Saturday, May 18th
17. mai family picnic
Scandinavian Cultural Center – 206 Waltham Street – West Newton, MA 02465
Schedule of Events:
12:30 – Gather for 17. mai parade at the entrance to the SCC
12:45 – Step-off time for the parade
1:00 – Welcome and tale for dagen
1:30 – Lunch
2:15 – Games for the children
Music by UUSF Protest Band
Tickets for lunch will be sold as people arrive. (CASH ONLY)
Adults: $15 (smørbrød, beverage, and dessert)
(Additional smørbrød may be purchased for $10 each.)
Children: $5 (pølser m/lompe, beverage, and dessert)
Fiber artist Elizabeth Hunter returns to our Nordic hall with her show: rya rugs… coming of age.
Her pieces reach beyond that of a woven rug and tackle topics such as deforestation and aging.
On display through May 15th | Contact us for viewing times
ELIZABETH HUNTER
I first learned to weave on an inkle belt loom at a girl scout meeting when I was ten. In high school, I drove from my home in Stamford, CT. to nearby Greenwich to learn floor loom weaving from fabric designer Klara Cherepov.
Simplicity, color and shape are key elements of Scandinavian design. They consume me from time spent in Oslo, Norway; Reykjavik, Iceland; Torshavn, Faroe Islands and Landskrona, Sweden. Sculptural knitter Katherine Cobey taught me that fibers can speak and be political.
I hold a BA in English from the University of Connecticut; a MA in journalism from American University; a certificate in weaving and design from Fri Untervisngens Tegne og Vevstue, Oslo. I am a former Maine Crafts Association board member; the secretary of the Pastel Society of Maine; and a volunteer at the Brick Store Museum. My work has been shown all over New England. I live in Kennebunk.
ON RYA TECHNIQUE
Rya is an ancient pile weaving technique dating from the 9th century when Vikings introduced Scandinavia to textiles traded from Russia and the Byzantine Empire. The pile is created by using the Turkish Ghiordes knot across a row on the loom. After each row of knots, the shuttle is thrown several times to form the back of the rug.
The woven rugs, which imitated sheep- skins, were worn by mariners against the frigid cold at sea. They were also used in carriages and as bedding.
Rya rugs are probably most associated with the Scandinavian mid-century modern era, with their bold color and graphic design.
Sweden’s submission for the Best International Feature Film Oscar stars Payman Maadi (the star of the Oscar-winning A Separation) as a wrestler from Iran who has moved to Sweden as a refugee with his wife and their daughters.
Belmont World Film observes World Refugee Awareness Month with two films that spotlight the resilience and courage of displaced individuals. Through these powerful stories, we honor the strength and determination of refugees worldwide, inviting audiences to deepen their understanding and empathy for those forced to leave behind everything they know in search of safety and a brighter future.
Speakers: Film maker, educator, and programmer Homa Sarabi, originally from Iran, who teaches 16mm film making and collaborative design studios at Emerson College, where she is a faculty fellow with the Engagement Lab, as well as Dr. Kasra Tabatabaei, a native of Shahreza, Isfahan, Iran, and a post-doctoral scientist of biophysics and quantitative biology.
Trine refuses to fly. When the 18-year-old climate activist gets invited to an audition at the famous Opera House in Oslo, she only has days to travel over 1500km. On a road trip through the beautiful landscapes of Norway, her passion for music and her environmental idealism are put to the test.
(Won the 2023 Hof Critics Award for the Best Production at the Hof International Film Festival)
Saturday, May 11th | 1pm | $10; $5 for SCC&L Members
In Norwegian with English subtitles | Drama | 79 minutes | tickets
Step into the world of design with Pernilla Bergquist, celebrated for her innovative approach to interior aesthetics. Pernilla will take you on a journey through the transformative power of color and pattern, revealing the secrets behind creating spaces that truly resonate with beauty.
This session will include a Q&A segment, allowing attendees to engage directly with Pernilla and delve deeper into the nuances of her design philosophy. Whether you’re a seasoned design professional or a passionate enthusiast, “Unveiling Beauty through Color and Pattern” promises to be an enriching experience that transcends cultural boundaries and celebrates the universal language of design.
PERNILLA was born and raised in Göteborg, Sweden. She co-founded Kreatelier, the fabric and interior décor store on Hope St. in Providence before starting her own design and decorating firm in 2021. Pernilla Interiors specializes in home & commercial projects— a single room refresh, perhaps, or a complete makeover of a home.
Make and take your own Nordic Easter crafts! Swedish Easter trees, decorated eggs, Danish gækkebrev (Easter greetings) and even growing your own Easter grass, the the Finnish tradition.
