As part of the Nordic Folklife project, the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures welcomes Folk Artist-in-Residence Liesl Chatman to campus for the Fall 2023 term. Liesl Chatman is a spoon carver and kolrosing artist based in Minneapolis, MN, and has taught at a number of prominent folk schools in the US, including North House Folk School, John C Campbell Folk School, the American Swedish Institute, and Vesterheim Museum. As part of her residency, Chatman is partnering with the Art Department to offer series of spoon carving workshops as well kolrosing workshops throughout the semester.
If you’re not familiar with kolrosing, it is a decorative technique practiced in the Nordic countries in which a carver etches designs in wood with a very sharp, small blade. The etched designs are then pigmented with a dark material such as coffee, coal, or cinnamon, producing a pen and ink effect on the wood. Chatman’s kolrosed spoons reflect her commitment to equity, justice, the environment, and community, and are currently on display at the American Swedish Institute’s exhibit, “Leaving Your Mark: Stories in Wood.” For more information about Liesl Chatman’s fall residency, visit the Nordic Folklife website.