Decorah artist Norma Wangsness will present a hand-painted plate to the King and Queen of Norway

When the King and Queen of Norway visit Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum on Thursday, they will be presented with a hand-painted plate from Decorah artist Norma Wangsness.

The museum specially commissioned the plate, which bears a portrait of the Royal Couple surrounded by rosemaling, Norway's decorative painting.  "It is without a doubt one of the greatest honors and the highlight of my career," Wangness says.

Norma began studying rosemaling at Vesterheim with renowned Norwegian painter Sigmund Aarseth in 1967. By the 1980s, Norma was combining scenes and portraits of detailed photographic realism with her rosemaling.  Her rosemaling has won many honors, including 7 People's Choice Awards in Vesterheim's annual National Exhibition of Folk Art in the Norwegian Tradition.