“Were Socrates and Charles the Twelfth of Sweden both present in any company, and Socrates to say, ‘Follow me and hear a lecture on philosophy’ and Charles, laying his hand on his sword, to say, ‘Follow me and dethrone the Czar’, a man would be ashamed to follow Socrates.” -Samuel Johnson
Charles XII (1682-1718) was the last of Sweden’s warrior kings. He remains the only Swedish monarch born to absolutism and the last European monarch to die on the field of battle. He claimed the throne at age 15, was called off to war at 18, and spent the rest of his life in uniform trying to defeat a coalition of states that at one point or another included Denmark, Poland-Saxony, Russia, Prussia, and Great Britain. Charles’s armies stormed across Europe and under his direct leadership achieved miraculous victories often in the face of overwhelming odds. On a remote Ukrainian field in 1709, Sweden lost the initiative. Years of desperate rearguard actions yielded further losses of territory and lives before culminating in the mysterious death of Charles himself at a lowly fortress in Norway.
Public opinion and literary history are quick to place Charles in one of two extreme categories- a noble warrior fated to defend a doomed empire – or – a tyrant driven by glory and bloodlust who sacrificed his kingdom on the altar of war. As always, history is a bit more nuanced.
Carolus Rex will place Charles XII in his appropriate historical context. The talk of the king’s life and times will be accompanied by music and a display of contemporary artifacts including newspapers, coins, musketballs, and prints. A full replica uniform of a Carolean infantryman circa 1706 will be worn for demonstration and guests are welcome to handle various pieces of kit. Copies of By Defeating My Enemies- Charles XII of Sweden and the Great Northern War 1682-1721 will be available for purchase and signing.
Saturday, November 6th | 1pm | $7; FREE for SCC Members | register here
**Registration and proof of vaccination is REQUIRED to attend**
BIO: Michael Glaeser is an Early Modern historian specializing in the Swedish Empire of the 17th/18th centuries. He is published in the Great Northern War Compendium (2015) and taught history at the University of New Hampshire- Manchester. His biography of Charles XII of Sweden was published by Helion & Co in 2020.
“To travel is to live,” said Danish fairytale author, H.C. Andersen. See his words come to life in “Snapshots,” an art exhibition by Danish artist, Susanne Thea. H.C. Andersen is known for his world-famous fairytales from “The Little Mermaid” to “The Ugly Duckling,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” and many more.
Exhibit will be on display in the Nordic Hall September – October 2021
Tap dance and jazz have a long and intertwined history. From the prohibition on musical instruments during the era of slavery, which prompted the enslaved African-Americans to find ingenious ways to use their bodies as percussion instruments, to the early 20th century New York City where Irish and African-American styles of dancing met and enriched each other while innovative popular musical styles were created through the fusion of cultures, to the film era and the groundbreaking work of Fred Astaire – these two art forms developed side-by-side, even if at some point their paths have grown somewhat apart.
Tap dancer Alex MacDonald – the original tap soloist and choreographer for the wildly popular vintage jazz band, Scott Bradlee & Postmodern Jukebox – and pianist and improviser Alex Pryrodny present a fun and educational program that pays tribute to the historical roots of each discipline while fusing them in new ways, with creativity and lightning speed communication of both virtuoso performers of full display. Get your hands clapping and your feet moving to the rhythms and sounds of “Jazz on Tap!”
**please note that advanced registration, masks, and proof of vaccination are required for this event**
An unemployed music teacher takes his estranged transsexual father on a road trip to the west coast of Norway, in order to honor his late mother’s excellent quilting skills. Going West is a warm and touching feelgood film about life, loss and love.
Saturday, October 16th | 1:30 | $5; tickets can be purchased here**advanced purchase, masks, proof of vaccination required**
75 minutes | In Norwegian with English subtitles.
** because of COVID restrictions masks must be warn at all times. No food or beverage may be consumed**
Join us for a talk with author Rachael Cerrotti about her book We Share the Same Sky: A Memoir of Memory & Migration.
It is the story of a granddaughter’s decade-long journey to retrace her grandmother’s wartime escape and weave together the thin threads of family history.
In 2009, Rachael Cerrotti, a college student pursuing a career in photojournalism, asked her grandmother, Hana, if she could record her story. Rachael knew that her grandmother was a Holocaust survivor and the only one in her family alive at the end of the war. Rachael also knew that she survived because of the kindness of strangers. It wasn’t a secret. Hana spoke about her history publicly and regularly. But, Rachael wanted to document it as only a granddaughter could. So, that’s what they did: Hana talked and Rachael wrote.
Upon Hana’s passing in 2010, Rachael discovered an incredible archive of her life. There were preserved albums and hundreds of photographs dating back to the 1920s. There were letters waiting to be translated, journals, diaries, deportation and immigration papers as well as creative writings from various stages of Hana’s life.
Rachael digitized and organized it all, plucking it from the past and placing it into her present. Then, she began retracing her grandmother’s story, following her through Central Europe, Scandinavia, and across the United States. She tracked down the descendants of those who helped save her grandmother’s life during the war. Rachael went in pursuit of her grandmother’s memory to explore how the retelling of family stories becomes the history itself.
We Share the Same Sky weaves together the stories of these two young women — Hana as a refugee who remains one step ahead of the Nazis at every turn, and Rachael, whose insatiable curiosity to touch the past guides her into the lives of countless strangers, bringing her love and tragic loss. Throughout the course of her twenties, Hana’s history becomes a guidebook for Rachael in how to live a life empowered by grief.
