Works by Norwegian-American Artists

Works by Norwegian-American Artists: During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, about three hundred individuals were considered Norwegian- American artists, "who felt they had to speak to express their feelings by creating some object," (Rolf H. Erickson, 1986). While a universally accepted definition of "Norwegian-American art" has not been determined, the definition followed by the Chicago Norske Klub of 1920 still serves us today. Norwegian- American art was then defined as "painting and sculpture produced by artists with Norwegian backgrounds." Over 180 works in the Luther College Fine Arts Collection concentration were created by Norwegian- American artists. Fifteen of these artists were born in Norway and emigrated to America while fifteen other artists are American but have a strong Norwegian background. Their works form a significant component of the Collection, especially meaningful since Luther College was founded by Norwegian immigrants. Some of the art works in the Norwegian-American Collection also are components of other Named Collections. The fifteen artists born in Norway are Sigvald Asbjørnsen (sculptor and painter from Oslo); Arne Berger (painter from Valdres); Emil Biorn (painter from Oslo); Ben Blessum (painter from Marstein, Romsdalen); Nils Saebjørn Buttedahl (actor and sculptor from Lier); Herbjørn Gausta (painter from Tinn, Telemark); Claus Hoie (print-maker and painter from Stavanger); Tarkjel Landsverk (stone artisan, painter, and carver from Seljord, Telemark); Marie Løkke, aka Mrs. Finn Mathiesen (painter from Oslo); Elizabeth Maurland (potter from Oslo); Karl Peter Andreas Ouren (painter from Halden); Gulbrand Sether (painter from Saerslovbygda, Elverum); Yngvar Sonnichsen (painter from Oslo); and Svend Rasmussen Svendsen (painter from Nittedal). One artist, Lars Haukaness, a painter from Granvin, Hardanger, is considered Norwegian-Canadian, although he spent a substantial portion of his life in the United States. American artists born in the United States who have strong Norwegian backgrounds are Charles Nelson Beck (painter whose parents had ties to Hedemark); William J. Ellingson (printmaker with ancestors from Norway); Paul Fjelde (sculptor whose father emigrated from Norway in 1887); Sydney Glen Fossum (painter whose father emigrated from Oslo and whose mother came from Stranden, near Ålesund); Alexander Grinager (painter whose parents emigrated from Brandbu, Hadeland); Halvor Landsverk (sculptor and carver whose father, Tarkjel, also an artist emigrated from Seljord, Telemark); Arnold Ness Klagstad (painter whose father emigrated from Vingen, Modum); John Maakestad (painter whose grandfather was born in Sørfjord, Hardanger); Lena Qualley (artist and art educator whose family originated from Vestre Slidre, Oppland, Norway); Harley Refsal (woodcarver whose paternal grandfather and grandmother came from Hedemark [grandfather from a farm called Refsal] and whose maternal grandmothers came from Brekke, near Sandnes and from Lista); Gilbert P. Risvold (sculptor whose parents emigrated from Norway) and Cyrus, Orville and Paul Running (artists whose parents had family ties to the Trondheim and Nordfjord areas in north central Norway); and Philip J. Thompson (painter, printmaker and calligrapher who is descended from forebears who came from the Horg Parish near Hovin y Gauldal in Norway and from Varmland in Sweden). Norwegian-American Artists- Who Are They? It has been estimated that there were approximately 300-450 individuals who could be categorized as Norwegian-American artists during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During more recent times, some contemporary artists also have joined this group but are much fewer in number. It must be said that Norwegian-American artists are relatively unknown in the larger world of art. The Union List of Artist Names, the internal database of artists maintained by the J. Paul Getty Trust, contained almost no Norwegian-American artists' names until very recently. Marion Nelson ascribed this obscurity to the fact that there was no natural leader among the Norwegian-American artists to blaze the trail for other artists. He also pointed out that it was difficult to establish Norwegian-American art as a concept as opposed to Norwegian-American literature which had Norwegian as its basic language. Norwegian-American artists who emigrated early, before 1910, tended to study in Norway or other European art centers such as Munich. For example, Emil Biorn trained at the Royal Norwegian School of Drawing in Oslo. Herbjorn Gausta studied at Knud Bergslien's Academy of Art in Oslo and attended the Munich Academy of Art where he won an academy medal. Gulbrand Sether studied at Norway with Fritz Thaulow. Artists who came later (1910-1930) or who were born in the U.S., studied