The Norsk Museum is proudly sponsoring the Lars Idar Waage photo exhibit “A Dying Norway – In A Living America?” at the Norway Community Building for three days. September 13-15:
· Friday 6-8 p.m.
· Saturday 1-5 p.m.
· Sunday 1-5 p.m.
On Sunday, the exhibit will join the Cleng Peerson Sons of Norway lodge meeting, with Mr. Waage presenting the program. This program is free to the public. Expect some coffee and Norwegian treats, while they last.
Stavanger Illinois is a tiny village surrounded by cornfields, with the closest city about 10 miles away. Stavanger consists of ten houses and a beautiful brick church, the Stavanger Lutheran Church. In 2015, this village piqued the interest of Lars Idar Waage, a photojournalist from Stavanger Norway. Waage was so curious about this American namesake, that he flew over to the U.S. to see it for himself. He was surprised to find a community frozen in time, still keeping the traditions alive from their ancestors of the 1800’s. Only six miles away is Norway, Illinois, another small village. This was the original Fox River settlement, founded in 1833, by Cleng Peerson, the father of Norwegian immigration and the Sloopers. Norway, Illinois is the oldest permanent Norwegian settlement in America and home to the first Norwegian Lutheran church in America. Today this church serves as the home of the Norsk Museum. For 50 years, the museum has been preserving the history of our Norwegian ancestors and teaching the next generations about their heritage.
Lars Idar Waage was so impressed with Stavanger Illinois and the surrounding area, that he has returned 10 times! As a photojournalist, he has created quite a collection of photographic art, telling the story of “A different Stavanger. “ In 2019, his story was published in the popular Stavanger Norway news magazine, Lorsdag, a full color 16-page spread. In 2020, his story was brought to America and published in the Norwegian-American newspaper.
When Lars was asked about this upcoming photo exhibition, he said “I am very pleased to have the opportunity to showcase the photo exhibition in the USA, and the Norsk Museum is a perfect place to start. There is a historic thread connecting Stavanger, Norway, to Norway, IL, which we will be celebrating next year.” Stavanger is where this project first began but later expanded to include Ottawa, Newark, Serena, Seneca, Morris, Leland and more. Many area communities still embrace tradition, especially during the winter months.
Following the showing in Norway Illinois he will be taking his photo exhibit on tour throughout America. The Norsk Museum has been honored to be the first to show this exhibition to the public in America.
Museum hours are from 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from June through October, but tours are also available during off-hours to groups upon request. We are a non-profit, non-tax supported museum and our support is procured through fund raising events and donations. The museum is staffed entirely by volunteers. The Norsk Museum is always looking for items to display as well as more people interested in preserving our Norwegian heritage.
Please contact Dave Johnson, President of the Norsk Museum Board, if you have any information, stories, or photos to share. For more information about the museum, visit our website at www.NorskMuseum.org