THIS IS NORWAY. Norwegian artist Anne T-J Møller will be displaying her weaving art at McIntyre Library, pictured, from Sept. 3-12. Related community events will also be held during that time frame. (Photo via UW-Eau Claire)

Scandinavian history and culture have long been important in Eau Claire and the wider region. For 50 years, Reform, a Norwegian language newspaper, had more subscribers than the English language newspapers; immigrants preserved much of their heritage and welcomed visitors from the “old” country. In that tradition, for 10 days in early September, Norwegian artist Anne T-J Møller will exhibit her weaving in McIntyre Library (103 Garfield Ave.) at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Møller will reside in Eau Claire during the run of the visual arts exhibit – Sept. 3-12 – and will speak at a reception on Sept. 4. She will also give a presentation at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library (400 Eau Claire St, Eau Claire) on Sept. 9, and will be available in the gallery from 1-3pm at the McIntyre Library on Sept. 5 and 11.

'This is Norway' run and related events:

• 'This is Norway' will be on display at McIntyre Library Sept. 3-12
• The exhibit reception will be held Sept. 4 at 6:30pm
• Anne T-J Møller will speak at L.E. Phillips Library on Sept. 9 at 6:30pm
• UW-Eau Claire Professor Josh Brown will speak at McIntyre Library on Sept. 10 at 5:30pm

A woven art piece by Anne T-J Møller, depicting Norwegian ship Restauration on a voyage – likely to the United States, as suggested by the bald eagle flying overhead. (Submitted image)

Weaving is an ancient craft and art form. Weavers make fabric, and also present stories and experiment with color, form, texture, and complex ideas. Møller’s works include friezes (two long panels with 10 works each, depicting decades of Norwegian history and marking the function of the Norwegian constitution over the span of 200 years). In a dozen other works, she weaves images to suggest the seasonal life in Norway. Recently, she has finished a weaving celebrating Restauration, the ship that brought, in 1825, the first group of Norwegian immigrants to the shores of the USA.

Møller, who has also worked in healthcare and has a family of her own, was raised on a farm near Lillehammer, Norway. Like most Norwegians, she enjoys friluftsliv (outdoor activities).

An opportunity to study art history led Møller to more instruction and the start of a career in weaving works that celebrate milestones in Norwegian history – namely 1905, the year the union with Sweden ended, and 2014, the year that Norwegians celebrated the 200th anniversary of their Constitution.  Her work has been exhibited in 50 different venues across Norway from Stavanger in the south to Trømso in the north.

Complementary to the exhibit is a talk by UW-Eau Claire Professor Josh Brown: “From Norway to the American Midwest— 200 years of Immigrant Folk Art.” Brown is a Skwierczynski University Fellow in Languages at UW-Eau Claire, also teaching German and linguistics, and a folk textile and paper artist.

Five area organizations are collaborating to make Møller’s visit and the associated events possible: Løven Lodge, Sons of Norway, Midwest Institute of Scandinavian Culture, Waldemar Ager Association and Museum, McIntyre Library of UW-Eau Claire, and L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library.

The forthcoming exhibit and speaker event is not the only local collaborative effort of this nature brought to life in recent years. For example, Waldemar Ager hosted Norwegian/American author Ole Rolvaag and Norwegian adventurer/explorer Roald Amundsen, and famous Norwegian violinist Ole Bull gave concerts in Madison and Eau Claire.

Anne T-J Møller's exhibit, 'This is Norway,' will be on display on the fourth floor of McIntyre Library (103 Garfield Ave, Eau Claire) from Sept. 3-12 with its reception slated for 6:30pm on Sept. 4 • Møller's talk at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library (400 Eau Claire St, Eau Claire) will be held at 6:30pm on Sept. 9 and Josh Brown's talk at the McIntyre Library will be held at 5:30pm on Sept. 10 • McIntyre Library's hours are: 8am-11pm from Monday-Thursday; 8am-6pm on Friday; 11am-6pm on Saturday; and 11am-11pm on Sunday • Public parking at UW-Eau Claire is offered at various campus locations, generally after 4pm on weekdays and all day on weekends