Happy Holidays from Norway House

Posted on Tuesday, December 13th, 2011 under Blog, Edvard Grieg Society, Events, Featured, Midtsommer Celebration, Peace Initiative

Dear Friends,

In just its seventh year, Norway House expanded its programming while reaching a rapidly growing audience of people engaged in exploring a bridge to contemporary Norway. Collaboration and convening continued to be the cornerstone of our efforts in 2011.

• We developed and delivered two highly successful Peace Initiative events focused on empowering women. It was a great honor to host former Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, who served as keynote at the spring panel event at the Walker Art Center. In fall, we hosted a forum and peace expo of  28 regional and global organizations at the University of Minnesota campus.
• Our Midtsommer Celebration continues to draw both larger and younger audiences each year and is now a staple of annual programming, serving as our key fundraising event. The esteemed list of“Going Viking” honorees in 2011 included Eric Utne, Libby Larson  and  Representative Jim Ramstad.
• The Edvard Grieg Society provided world-class entertainment and helped play host to Cantus and a variety of other musicians this year.  Thanks to successful programming and a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, this program continues to gain momentum.
• This year, Norway House supported and created opportunities for individuals to come together to participate in unique conversations and one-in-a-lifetime experiences. Many friends of Norway House had the chance to participate in the visit of the King and Queen of Norway in October.  We also hosted a number of in-home events such as a summer wine-tasting and fall gathering at which Federal Judge Jack Tunheim shared his work in declassifying thousands of documents relating to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
• Collaborations with many partners enabled us to grow our network and community involvement.  We joined forces with other Norwegian groups around both Syttende Mai and Leiv Eriksson events, and worked closely with the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Minnesota International Center, Minnesota International NGO Network and the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights – U.S Foundation to produce our Peace Initiative events
• Through enhanced communication initiatives, Norway House continues to expand our reach to diverse audiences. The newly-launched website and addition of social media efforts is proving to be an effective and ‘green’ way of sharing our message, increasing visibility in the global community.

The dream of one day having our own physical structure – a true Norway House – is still very much alive. Our facilities team explored a variety of sites in Minneapolis, including several elegant mansions and a beautiful site overlooking the Mississippi River near downtown. Currently, we have identified an attractive opportunity in South Minneapolis and are researching feasibility.

All of these efforts take money. We raised a record amount during 2011 and finished the year in the black. Literally everything we do depends upon your generosity. At this time of giving, we strongly urge you to show your support for Norway House by donating online to contribute as much as you can.

Tusen tak.

Linda Mona
President/CEO – Norway House