For over 70 years, Marimekko has infused art into the clothes and interiors of our everyday lives. Rising from the ashes of WWII, Marimekko’s colorful fabrics and openness to experimentation brought together the textile traditions of Finland with innovative and bold designs based on the changing tastes and aesthetics of the contemporary art world.
From the age of the Vikings to the settlers of the New Sweden Colony (1638-1655), to contemporary issues in Scandinavian society, the American Swedish Historical Museum will take you back in time and across the sea to learn the stories of Swedes in America.
Current Special Exhibitions
Weaving a New Chapter: The Material Lives of Swedish Immigrants tells the story of Swedish immigration to America through the objects they brought with them in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Sweden’s craft and textile history has been an intrinsic part of Swedish heritage and cultural identity at home and abroad. Swedish immigrants produced remarkable fiber arts for centuries and brought their knowledge of weaving, knitting, embroidery, lacemaking, and trade skills to their new homes.
Launched in 1928, the same year construction of the American Swedish Historical Museum was completed, the Swedish ocean liner Kungsholm was one of the earliest vessels decorated in the Art Deco style. The Kungsholm’s fashionable passenger spaces made her a popular ship, even during the Great Depression.
The ASHM is celebrating 300 years of Scandinavian glass in its renovated gallery.