Spring 2014
Viking Bugle
Eric Nelson, CEO Michael Ide, Volunteer Coordinator, (206) 789-5707 x12, michaeli@nordicmuseum.org
From the Volunteer Coordinator INSIDE THIS ISSUE: From the Volunteer Coordinator
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A Note from the Events Coordinator
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Museum News: Staff Update
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Museum News: Exhibits Update
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Museum News: Employee Gift Match
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Volunteer News: In Memory
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Volunteer News: Guest Article: How Nordic is Ballard now?
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Volunteer News: National Volunteer Week
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Volunteer Appreciation
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Volunteer Opportunities
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Spring Calendar
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I’ve been promising a very eventful spring at the Nordic Heritage Museum, and it looks like it is here at last! I hope you’re as ready as we are!
A Note from Mary Bond, Event Coordinator
The 29th Annual Northern Lights Auktion is Saturday, May 10th at the Seattle Grand Hyatt, and doors will open at 5:00pm. This volunteer-driven event On April 14 the Volunteer Council will wouldn’t be the same without the host the annual Spring Tea, complete dedication of the Auktion Committee and with fashion show and all sorts of Nordic the day-of volunteers. Please consider treats. Proceeds go to support our volunteering to help at this event that really kitchen fund. Later that week on April puts the Museum’s best foot forward. 19 the Ballard Jazz Festival will host a Pancake Breakfast and their Mainstage Volunteer Parking concert at the Museum. Opportunities Please note that the auction will be on a to assist are still available! Saturday this year and that parking may be more difficult than on a Sunday. There are The month of May will be a very busy several options for volunteer parking one, as we prepare for the following including: driving individually, carpooling, back to back events: the Northern public transportation, and—new this year—a Lights Auktion, the Danish Modern shuttle provided by the Museum. This Member Preview, Syttende Mai, and shuttle will depart from and return to the Mostly Nordic. If you can volunteer at Museum, and the shuttle schedule will one or more of these events, please let coincide with major volunteer shifts at the me know! They will all be great, and we auction. need all the help we can get. We’ll end that month with a well earned Donating and Volunteering Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on May If you have any last minute items or 28 at 5:30 PM at the Museum. All are experiences you still want to donate the welcome! silent auction, the deadline to do so April 25 For more information about donating, June marks my 3rd year as your volunteer coordinator, and it seems like contact Mary Bond at (206) 789-5707 x38, or maryb@nordicmuseum.org a good opportunity to mention that it remains a pleasure and a privilege to be For more information about volunteering, in this position. You continue to be the contact Michael at (206) 789-5707 x12, very best part of my job, and I thank you or michaeli@nordicmuseum.org for that. In honor of National Volunteer Your continued commitment and support Week, I’ll also thank you on behalf of are recognized and truly appreciated. the Museum. Volunteers are vital to the Thank you! And see you soon! daily work as well as to the spirit of the Nordic Heritage Museum. --Michael
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Museum News STAFF UPDATE DEPARTURES Dylan High, Facilities Coordinator After launching our Teen Council program and spending a year coordinating our facility, Dylan accepted a full time position in the Burke Museum’s Education Department. Congratulations, Dylan! We’ll miss you!
EXPANSIONS Sandra Nestorovic, Deputy Director of Operations Very happily for us, Sandra has returned to the Museum in an expanded role. We are delighted to have Sandra back!
Bryce Terry, Facilities Coordinator With Dylan’s departure, Bryce has agreed to take on the duties of Facilities Coordinator as well as his custodial duties. We are very appreciative of Bryce’s flexibility— and his ability to lift a 5 gallon bucket of pancake batter. Thank you Bryce!
ARRIVALS Kiersten Bowers, Membership and Database Coordinator Welcome Kiersten! Kiersten grew up in Bothell and recently graduated from Pacific Lutheran University. While there she studied abroad in Norway and Hungary and earned her degree with a major in Norwegian Language. She also held positions while in college as the assistant to the director of the Scandinavian Cultural Center and was Assistant General Manager of the student radio station.
Kirstine Bendix Knudsen, Contract Worker Kirstine is a native Dane who moved to Seattle in July 2013 with her husband and two children due to his relocation with Microsoft. She has advanced degrees in Danish Language and History of Art. Her most recent employment was with the Danish Ministry of Culture, Copenhagen. While she is at the Nordic Heritage Museum, she will be gathering letters of support, and preparing grant proposals for
Musical Offices... With all these staff changes, we’ve done some office shuffling. Alison Church, Stina Cowan, Jeremy Ehrlich, a.k.a the Education Department has moved to the Mezzanine, adjacent to the Gordon Tracie Library. Jan Colbrese Woldseth has moved into the former Education Office, on the 3rd floor. Kirsten Olsen has moved from the Main Office to the Collections Office on the 3rd floor. Sandra Nestorovic has moved into the Main Office, on the 2nd floor.