Sunday, October 17th | 2pm | register here**advanced registration and proof of vaccination required to attend**
RACHAEL is an award-winning author, photographer, educator and audio producer as well as the inaugural Storyteller in Residence for USC Shoah Foundation. For over a decade, she has been retracing her grandmother’s Holocaust survival story and documenting the echoes of WWII. In the fall of 2019, she released her critically-acclaimed podcast, titled We Share The Same Sky, about this story. The podcast is now being taught in classrooms worldwide. Rachael’s memoir, also titled ‘We Share The Same Sky’ is her first book. It received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and listed as one of the “Best Books of August” by Apple Books. Learn more at: www.rachaelcerrotti.com & www.sharethesamesky.com
We welcome back master artist Linda Miller for a two-day fall 2021 workshop dedicated to rosemaling.
This 2-day class will focus on centuries old art of Rosemaling; flora rose painting and acanthus ornament. Linda will have projects for sale however special projects are welcome provided by students and approved by instructor.
All projects will be in the period colors using a vast array of motifs and techniques which have evolved down through the ages. Oil paint is highly advised.
Saturday, October 9th & Sunday, October 10th | 9am – 5pm | tuition $225 (plus supplies)
To register a $50.00 deposit is required to hold a place for you. Please contact Kerry for details.
*Please note that due to the COVID-19 Delta variant, and the at risk population that shares the space at the SCC, we will be requiring all registrants to provide proof of vaccination in order to attend*
*please bring a lunch and water*
ABOUT LINDA: Linda Miller has taught rosemaling at Fletcher Farm in Vermont, John Campbell School in North Carolina, Vesterheim Museum in Iowa and several different Sons of Norway lodges on the east coast, and adult education classes in her area.
Please join us for a virtual lecture with needlecraft expert Pat Olski.
Karin Larsson was a co creator of the home décor and lifestyle movement that we have come to know as “Swedish Style”. Often eclipsed by her famous artist husband, Carl, her imaginative tapestries and textiles are now as revered as his paintings which depicted their their home and family life. Come discover Karin’s world of knitting, sewing, weaving, spinning, embroidery , and design in this engaging lecture .
Saturday, September 18th | 1pm via zoom (link will be sent to all registrants) | register
ABOUT PAT: Pat Olski is a professional needlecraft designer, lecturer, and instructor. Her designs and articles, which span an array of topics from traditional needlework techniques to current knitwear trends, have appeared in many books and magazines including Piecework, Vogue Knitting, Knit Simple, and Australia’s Inspirations.
Al Miller will teach first time beginner students how to carve and decorate wooden spoons that can be used as an eating or cooking utensil. The class instruction will focus on the safe way to use hand and machine tools. The decorating and finishing of the spoons will be included.
Teaching methods include; showing samples of different types of spoons and butter/jam spreaders (wood knives), group instruction, individual help and how to sharpen tools.
All tools and equipment are provided for student use by the teacher. 2 spoon blanks and 1 butter/jam spreader are also included, as is a pack of 1/4 sheets of sandpaper. Extra wood blanks and power carving sand paper can be purchased from the teacher.
Saturday, October 9th & Sunday, October 10th | 9am – 5pm | tuition $200 (class size limited to 6)
To register a $50.00 deposit is required to hold a place for you. Please contact Kerry for details.
*Please note that due to the COVID-19 Delta variant, and the at risk population that shares the space at the SCC, we will be requiring all registrants to provide proof of vaccination in order to attend*
When Brynja finishes her stay in a health clinic in the village of Hveragerdi, she’s reluctant to return to her life in the capital, so she checks into a small guesthouse. There she meets Mark, a tourist
who is also reluctant to leave this nurturing community.
Saturday, November 20th | 1:30pm | | $5; tickets can be purchased here**advanced purchase, masks, proof of vaccination required**
A journey to find Norway’s supposed bliss makes for a comic travelogue that asks, seriously, what makes Norwegians so damn happy—and does it translate?
Norway is usually near or at the top of the World Happiness Report. But is it really one of the happiest countries on Earth? Eric Dregni had his doubts. Years ago he and his wife had lived in this country his great-great-grandfather once fled. When their s
on Eilif was born there, the Norwegian government paid for the birth, gave them $5,000, and deposited $500 into their bank account every month, but surely happiness was more than a generous health care system. What about all those grim months without sun? When Eilif turned fifteen, father and son decided to go back together and investigate. For the Love of Cod is their droll report on the state of purported Norwegian bliss.
Saturday, December 4th | 1pm | FREE with registration | register here
Purchase the book here and pick up at the event for signing.
ABOUT ERIC: Eric Dregni is an associate professor of English and Journalism at Concordia University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he teaches writing. He has written or cowritten travel memoirs and essays about Minnesota, Norway, and Italy, as well as guidebooks and books on popular culture in the American Midwest.
BIO: Michael Glaeser is an Early Modern historian specializing in the Swedish Empire of the 17th/18th centuries. He is published in the Great Northern War Compendium (2015) and taught history at the University of New Hampshire- Manchester. His biography of Charles XII of Sweden was published by Helion & Co in 2020.
Join us for a talk with author Rachael Cerrotti about her book We Share the Same Sky: A Memoir of Memory & Migration. 
RACHAEL is an award-winning author, photographer, educator and audio producer as well as the inaugural Storyteller in Residence for USC Shoah Foundation. For over a decade, she has been retracing her grandmother’s Holocaust survival story and documenting the echoes of WWII. In the fall of 2019, she released her critically-acclaimed podcast, titled We Share The Same Sky, about this story. The podcast is now being taught in classrooms worldwide. Rachael’s memoir, also titled ‘We Share The Same Sky’ is her first book. It received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and listed as one of the “Best Books of August” by Apple Books. Learn more at: 
ABOUT LINDA: Linda Miller has taught rosemaling at Fletcher Farm in Vermont, John Campbell School in North Carolina, Vesterheim Museum in Iowa and several different Sons of Norway lodges on the east coast, and adult education classes in her area.
