Vesterheim Museum responds to a decorahnews.com reader's letter about museum admission during Nordic Fest

decorahnews.com reader Ellen Drewes submitted a letter to the editor about the Nordic Fest Antique Show.  But it also discussed an exhibit at Vesterheim, saying, in part: "Here's another situation that I see developing that I believe will be a real concern for the very near future.  Having a family member that has exhibited and competed in the various exhibitions at Vesterheim Museum, we have seen the exhibit set up on the main level for several years, FREE of charge for people to visit, learn, and enjoy.  This past year, one exhibit was moved to the third floor.  And, there's more.....$10 charge (gasp!) to see the exhibit and have an opportunity to vote for various winners.  I did take advantage of the "free" Thursday prior to the Fest to see the exhibits. Here's my point.....if people are reluctant to pay $2 to visit the antique exhibits, why would they pay $10 to see art exhibits?  What is the Nordic Fest Board trying to accomplish?"

However, the Nordic Fest Board is not in charge of museum admission prices, as a statement from Vesterheim explains:

Dear Mr. Answer Person,

On behalf of Vesterheim Museum, I would like to try to answer some of the questions that Ellen Drewes raised in a recent letter to you.

First, to clear up any possible misunderstanding Ms. Drewes or others may have: Vesterheim is not associated with the Nordic Fest antique show, admission to the museum is not covered by the Nordic Fest button nor do we receive support from the sale of the buttons, and our exhibitions are not directly associated in any way with the Nordic Fest Board. Policies relating to the museum's admission prices and exhibitions are set by Vesterheim alone. We do have a staff member serving as an ex-officio (non-voting) member of the Nordic Fest Board and we admire the hard work and dedication of all Board members working to make each Nordic Fest a success.

A little over two years ago Vesterheim moved its Museum Store to the Westby-Torgerson Education Center, where the annual National Exhibition of Folk Art in the Norwegian Tradition had been previously mounted. This allowed us to create both a much more appealing Museum Store and new exhibition spaces in the museum itself. In the past the large judged National Exhibition was only on view during Nordic Fest, and the remarkable contemporary artists who exhibited in it got limited exposure. The exhibition has always been quite costly to mount and, because some of the exhibited items are also for sale, it continues to involve considerable staff time even after it is up. In recent years, sponsors for the exhibition have been sought to help defray some of the cost, because, as Ms. Drewes points out, no admission was being charged to see this major show and commissions from sales and artist entry fees did not come close to covering costs.

Last year the exhibition was mounted in a small gallery on the first floor of the museum's Main Building, and this year it was moved into much larger galleries on the third floor, allowing for a spaciousness and beauty of presentation unmatched in previous years. This year it also opened in early June and ran for seven weeks, closing as it always has at the end of Nordic Fest. This gave the artists who entered much greater exposure and acknowledged the show's stature as Vesterheim's major summer exhibition. Reactions have been for the most part very positive.

Admission to Vesterheim is free to everyone on the Thursday of Nordic Fest and Ms. Drewes herself was able to take advantage of that. We offer free admission then, on special occasions like Syttende Mai, and on the first Thursday of every month, to allow our local community and those visiting it a chance to enjoy the riches Vesterheim has to offer. By long-standing agreement, all students, faculty, and staff at Luther College are admitted free whenever they visit and of course Vesterheim Members are always admitted free on any day the museum is open. Membership prices are very reasonable and are offered at a choice of levels, and in fact most of our Nordic Fest visitors are already members or decide to become members and so are admitted free.

Like all nonprofits, Vesterheim is struggling in these uncertain economic times, yet, ironically, it is vital to the economic health of the area, attracting $5 million each year to local businesses. A museum membership is an inexpensive way to show your appreciation for what the museum brings to the area, and in addition to free museum admission, you get the added benefits of Vesterheim magazine twice a year and discounts on classes and in the Museum Store.

Even if you do not become a member, we believe that what Vesterheim has to offer its visitors every day—four floors of exciting, beautiful exhibitions, some of them changing frequently, and an Open Air Division of 12 historic buildings—is well worth the price of admission ($10 adult, $8 Seniors). Ask the preschoolers who enjoy our Barnetimen program (free), ask the area third and fourth graders and their families who participate in our Window on the World (WOW) and Pioneer Immersion Programs through the schools (both free). Or better yet, see for yourself on any Free First Thursday, or the Thursday of Nordic Fest.

Charlie Langton
Vesterheim Museum