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Museum News Exhibit Update: Dream of America If you’ve walked through the Dream of America exhibit on the Museum’s first floor lately, you may have noticed a few changes. On view since 1986, the exhibit was beginning to show signs of its age, from fading photos to damaged labels. The Curatorial Department spent many months working as a team, supported by contract Exhibitions Assistant Robin Kaufman, to give the Dream a fresh facelift. In addition to replacing photographs, re-writing labels to streamline the narrative, and improving paint and lighting, the team also worked to add objects from the Museum’s collection throughout the exhibition, highlighting the personal stories behind the objects on display. Another new addition is a small “theater” area where visitors can view excerpts from the film, The Letter from America. A big thanks to the Thursday and Monday crews for all their help with the renovation: from painting to fence-building, from lighting to wall-construction, their skilled handiwork is visible throughout. Come see the new features of the Dream of America!
Members of the Thursday Crew constructing the theater wall: L to R, John Speak, Bill Weed, Chris Hardy, Maurie Inglis, Sig Eriksen, and Ron Hornung.
Volunteer Match Programs If your company matches monetary donations, or donations of volunteer time, from employees or retirees, your donation of time or dollars can do farther! If you don’t know if your company matches donations of time or money, or are having trouble signing up, we can help! Please contact the Development Director Jan, at (206) 789-5707 x39, or Volunteer Coordinator, Michael, at (206) 789-5707 x12, if you would like help filling out the paperwork or on-line forms, or for any other assistance. Thanks!
These local companies have gift match programs: Adobe Acordia Northwest Alaska Air Amazon AT&T Wireless Bank of America Boeing Bothell Windermere Chevron City of Kirkland Claffey’s Paint Cranium Corbix Corixo
Costco Drugstore.com Eddie Bauer Expedia Getty Images Home Street Bank Issaquah Trophy and Award Kirkland Windermere KPMG Macy’s Medtronic Microsoft Motorola Nike Nintendo Nordstrom Qwest
Puget Sound Energy Pyramid RealNetworks Red Hook Red Robbin REI Safeco Seattle’s Best Coffee Shurgard Starbucks State Farm Insurance Sur La Table Telecom Pioneers T-Mobile UPS Uwajimaya Zymogenetics
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Volunteer News
In Memory We fondly remember our dear friends who passed away this winter. Each was a strong supporter of the Museum and worked hard to advance its mission in different ways. We cherish their commitment, and celebrate their contribuƟons, and will miss them dearly.
Lee Whitehill
Maria Gihlstrom
Elsie Norman
Anna Maria Steiner
Please consider sending along photographs of the members of our Museum’s volunteer community who have passed away this year. I will create a slide show in remembrance to present at the Spring Volunteer Appreciation Dinner in May.
Guest Article: How Nordic Is Ballard Now? By Michelle Eastman While I was working at the Admissions Desk one day, a visitor to the museum asked me: how Nordic is Ballard? Perhaps this person expected to see people in costumes with signs for lefse at every café, I don’t know, but whatever she was expecting she seemed a little disappointed not to have seen it here in Ballard. Even though I’ve lived here most of my life and am of Norwegian descent I could only think of a couple of places that readily came to mind besides the museum that represented the area’s Nordic culture: Larsen’s Bakery and Scandinavian
Specialties. As I thought about it though, I realized there are many more ways that Ballard has retained its ties to the Nordic countries, and Norway in particular. I began doing some research about the area looking for goodies and cultural events and made some wonderful discoveries about the neighborhood. I thought I’d share some of my findings about the area’s Nordic connections with you. Some of you might be familiar with the places and cultural activities I’m going to mention if you’ve been around here for years but if you haven’t, this might be especially useful for you. I’ll start with food places because food is one of my favorite parts of
culture. For baked goods, there is Larsen’s (Danish) Bakery, on the corner of 24th Avenue and 80th Street, opened in 1974 by Poul Larsen, who studied pastry making in Copenhagen under Denmark’s best chefs, beginning at age 14. The bakery is known for its Danish kringle but also carries other Nordic pastries, cakes, and breads (see website or visit store to learn more). For other food stuffs of the nonbaked variety there is the Fresh Fish Co next to Larsen’s. They carry such Nordic staples such as pickled herring, smoked salmon, and salmon.