mostly in America. Arne Berger studied in Minneapolis while Ben Blessum attended classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. Sydney Glen Fossum earned his BFA degree at the Minneapolis School of Art and studied at the Art Students League in New York. Marie Løkke studied art in both Europe (Norway and Germany) and the U.S., including work with several teachers in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and with the American impressionist, Charles W. Hawthorne. Norwegian-American artists tended to gather in urban areas, especially Chicago (which had the largest urban concentration of Norwegians in 1900), New York, Minneapolis, Brooklyn, and Seattle. Immigrants in these communities naturally provided a ready market for art that showcased images of the home country. Immigrants also were interested in contemporary portraits of friends and family members and in images of the new world around them. Norwegian-American artists sold some art outside the immigrant community but typically not in significant quantities. Most Norwegian-American artists needed to supplement their studio careers by creating commercial art or teaching. For example, Fossum taught at a number of art schools including the Minneapolis Art Center, the Duluth Art Center and the Walker Art Center. Biorn was a cartoonist, created caricatures and provided illustrations for books. Blessum worked for the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers as an illustrator and promoted tourism to Norway with a poster campaign, lectures and articles for the Norwegian State Railways. Both Biorn and Blessum also provided illustrations for Norwegian-American magazines such as Jul i Vesterheimen (1911-1957) which included art reproductions suitable for framing. Sether worked at numerous jobs to support himself including waiter, dishwasher, and train conductor and became the published author of several Norwegian-language works of fiction. On the other hand, Gausta, Berger, and Løkke, were more or less self-supporting with their art. Gausta, although virtually penniless all his life, painted not only scenes of Norway (Telemark and the Oslo Fjord were favorite subjects) and his new home in southeast Minnesota, but also produced portraits of important Norwegian-Americans, over 400 altar paintings for churches, and copied the paintings of great masters for income. Considered an especially skilled and talented artist, Gausta was plagued by ill fortune, even having his studio burn to the ground in 1889, losing over 100 paintings. Berger was a canny businessman, selling his art works according to a formula he publicized in small catalogs. Art could be commissioned of any size and the customer purchased it according to the number of square inches in the final painting and the media with which it was made. Løkke sold work to American buyers through Marshall Fields in Chicago and also painted portraits of children, landscapes, marinescapes and genre paintings which she sold successfully during the years she lived in the United States. Some institutions helped to support Norwegian-American artists as well. The Norwegian-American Lutheran churches purchased altar paintings from Norwegian-American artists. Both Gausta and Berger sold many altar paintings, mostly modeled after other well-known paintings containing religious subject matter which were suitable for vertical spaces. Institutions such as nursing homes, orphanages and hospitals purchased some art made by Norwegian-American artists. Biorn painted a series of fourteen paintings depicting significant Norwegian historical events for the Norwegian-American orphanage in the Edison Park area of Chicago. The paintings, equipped with banners at the bottom describing the subject matter of the historical event, hung in the dining room of the orphanage as a daily history lesson for the children. A few artists also enjoyed the patronage of well-to-do individuals although this was not the norm. Gausta was hosted by pioneer pastor Ulrich Koren and his wife in their parsonage from time to time and the Korens financed some of his travels. Finally, some Norwegian cultural organizations were formed which helped support the artists in a variety of ways. The Chicago Norske Klub (1920-1030), Norse Art League, the Norwegian Art and Craft Club of Brooklyn, New York, Scandinavian American Artists Association, and the Odin Club of Minneapolis (comprised of Scandinavian professional and business men) all contributed to this effort. They provided exhibit space and publicity that helped generate sales and customer contacts. However, media coverage generated from the activities of these organizations was limited. Norwegian-American Artists: Identifying Characteristics Norwegian-American artists never developed a particular style or mode of expression

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