Vesterheim’s Free Decorah Rosemaling Webinar Will Turn Boreal Plants Into Botanical Art

Decorah-area residents will be able to explore Norwegian-American decorative painting from home when Vesterheim hosts a free online rosemaling webinar on October 4, 2026. The one-hour Cultural Connections program will run from 3 to 4 p.m. Central Time on Zoom.

The program will focus on how traditional rosemaling can be reshaped as contemporary botanical art while remaining connected to established techniques. Because the event is online, people in Decorah and participants elsewhere can attend without traveling to the museum or another venue.

Ten plants will shape the designs

Artist Tara will present 10 original botanical designs inspired by plants from the boreal ecosystem. The featured subjects are Trout Lily, Rowan Berry, Lady’s Slipper, Blue Flag Iris, Wild Rose, Coral Root, Arrowhead, Pipsissewa, Marsh Marigold and Maple Leaf.

During the presentation, attendees will see how traditional rosemaling brushstrokes can be reimagined to reflect the distinct forms and character of each plant. The session is intended for people interested in contemporary botanical design as well as the established rosemaling tradition.

Registration is required for the free Zoom link

Although the webinar is free, participants must register in advance to receive the Zoom connection details. Those interested can sign up through Vesterheim’s event information. The listing also directs attendees to the museum’s broader schedule of Cultural Connections programs.

The program will include more than a painting demonstration. Vesterheim plans to briefly connect contemporary botanical art with the history of plant classification, including background on Carl Linnaeus and his apprentice Anders Dahl. Dahl’s name continues in the word “dahlia.”

The October webinar may appeal to people following Norwegian-American arts, traditional craft techniques or botanical design. For Decorah residents, its online format offers access to a Vesterheim program without an in-person trip, but advance registration remains necessary to receive the event connection information.