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Volunteer News
While the Fresh Fish Co. may have the fish, the main go-to food place for your Nordic desires food and otherwise, from all of the countries is Scandinavian Specialties over by Ballard High School with the place’s variety of meat, fish, cheese, desserts, and sandwiches (openfaced, of course). On their website they have an impressive list of foods and baking supplies to fulfill your needs such as baking mixes for rosettes, krumkaker, sandbakkelse, lefse, Swedish rolls, pancakes, and rømmegrøt; both crisp and flat breads, lingonberries, currant and gooseberry jams. If you’re in need of Nordic cookware they have that too (plett and æbleskiver pans and lefse grills) as well as many other items you might need to adorn a Nordic table, home, or yourself. Scandinavian Specialties has a pretty impressive array of Nordic things. Aside from Scandinavian Specialties there is another place that sells a few types of Nordic cookware to help you create your own Nordic dishes, Kitchen N Things, on the corner of 24th Avenue and Market Street. A neighbor of mine bought his Danish æbleskiver pans there and when I’ve passed by the store I’ve seen krumkake irons and rollers as well as kransekake pans. Between Kitchen N Things and Scandinavian Specialties you can probably find what you need to make your own Nordic meal.
Food isn’t the only sign of Ballard’s historical Nordic identity; there are heritagerelated sites as well, the two parks just off of Market Street, Bergen Place and Marvin’s Garden. Bergen Place, the small park where of 22nd Ave, Leary Way and Market Street, meet, has flags from all of the Nordic countries and a mural which commemorates Seattle’s connection to its Sister City in Norway, Bergen for which the park is named. The park also has an exhibit by Jennifer Dixon called Witness Trees with three “trees” demonstrating Nordic cultural heritage. Two “trees” embody either a cultural figure or aspect of Denmark and Norway respectively, while the other “tree” represents the connection between Norway and Seattle.
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Historical District to the south of Market Street in 1976. Nordic ties in Ballard go beyond sites that Nordic people have visited, but also to the active pursuit of cultural activities. You’ll find a center for Norwegian cultural heritage between 22nd avenue and 24th avenue on 59th street at the Leif Erikson Lodge, the home of the Sons (and Daughters) of Norway who seek to promote Norwegian heritage and culture as well as connect to other Nordic countries. They offer a Kaffestua and a library, language and heritage classes, as well as Leikarringen, traditional dance, music, and song. (The children’s version of
Leikarringen, Barneleikarringen is sometimes here too, but is usually at the Museum.) They also have a Norwegian Heritage Day The other park, Marvin’s Garden with traditional food, music and at 22nd Avenue and Ballard folk songs, crafts, genealogy, and Avenue celebrates the a costume parade. As for other neighborhood’s Swedish ties. places to go in Ballard for Nordic Marvin’s Garden (now named culture there is the Icelandic after Marvin Club, holds board meetings at the Sjoberg, the Museum and participates in many “Honorary community events including Mayor” of Viking Days for example Ballard) used to be the old site Besides its various avenues for of the Ballard Nordic culture, Ballard City Hall and demonstrates its Nordic identity King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden through religion in the form of dedicated a little park there while Lutheranism. Historically he was in Ballard to declare, in an Lutheranism has been the official proclamation, the dominant religion of the Nordic opening of the Ballard Avenue countries (though this is
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changing. You can see the presence of the Lutheran churches: Ballard First Lutheran (at 2006 NW 65th St), Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church (2400 NW 85th St), and the Finnish Lutheran Church (8504 13th Ave) as evidence of the Nordic character of the neighborhood today. Our Redeemer’s has a LuciaFest celebrating Saint Lucia, following Swedish tradition. The Finnish Lutheran Church in particular has retained its link to Finland in both its name and services in the Finnish language.
Volunteer News In terms of historical religious national identity Ballard still has some ties to the Nordic countries, particularly through Finland. I know I didn’t write about every way Nordic heritage is still a part of the area, but I hope I touched on some significant as well as lesser known aspects of the Nordic legacy. Based on my new and old knowledge of Ballard, I believe the neighborhood to be very Nordic in terms of food, food supplies, heritage sites, cultural venues, and places of religious worship. Every Nordic country’s influence may not be equally illustrated in Ballard, but
it is represented outside of the Museum as well as inside it. (If I have underrepresented any nationality it was unintentional and I intend to make up for it in future articles. My article was also focused particularly on Ballard outside of the museum.) Sources: UW Digital Collections www.visitseattle.org Norwegian Seattle by Kristine Leander Larsen’s Bakery website Scandinavian Specialties website
NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK: APRIL 6-12 To honor our collective volunteers, institutions in the Puget Sound region are offering free, reciprocal admission during National Volunteer Week. This means that you can go to area zoos, museums and aquariums, flash your NHM nametag and enjoy what they have to offer for free! Let me know if you need a nametag printed! • You must show your volunteer name tag • Free admission is only for active volunteers, and excludes friends and family members • Free admission is limited to the times/dates outlined by the host organization. Here is a list of participating organizations. Some restrictions apply, so contact them (or us) before you go to get the full details. And enjoy!
