Decorah, IA

Decorah's Vesterheim connects Norwegian-American history with the practice of folk art. Its collections began at Luther College in 1877 and developed into an independent museum and folk school. Historic buildings, household objects and works of craftsmanship present the experience of migration and settlement, while classes allow traditional skills to be practised in the present. The Heritage Park adds buildings to the account offered by the museum galleries. Connections with Norway continue through artistic and cultural exchange. Vesterheim gives Decorah a setting in which inherited forms are both preserved as historical evidence and used as the starting point for new work.