Spelmansstämman

CELEBRATING SWEDISH AND OJIBWE CULTURE IN 2023

Gammelgården Museum and Scandia Heritage Alliance join forces to offer a free family-friendly event featuring folk music; Swedish and Ojibwe children’s history and art activities; arts & crafts fair; artist demonstrations; and historic building tours.

MUSIC PERFORMANCES

Spelmansstämman is a long-standing Swedish folk music tradition based on outdoor gatherings (stämma) of Swedish fiddlers (spelman) to share music, friendship, and playing. At a traditional stämma, a small group of musicians stand in a circle and share tunes they have written. Gammelgården’s 33rd annual Spelmansstämman will feature multiple musicians performing throughout the day. If you are a fiddler, bring your own instrument and join the traditional sharing of tunes during the interlude!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Come for the full day – or part of the day. Following is the general schedule of events:

Family Activities 10:00 – 12:00

Historic Building Tours – Open with docents

Children’s Activities: Learn to milk a cow, wash clothes with a washboard, make a hay bale, and weave – Outside Historic Buildings

Color and Decorate an Ojibwe-Designed Bandolier Bag – Welcome House

Outdoor Games – Museum Grounds

Food For Sale – Pastries – Swedish Meatballs – Pulled Pork on a Bun – Coffee – Cold Beverages – Ice Cream Treats – Gazebo – Open All Day

Artists and Crafters Fair – Museum Grounds

Paint a Dala Horse Activity for All Ages – Museum Grounds

Do a Scavenger Hunt & Get a Prize – Historic Buildings/Museum Grounds

10:30 Swedish Folk Painting – Tradition and Innovation: Take a docent-led tour of Gammelgården’s current art exhibit, and see and hear about the work of 16 artists from 5 states. – Welcome House – Second Floor?

11:00 Allt för Sverige with Lukas Walls – Hear about this Emmy award-winning Swedish TV show (available on YouTube) that brings Swedish-Americans to Sweden to learn about their ancestry. Lukas worked on the show’s crew for seven seasons, including when his wife (Melissa Walls) was a contestant. In the program, viewers learn about Swedish history, customs, and culture through the contestants’ eyes, who are introduced to their personal Swedish history. Presentation sponsored by Scandia Heritage Alliance – Immigrant House Grove ?

11:30 Music-on-a-String: Ross Sutter plays Swedish songs, tunes, and hymns on the dulcimer. Try the instrument yourself after the presentation! – Old Church

Fiddle Performances 12:00 – 1:00

12:00 – Allspel Music Parade – Through Museum Grounds

12:15 – “Hejmakers” – Renee Vaughan and Tom Klein – Immigrant House Grove

12:45 – Ross Sutter – Immigrant House Grove

Interlude 1:00 – 2:30

Stories of Ojibwe-Swedish Roots. Melissa Walls grew up connected to her mother’s Ojibwe culture – with little understanding of her Swedish ancestry. In 2019, she participated in the TV show Allt för Sverige, where she learned of her ancestors’ difficult decision to leave Sweden after losing a daughter to famine. Hear about Melissa’s moving experience discovering her lost ancestry, the surprising parallels between Ojibwe and Swedish culture, and Melissa’s struggle to reconcile her “colonized and colonizer” identities. Julian Kitto will perform Anishinaabe drum songs following Melissa’s presentation. Presentation sponsored by Scandia Heritage Alliance – Immigrant House Grove

Learn to Play the One-String Dulcimer with Ross Sutter – Old Church

Buskspel – Informal time with musicians up close and personal – ? Outside Immigrant House and Backyard

Historic Building Tours – Open with docents

Children’s Activities – Outside Historic Buildings

Color and Decorate an Ojibwe-Designed Bandolier Bag – Welcome House

Outdoor Games – Museum Grounds

Artists and Crafters Fair – Museum Grounds

Paint a Dala Horse Activity for All Ages – Museum Grounds

Do a Scavenger Hunt & Get a Prize – Historic Buildings/Museum Grounds

Fiddle Performances 2:30 – 3:30

2:30 – ASI Lilla Spelmanslag – Outside Immigrant House

2:45 – ASI Spelmanslag – Outside Immigrant House

3:15 – Closing Allspel – Outside Immigrant House

Proceeds from the event support both Gammelgården Museum and Scandia Heritage Alliance.

If you have questions, call Gammelgården Museum at 651-433-5053 or Sue at Scandia Heritage Alliance at 651-233-0267.