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Bainbridge Island Museum of Art Bellevue Arts Museums Burke Museum The Center for Wooden Boats Children’s Museum of Tacoma EMP Museum Frye Art Museum Hands On Children’s Museum Harbor History Museum Henry Art Gallery Imagine Children’s Museum Issaquah History Museums Kids Quest Children’s Museum LeMay —America’s Car Museum LeMay Family Collection at Marymont Log House Museum The Museum of Flight Museum of Glass Museum of History and Industry Naval Undersea Museum Nordic Heritage Museum
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Northwest African American Museum
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Northwest Railway Museum’s Snoqualmie Valley Railroad
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Northwest Trek Olympic Sculpture Park Pacific Science Center Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium Puget Sound Navy Museum Renton History Museum Seattle Aquarium Seattle Art Museum Seattle Asian Art Museum Seattle Chinese Garden Seattle Japanese Garden Seattle Parks and Recreation Pools Shoreline Pool Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum Spartan Recreation Center Tacoma Art Museum Washington State History Museum Wing Luke Museum Woodland Park Zoo
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Thank you, volunteers! Welcome New and Returning Volunteers and Interns Abigail Fredrickson Linda Jangaard Camden Kerns Rachael Knudson Conrad Michell Kaare Hage Chris Galvin Darby Kerr Alden Olivia Richardson-Yaw Keith Harman Marjorie Graf Lisa Mothersbaugh Tom Ormbrek Brita Johnson Krystle Solberg Charlotte Heilskov Meghan Lancaster Elizabeth Rudrud Alyssa DePlonty
Programs and Receptions Rebecca Bolin Lindsey Castle Edla Deppman Michelle Eastman Toni Eaton Joanne Foster Sue Gregor Barb Johnson Rich Johnson Jane Kern Margaret Lidberg Mary Lindholm Lorraine Lofgren Kathy Macaulay Barbara Paquette Margot Posey Carleen See Arnfridur Sigurdardottir Marilyn Sheldon Hallie Stegelvik Erik Sundholm Sandy Wakefield
Partner Events Lucy Blue Rich Johnson Gates Onstad Margrét Solvadottir Hallie Stegelvik Marisa Way-Rogainis
Soup and Cinema Series Jan Backman Rebecca Bolin Linda Jangaard Barbara Jeniker Harriett Kemp Lorraine Lofgren Terry Rodriguez
Mostly Nordic Lucy Blue Chris Covert-Bowlds Debi Covert-Bowlds Christine Cummings Michelle Eastman Kris Ewing Sonja Ferkingstad Joanne Foster Chris Galvin Sue Gregor Jenna Gregor Malina Hubler Linda Jangaard Barbara Jeniker Rich Johnson Vince Jolivet Aaron Kitson Keenan Layton Mary Mohler Amanda Munro Eli Mrozek Terry Rodriguez Markus Rook Carleen See Affa Sigurdardottir Nigel Thomas
Interns and Departmental Assistance Operations/ Adminsitration Jonathan Wintrip Astor Rask Krystle Solberg
Development Matt McCallum Ashely Russell Jean Wirch Elizabeth Rudrud
Collections Angela Bartlett Julie Coulter Alyssa Deplonty Kathi Erickson Alison Goetz Steve Harvey Brita Johnson Kerri Keil Marianne Kolden Jenny Linhoff Liisa Mannery Emily McDade Alexi Oliver Tom Ormbrek Marilyn Whitted Valerie Vega Ann Willott NAV Members
Marketing Kirsten Chalfen
Teen Council Lucas Sheetz
Special Thanks Special thanks to the Monday and Thursday Crew and Friends Bill Briest Sig Eriksen Jon Halgren Jon Hanson Chris Hardy Keith Harman Ron Hornung Maurie Inglis Henning Knudsen Lennart Larsson Karl Randolph John Speake Bill Weed A special thank you to the volunteers who supported the Teen Council in various ways during winter session. Barb Johnson Hallie Stegelvik Jenny Linhoff Brandon Benson
And a big thanks to all of the Visitor Services volunteers who keep our doors open and our visitors (and me) happy!
