North Dakota Rodeo Association holds its final event of the year in Watford
City, McKensey County. - Photos by Jan Johannessen

Norwegian Footprints Exhibit at the Hjemkomst

By Kristine Kostuck
Contributing Writer

On March 14 the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County (HCSCC) at the Hjemkomst Center announced a new traveling exhibit: Norwegian Footprints. The art will be open for the public until June 27, 2011.

The exhibit displays photographs by Norwegian photographer Jan Johannessen with captions by Nowegian journalist Espen Hansen. This is Johannessen’s first exhibit and continually is recognized for his displayed photos. According to Tim Jorgensen, HCSCC Events coordinator, this exposition has captured visual truth in the life of Norwegian-Americans.

“The exhibit includes beautiful scenery and portrays the contemporary life of Norwegian Americans,” said Brianne Carlsrud, marketing coordinator for the Hjemkomst Center.

Johannssen said it shows a glimpse of the past; one in which he wishes can be documented for future generations.

“A story doesn’t have to involve war or other dramatic angles to be interesting enough to preserve for history books,” Johannssen said.

Johannessen thinks the western part of the state is probably one of the most Nowegian-descended populated areas outside of Norway itself. It is legitimately known that the northwestern part of the state, with its economical and agricultural issues, has diminished in population over the years. Norwegian people have experienced hardships comparable to this in their homeland. These factors created what is known as the Norwegian farm culture, a movement of unique values and practices held strong from the Viking Age all the way through the 20th century.

“The western side was one of the last places Norwegians settled in the U.S.,” Johannessen said. “It is a place where many people still practice the traditional Norwegian heritage because they lack inputs from contemporary Norwegian culture. I just wanted to document this area before it became something else, into what I do not know, but just look at today’s oil–boom.”

Don’t forget the text that reveals the photographer’s exploration of the descendents of North Dakota landsmen who left Norway more than a century ago.

There is a chance the public will be seeing more of Johannessen’s work on this subject in the future. There has been talk of his work on a multi-media project about the same region of the North Dakota.

For those new to the community, the HCSCC collects, preserves and presents the history and culture of the region. The HCSCC hold the thought that each day we pass remnants of the past. The center houses tens of thousands of manuscripts, photos and so on the county’s history. All information is available for the public’s use free of charge. The HCSCC is a community resource for 150,000 people in the F-M area and the community’s visitors. For more information on the exhibit check out the website at http://www.hcscconline.org.

Admission rates to the Hjemkomst Center museum are $7 for adults, seniors and students $6 and $5 for youth 5 to 17.

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IF YOU GO:
Norwegian Footprints
Hjemkomst Center 202 1st Ave. N. Moorhead
Museum hours: Mon. through Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tues. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sun. noon to 5 p.m.
Exhibit runs through June of this year