Opening Reception: Saturday, May 10, 6 – 8 pm
ASF Members' Preview: Friday, May 9, 12 – 6 pm
Saturday, May 10 through Saturday, August 23, 2014
3rd Floor Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12 – 6 pm (Wednesday until 7 pm)
Free exhibition admission
@ScanHouse | #samistories
Featuring a selection of contemporary artworks and traditional duodji (handicraft)—including a reindeer milk scoop, shaman’s drum, cradle, and a selection of hats and dolls—Sámi Stories: Art and Identity of an Arctic People offers visitors an overview of Sámi history and visual culture from the 17th century to the present.
The exhibition’s eight contemporary artists—Rose-Marie Huuva (SE), Iver Jåks (NO), Britta Marakatt-Labba (SE), Arnold Johansen (NO), Aslaug Juliussen (NO), John Savio (NO), Arvid Sveen (NO), and Marja Helander (FI)—are all of Sámi descent, with the exception of Sveen, and work in a variety of media, including sculpture, video, installation, woodcut print, embroidery, and photography. Installed alongside the historical cultural objects, the contemporary works illustrate the issues, ideas, and narratives that have shaped and continue to shape, the Sámi people and culture.
The exhibition has been organized in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Norwegian Sámi Parliament and the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian Constitution, which, in 1988, was revised to offer unprecedented formal recognition of the Sámi people, language, and culture.
Audio Guide
Saturday, May 10 through Saturday, August 23, 2014
Free (no cost except your minutes)
Learn more about Sámi Stories: Art and Identity of an Arctic People with your cellphone! Hear the exhibition’s curators share their thoughts on several exhibition highlights and walk you through this innovative exhibition.
Call 212.514.0013 to begin the audio tour.
Docent-Led Tours
Saturdays @ 1 pm, June 14 & July 12, 2014
Free
Visitors to Sámi Stories: Art and Identity of an Arctic People can participate in free, docent-led gallery tours that explore in greater detail the contemporary works and historical artifacts featured in the exhibition. Available the second Saturdays of June and July, these 35-minute public tours meet in the 3rd Floor Gallery elevator lobby.
Please note that tours are subject to last-minute changes and/or cancellation.
The exhibition has been curated by Charis Gullickson and Marit Anne Hauan and organized by the Tromsø University Museum, Northern Norway Art Museum, and The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF).
Sámi Stories: Art and Identity of an Arctic People has been made possible by grants from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the University of Tromsø, with the collaboration and expertise of the Center for Northern Peoples. Funding for the accompanying exhibition catalogue has been provided by the Fritt Ord Foundation. The ASF gratefully acknowledges exhibition support from The Bergesen Foundation, DNB Bank ASA, The Bay and Paul Foundations, Bård and Barbara Bunaes, and the Consulate General of Sweden in New York. Support for educational programs and events was received from Scandinavian Seminar and the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in New York, and funding for artist travel was received from Frame Visual Arts Finland. Additional support has been provided by a number of funds of the ASF, including The Bonnier Family Fund for Contemporary Art, the Hilppa and Joe Roby Fund for Finnish Cultural and Educational Programs at Scandinavia House, and the Andrew E. and G. Norman Wigeland Fund.