Handmade Holidays

ASI’s 2018 Holiday Exhibition

Designed against the backdrop of the historic Turnblad Mansion, this immersive exploration showcases the unique traditions and the special place of all things handmade in Nordic holiday culture. Each room illustrates customs that are cherished across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland, and this year’s special guests from the Czech American community.

The exhibition included a special installation featuring local Minnesota artists and makers as they interpret these traditions through unique handcrafted pieces.

Photography Kara Hakanson

Holidays at ASI

Experience is one of Minnesota’s most talked-about seasonal destinations. Each winter, the ASI campus and historic Turnblad Mansion come alive with holiday spirit.

Unique, immersive displays of holiday décor and tradition from the five Nordic countries – Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland – plus a yearly special guest community, activate rooms of the Mansion.

Thousands of visitors from across the region come together at ASI to celebrate this time of year, eat seasonal specials at the award-winning FIKA Café, peruse the unique product in ASI’s pop-up holiday Jul Shop, and engage in virtual and in-person holiday programming, and support local artists and artisans by purchasing handmade goods from ASI’s Julmarknad Holiday Market.