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We Need Your Help! Ballard Jazz Pancake Brunch April 19 We are looking for a handful of volunteers to assist at the fantastic, annual Ballard Jazz Pancake Brunch. The event kicks off at 11 AM. Here are the opportunities: Ticket Seller (10:30 AM-1:30 PM) Pancake Fryers (9 AM-1:30 PM) Kitchen prep/Servers (9:30 AM-1:30 PM) Bussers (10:30 AM-2 PM) Dishwashers/Clean up assistance (11-3 PM)
Northern Lights Auktion May 10 The Northern Lights Auktion is one of our most important and delightful fundraising events of the year. Once again it will take place at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Seattle, and we need volunteers to assist in a variety of capacities throughout the day and evening. This is a big undertaking, and we can’t do it without your help! Volunteers are needed for the following: Set Up Support Load auction items out (7:30-10 AM) Silent Auction set up (10 AM-2 PM) Reception Support Coat Check (4-10) Photography Assistance (4-10) Golden Raffle Ticket Sellers (4-7 PM) Silent Auction Support (4:30-10 PM) (Monitor, closer, packer, secure release) Live Auction Support (6-9 PM) (Handler, Spotter, Bid recorder Invoice runner)
Syttende Mai May 17, 10 AM –4 PM
Syttende Mai falls on a Saturday this year, and it happens to be the bicentennial as well, so we're looking at a busy day! The Museum will be free to the public; we'll have the Fjord Horses and kiddie train outside; the Nordic Cafe will be bustling; we'll have a pop up gift shop; and lots and lots of people! We need your help, so please consider taking a shift or two! There are two shifts throughout the day, and the shift times will vary by position. Volunteers are needed for the following: Nordic Café Kitchen Kitchen prep, sandwich makers, dishwashers (shift times vary) Nordic Café Dining Room Servers, bussers, greeters, cashiers (shift times vary) Visitor Services Gift Shop, Admissions Desk, Info/Phone Desk, (10 AM– 1 PM, 1-4PM)
Membership Sales (10 AM– 1 PM, 1-4PM)
The Syttende Mai Parade 6PM This year marks the 125th year of the Syttende Mai celebration in Seattle. Come walk in the parade with the Museum to celebrate this historic event!
A Note about Transportation: We will provide a shuttle from the Museum to the Hyatt and back that coincides with the major volunteer shift times. For more information, or to sign up, contact Michael at (206) 789-5707 x12, or michaeli@nordicmuseum.org
For more information, or to sign up, contact Michael at (206) 789-5707 x12, or michaeli@nordicmuseum.org
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Spring Calendar April Thurs
3
10-11 AM
Nordic Stories: The Three Cabritos (Norway)
Sun-Sat
6-12
Tues
8
Noon
Soup and Cinema: A Summer Tale (Sweden)
Wed
9
7 PM
Lecture: Future is a Long Story: About Glass, Place and Longing
Mon
14
2-4 PM
Spring Tea
Sat
19
10 AM-1 PM
Ballard Jazz Pancake Brunch
Sun
27
4 PM
Mostly Nordic: Norway
Tues
29
National Volunteer Week
Book Talk: Enchantment Ädventyr, H.C.A., and I Understand
May Thurs
1
10-11 AM
Nordic Stories: A Hippo’s Tale (Sweden)
Sat
10
Thurs
15
Sat
17
Sun
18
Sun-Wed
18-21
Tues
27
7 PM
Film: Victoria
Wed
28
5:30 PM
Volunteer Appreciation Dinner—All Welcome!
Sun
1
4 PM
Mostly Nordic: Iceland
Thurs
5
10-11 AM
Nordic Stories: Hiccup the Seasick Viking (Vikings)
Thurs
5
TBD
Teen Council Exhibit Opening and Reception
Thurs
5
7PM
Pecha Kucha: Danish Modern
Mon
9
10:30 AM
Volunteer Council Meeting—All Welcome!
Mon
9
Noon
Volunteer Potluck—All Welcome!
Thurs
12
7 PM
Documentary: Anders Zorn in the Gilded Age
Mon-Fri
23-27
Weds
25
7 PM
Docomomo WEWA Night at the Museum
Mon
30
7:30 PM
Theatrical Reading: Ibsen
Northern Lights Auktion 6-8 PM
Member Preview: Danish Modern: Design for Living Syttende Mai
4 PM
Mostly Nordic: Finland American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting*
June
Heritage Camp