home...

I have been to my fare share of cheesy Scandinavian Festivals,

And I am a recovering Museum Professional,

so I have lived many a day inside an Art Museum.

It takes a lot to impress me on either front.

So it was with slight reluctance

that I found myself 

on a cold February day a few years ago

at the American Swedish Institute

looking for something new

something special

something to take me away.

I fell in love instantly.

Midsommar...

When I was quite at my low
in February
I needed to find solace.
Not often taking advantage of the great offerings of my city,
I decided to venture forth to the American Swedish Institute.
I expected very little
and gained an enormous amount.
First off, the place is impressive and a real gem.
I have been in many museums
and right up there
with the Tate Modern,
seeing the Fisher Collection in its element,
and visiting the Rijksmuseum,
I have to say, I was smitten.
I am infinitely inspired by the kakelugnar that are in almost every room,
especially the geometric patterns on the sides.
I hope to go back and have the opportunity to do a little research
and have a future project in mind for myself one day...



This place has great programming
and a real sense of community.

So much so that they are expanding,
I find this particularly exciting!

I have also enjoyed a wonderful and inspiring lecture by
Pia Amsell and Barbro Wesslander here.
I loved the images they showed of their home towns
and particularly a gorgeous little Scandinavian house with black siding.

I also plan to return to do do some serious holiday shopping
in their well edited gift shop.

We have found ourselves returning again and again,
most recently on
Midsommar.

There were a few painfully beautiful
Scandinavian families at Midsommar.
I can't deny it, I wanted to be them.
How picture perfect are these three?
They were posing for dad,
but I caught them in the corner of my lens
while taking a picture of the
procession to the Midsommar Pole.

And Kubb, ahhh...
I remember it well.

My City,
My Hyggelig...