Nordic Adventures

From February 22nd - 26th, Bianca, Tom, Amy and Yvette travelled to Seattle for preliminary concept design and interpretive planning workshops with Mithun Architects, the Nordic Heritage Museum and world renowned architect Juhani Pallasmaa from Finland. Except for Bianca, this was our first introduction to the Mithun team and the Museum team. Rich, Brendon, Shauna, Gordon, Chris and all the Mithunites made us very welcome. Eric Nelson, Director, and board members together with local academics participated in storyline and theme development for the new Museum. A tour of the existing Museum exhibits and collections allowed us to see the depth of commitment to Nordic Heritage displayed by the community and the staff. A tour of the new museum site revealed the opportunities offered by the urban Ballard location, and the challenges to be met. A lecture by Juhani detailing some of his design work was especially instructive and inspiring. Finnish choral music, folk dancing and a classical music trio served as a taste of what is to come. Visions were shared and friendships started


Yvette, Amy, Tom, Rich, Juhani and Brendan outside the Experience Music Project on our way to the top of the Space Needle


Juhani, Yvette and Kirk at a Storyline Development Workshop


Amy, Yvette and Tom explore the future site of the new museum


Yvette, Brendan, Rich and Juhani discuss the potential of the new site


Kalevala Days at the Nordic Heritage Museum


Storyline Development Workshop at the Nordic Heritage Museum

U'mista Cultural Centre, Alert Bay

On Feb 6 and 7th Bianca and Tom traveled to U’mista Cultural Centre at Alert Bay to meet with Andrea Sanborn, Executive Director and D. Bruce Whyte, Senior Tourism Development Officer BC Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, regarding the development of a multimedia production for a proposed Big House. It was our first trip to Alert Bay and the Centre and we were impressed and overwhelmed by the story that the Centre tells through its exhibits, videos and the repatriated potlatch collection. The Centre is rightly, highly regarded on the international museum scene, for the abilities of its staff (past and present), the artistic talent of its community, the richness of its cultural history and its groundbreaking work in repatriation. We were honoured to meet some of the contemporary carvers, and haunted by the tour of the residential school in which they now work. It is somehow fitting that they are housed in an institution that once stripped away the humanity and culture of a people.


Andrea and Tom


U'mista Big House


Saint Michael's School

Exciting New Project!

In partnership with Mithun Architects, we were extremely pleased to be selected for the Nordic Heritage Museum design project in Ballard, Seattle. We look foward to working with the Nordic Heritage Staff, Mithun Architects and the community on this exciting new project.

Below is an article published in the Ballard News-Tribune on Monday, February 11th, 2008.