Location: Ingebretsen’
Date and Time: Saturday, April 4, 2009, 2 to 4 pm
Contact: 612-729-9333;
Cost: $5 (You may pay at the door, but please call and reserve a seat. Thanks!)
Vikings, Celts, and Britons fought, traded, and influenced one another’s cultures for centuries. Catherine Beck, professor of art history emerita (retired), will present a program examining the history and intersecting influences these cultures had on another’s visual arts. Illustrated by slides, Catherine will explore how artists merged influences to develop the intricate, interconnected knot work and animal designs that are hallmarks of Celtic and Viking art.
Catherine became interested in studying these influences when she was visiting her parents’ home village of Wick, Scotland and realized that a quick boat trip would take her to Vik, Norway, almost shouting distance from her ancestral home. “You know that there is shared history there somewhere,” says Catherine.
She explores that shared history through its metalwork, fiber art, illustrations, and jewelry. Catherine also demonstrates that despite centuries of warring, great beauty also existed in these Northern European cultures. Presented conjunction with Augsburg College and the College of the Third Age.
