Living Lineage: Linen in Scandinavian Folk Art and Modern Innovation
Across the Upper Midwest, threads of memory live quietly in linen cupboards, handwoven tablecloths, rya rugs, and heirloom textiles passed through generations. These objects hold stories of migration, care, and daily beauty, reminders of a time when flax was grown close to home, spun by hand, and woven into everyday life.
Today, those traditions risk becoming relics rather than living practices.
Living Lineage: Linen in Scandinavian Folk Art and Modern Innovation is a collaborative initiative led by Three Rivers Fibershed in partnership with The Weavers Guild of Minnesota and The American Scandinavian Foundation. The project seeks to reanimate Scandinavian weaving traditions by supporting Upper Midwest artists in creating new work with linen, a fiber central to Scandinavian folk life and to the cultural history of our region.
We believe tradition is not static. It evolves through the hands of artists, the knowledge of communities, and the materials that connect us to land and heritage. Living Lineage honors this continuity while inviting creative interpretation, innovation, and public dialogue.
Why Linen? Why Now?
For centuries, linen was integral to Scandinavian domestic and cultural life. When Scandinavian immigrants settled in the Upper Midwest, they carried flax-growing, spinning, and weaving traditions that shaped household and artistic practices.
Over time, domestic linen production declined, and artists have increasingly relied on imported fiber disconnected from ecological and cultural origins. This project works to tell the story of the need of reconnecting material, maker, land, and lineage.
By providing U.S.-grown flax and supporting artists working in linen, Living Lineage helps reestablish a material relationship rooted in place, sustainability, and cultural memory.
Call For Artists
We invite fiber and textile artists to apply for one of three funded commissions.
Selected artists will:
Create new work grounded in Scandinavian weaving traditions, folk textile practices, or cultural heritage connections
Work with U.S.-grown flax yarn
Explore traditional forms such as rya, household textiles, or patterned yardage, or innovate contemporary expressions rooted in tradition
Share their process and knowledge with the public
This opportunity is open to emerging, mid-career, and established artists.
Mixed-media proposals are welcome; however, flax/linen and Scandinavian folk tradition must remain central to the work.
Selection will emphasize cultural relevance, artistic excellence, and the artist’s ability to share process and knowledge with the public.
Exhibition & Public Celebration
The project culminates in a public exhibition opening in December 2026 at The Weavers Guild of Minnesota.
The celebration will feature:
Weaving and spinning demonstrations
Scandinavian food and cultural programming
A panel conversation with artists and folk weaving practitioners
Photo and video documentation by Greener Pastures
Completed works alongside documentation of the flax-to-fiber process
Selected artists must be able to attend.
This free public event will create an immersive space where craft, culture, education, and community meet.
Application Details
Application Window: February 1 – March 15, 2026
Artist Stipend: $1,750
Application Fee: None
Eligibility: Open to artists of all backgrounds and disciplines who demonstrate a connection to Scandinavian traditions through heritage, practice, or artistic focus.
Questions may be directed to:
programs@threeriversfibershed.org
