs” at the Scandinavian Festival from 12 to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in Room 101, Nygreen Hall. ANITA’S CORNER SCANDINAVIAN CENTER: A FOUR-IN-ONE OPERATION By ANITA HILLESLAND LONDGREN Scandinavian Center Program Director Wednesdays at the Scandinavian Center are always very busy – and sometimes full of surprises! We can never anticipate who will come in the front door. Generally, those who do are folks we already know. But, occasionally a “first timer” or a visitor or a SACHF member who hasn’t come before will be one of our “surprises.” One recent Wednesday, we had FOUR (count as separate arrivals)! All were interesting people, but one I considered “unique.” As I saw her closing the front door, I went over to greet her (thinking it was someone else who had been absent for several weeks), but this visitor told me that she has been coming on Tuesdays for the lacemaking group, but never had time to look around. So, she had come that day “to see the museum.” [Wow! I thought to myself. How encouraging!] After welcoming her, I handed her a Self-Guided Tour brochure and encouraged her to look around. A few minutes later, she asked me if there is a library, too. As we walked through the kitchen, I pointed out the rosemaled doors on the cabinets, and some of the items in the “map room” and then into the library/office area. I explained about the collection and left her to browse. How happy I was to see her sitting at the table with a book or two that had caught her attention! REGISTERED MUSEUM In addition to serving as an activity center – for Brown Bag Lunch programs, Norwegian and Swedish language classes, a lace-making group, meeting location for the SACHF board and the local Sons of Norway board, plus various committees for both organizations – the center is also a registered historical museum in Ventura County, with Fred Tonsing serving as SACHF’s representative (currently it is number 25 on the brochure). It is also an extension of the Cal Lutheran Pearson Library (a growing number of interlibrary loans are being processed by Pearson Library’s Kathy Horneck, Interlibrary Loan Coordinator), and it is a genealogy center under the leadership of Jerry Baldwin. Sometimes I refer to the center as a “four-in-one” operation. BROWN BAG LUNCH SPEAKERS Niels Mikkelsen Eloise Olson Cohen photo by JGV photo by E.F. Tonsing Recent Brown Bag Lunch (or BBL) programs have featured such speakers as Eloise Olson Cohen, daughter of Cal Lutheran’s second president Raymond Olson; George Lange and Jim Friedl from the Conejo Recreation and Parks District, Bob Ritterbush showing recently acquired Baltic Viking antiques; and a Thousand Oaks High School instrumental quartet led by Cole Syverson, Norwegian-American student and cello player. From the CLU School of Management, Bonnie Johnson tackled the question, “What Makes IKEA Successful?” Addressing her Finnish roots and Michigan background, Mary Hekhuis charmed the BBL group with readings from her abbreviated family history/ recipe book – and the samples of cookies she brought based on some of those recipes! Earlier in the year, Erling Dugan enlightened us about Norwegians in Brooklyn, some of whom live out here now. Coming next, Connie and Niels Mikkelsen telling about their lives in Denmark, Canada and the U.S., Dr. Jackson Crawford from UCLA’s Scandinavian Studies Dept. will talk about “Runes,” and SACHF board members will attend to talk about SACHFs history. And sometime this Spring, “Scandinavian Suite,” music recently composed by SACHF board member Fred Tonsing, will be performed. A new, larger TV has been installed, and several items have been moved around to give them better visibility or protection. In the process, items that were almost out-of-sight have been placed in locations where they can be easily viewed and admired. CLU SCANDINAVIAN CLUB Assisting several CLU students who are interested in forming a Scandinavian student club on campus (first ever!) has been an on-going activity since the first of the year, and after developing a budget and constitution, the five officers are close to submitting their application to CLU’s Student Senate. Two of the girls volunteer to help set up cookies and coffee for our BBLs, assisting Sandee Kane and me, for an hour each Wednesday morning. Stay tuned for more developments next time! the SCANDINAVIAN CENTER AT CLU is located at 26 Faculty Road for information call 805-241-1051 visit us online www.ScandinavianCenter.org or e-mail us at ScanCenter@callutheran.edu Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation 7 SACHF is your— HERITAGE PORTAL TO SCANDINAVIAN HERITAGE past and future the SCANDINAVIAN AMERICAN CULTURAL & HISTORICAL FOUNDATION SACHF MEMBERSHIP new or renewal NAME(s) ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________________________ CITY__________________________________________________________________________ E-MAIL ________________________________________________PHONE _________________ CIRCLE HERITAGE D I F N S Other Make checks payable to SACHF Household (family) $50___ Individual $35___ Fulltime student $20 ___ Sponsor/organization $75 ___ Nordic Golden Circle Life $1,000 ___ Patron $500 ___ Corporate Member $250 ___ Mailing address: SACHF, 60 W. Olsen Rd #2600, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360