What's going on in Swedish America?

A variety of things are happening, take a look (and let us know what else is out there by submitting to our online calendar at www.nordstjernan.com/calendar)  

  • Revels' Northern Lights Concert is named for the Northern Lights, or norrsken in Swedish.
  • In San Francisco, CA
    - Saturday, Feb. 17, 2 PM
    Dr. Jim Kaplan, professor emeritus at Minnesota State University-Moorhead discusses the Scandinavian crime novels that are enjoying world-wide popularity. Huge successes as books, movies and TV shows, they feature internationally recognized characters such as Lisbeth Salander, Kurt Wallander and Harry Hole. Featured in this program will be “Jar City” by Icelandic author Arnaldur Indridason, “The Snowman” by Norwegian author Jo Nesbø, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” by Swedish author Stieg Larsson, as well as “The Department Q Trilogy” by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen. 
    At Glen Park Branch of the San Francisco Public Library / 2825 Diamond Street near the Glen Park BART Station / 415.355.2858.

  • Just back from a longer stint in Europe, Sweden, Canada ... a favorite of Nordstjernan, Magnus Mårtensson showed up unannounced for a surprise concert. He is back in Chicago on Feb. 18, 2018.
  • In Chicago, IL
    - Sunday, Feb. 18 at 5 PM
    Entertainer Magnus Mårtensson returns for dinner and an evening of humorous musical virtuosity. See more details here. Dinner precedes the 6 p.m. performance. Swedish American Museum, 773.728.8111 / www.swedishamericanmuseum.org

  • Home of fictional police inspector Kurt Wallander (the main character in Henning Mankell's books) - what town is it? Learn about it this month as Dr. Jim Kaplan discusses Scandinavian crime novels.
  • In Philadelphia, PA
    - Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 10:30-11:30 AM
    Toddler Time: The phenomenon of aurora borealis can be seen across many arctic countries and certainly lights up the sky in northern Sweden, so we’ll read Roaring, Boring Alice by P.K. Merski, dance in a color ballet, and do a color mixing science experiment! Enjoy rainbow Jello snack and watch the night sky light up. $5/child, free/members and accompanying caregivers. American Swedish Historical Museum, 215.389.1776 / info@americanswedish.org / www.americanswedish.org

  • “The Psychology of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Understanding Lisbeth Salander and Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy” ISBN-10: 1936661349
  • In Minneapolis, MN
    - Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 1 PM
    Film screening: Swedish comedy “A Holy Mess” asks the question of how tolerant the Swedes are. It’s a warm comedy about the modern family and a continual struggle to “do things right.” 108 minutes, in Swedish/English/Greek (with English subtitles). Free. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org

  • In New Orleans
    ONGOING
    Exhibit: The Artistry of Carnival | Bror Anders Wikstrom: Bringing Fantasy to Carnival, is on view now through April 1.
    Born in Sweden in 1854, Wikstrom came to New Orleans in 1883, and it wasn’t long before he was elevating the extravaganza of Mardi Gras through his fantastical designs for early krewes; he served as the chief designer behind 20 floats and hundreds of costumes. He also founded the New Orleans Artists Association in 1885, one of the civic groups that sparked the Delgado Museum of Art (NOMA) in 1910, and was a popular landscape and marine painter and sculptor. New Orleans Museum of Art, 504.658.4100 / www.noma.org/exhibitions