Johan, a small-town loner with a flair for horses and explosives, finds himself in constant conflict with the community. He struggles to find his place in society while coping with unrequited love for his neighbor.
In Norwegian with English subtitles | Comedy | 93 minutes
Saturday, March 9th | 1pm | $10; $5 for SCC&L Members | tickets
Come by the Kaffestugan for Finnish day from 10am-2pm. We will have a ton of Finnish goodies including Karelian Pastie (Piirikka), organic dark rye crust filled with savory rice porridge and topped with Egg butter.. A true Finnish staple. A great pick me up snack on the go or divine breakfast fuel.
During our weekly Kaffestugan we will be celebrating the Swedish tradition of Våffeldagen. Swedes have enjoyed waffles in some form since the 1600’s and they remain popular today. So much so they celebrate them every March! Often covered with cream and jam instead of syrup, these are sure to delight. Come on out for lunch and a waffle or just a waffle on it’s own! We won’t judge. The standard Kaffestugan menu will still be available.
Norwegian jazz guitarist, Tim Johnson, returns to perform a set of jazz standards and originals with award winning Swedish-pianist Ebba Dankel, a Swedish jazz pianist and singer who is currently based in Boston, and is a presidential scholar at Berklee College of Music.”
Saturday, April 6th | 2pm | $20; $10 for members | tickets
Timothy Johnson is a Norwegian guitarist, composer, and educator, based in NYC. He has performed at world-renowned jazz clubs like Dizzy’s Club (NYC), The 55 Bar (NYC) Scullers Jazz (Boston), Smalls (NYC), and at festivals like the Buenos Aires Jazz Festival (Argentina), as well as clubs in Japan and Norway. Additionally he has appeared alongside jazz luminaries Damien Sneed, Melissa Aldana, and Neal Smith, and most recently has also performed in the award winning musical, Once on this Island.
He completed his Bachelors degree at the Berklee College of Music on scholarship, and recently completed his Masters degree at the Manhattan School of Music on scholarship, studying with guitarist Mike Moreno. He has received many prestigious awards along the way, such as the Berklee Jimi Hendrix Award, the NAMM Innovation Award, the Juvenarte composition award, placed runner up in Lee Ritenour’s Dreamcatcher Competition, and most recently was a scholarship/fellowship recipient of the Norway-Amerika Association. He appears on recordings by the award winning composer Eri Chichibu, as well as singer April Varner’s release “Hummingbird”, and is preparing to record his debut album later this year.
Ebba Dankel is a Swedish Boston-based jazz pianist, vocalist and composer, currently pursuing a BM in Jazz Composition and Piano Performance on a presidential scholarship at Berklee College of Music. She began her studies in piano at age 6 and trumpet at age 11 and played in several big bands, both on trumpet and piano. She graduated from the music program at Malmö Latinskola in 2019 and got accepted into the prestigious jazz program at Skurups Folkhögskola where she studied for 2 years. Ebba studies with NEA Jazz masters Joanne Brackeen, Terri Lyne Carrington and grammy winning Matthew Stevens at Berklee. Ebba performs weekly at the legendary Wally’s Jazz Club in Boston with different groups she puts together. She’s playing and recording with various groups in Boston as well as in Scandinavia during the summers. She is currently working on her debut album as a leader.
Timothy Johnson is a Norwegian guitarist, composer, and educator, based in NYC. He has performed at world-renowned jazz clubs like Dizzy’s Club (NYC), The 55 Bar (NYC) Scullers Jazz (Boston), Smalls (NYC), and at festivals like the Buenos Aires Jazz Festival (Argentina), as well as clubs in Japan and Norway. Additionally he has appeared alongside jazz luminaries Damien Sneed, Melissa Aldana, and Neal Smith, and most recently has also performed in the award winning musical, Once on this Island.
Ebba Dankel is a Swedish Boston-based jazz pianist, vocalist and composer, currently pursuing a BM in Jazz Composition and Piano Performance on a presidential scholarship at Berklee College of Music. She began her studies in piano at age 6 and trumpet at age 11 and played in several big bands, both on trumpet and piano. She graduated from the music program at Malmö Latinskola in 2019 and got accepted into the prestigious jazz program at Skurups Folkhögskola where she studied for 2 years. Ebba studies with NEA Jazz masters Joanne Brackeen, Terri Lyne Carrington and grammy winning Matthew Stevens at Berklee. Ebba performs weekly at the legendary Wally’s Jazz Club in Boston with different groups she puts together. She’s playing and recording with various groups in Boston as well as in Scandinavia during the summers. She is currently working on her debut album as a leader.