Art Opening: Blomma Lycka

Blomma Lycka (Flower Happiness): Floral Textiles and Paintings by Alison Aune and Kirsten Aune

Come join us at the Duluth Folk School for the opening of our newest art exhibition: Blomma Lycka!

Blomma Lycka is a spring exhibition of  floral textiles and mixed media paintings created by the Aune sisters of Duluth, Minnesota.  Alison’s densely patterned paintings together with Kirsten’s bold hand painted and printed textiles explore the intersection of art, craft, and heritage.

Alison and Kirsten have exhibited together for many years beginning with the exhibition Colors in Winter: Paintings by Kirsten and Alison Aune at the Finnish-American Heritage Center at Suomi College, now the Finlandia University, in Hancock, MI (1994). Their recent exhibition  Colors from the North premiered last summer at the Haapsalu Konstiskool in Estonia (2018); it went on to the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis (2018) and was the featured exhibition at The Swedish American Museum in Chicago (2019).

As artists, the sisters share an interest in patterns and vibrant color. Alison draws inspiration from traditional Nordic folk art and symbolic decorative designs that she integrates into her mixed media paintings.  Kirsten’s work embraces nature, geometry and the theatrics. Influenced by her Swedish American mother and many travels to the Nordic countries, her richly painted quilts and garments become visual dramas and an artistic offering for the social fabric of beauty.  Each artist honors her cultural roots and pays tribute to women’s artistic and domestic contributions to material culture.

Enjoy live music and complementary hors d’oeuvres for our latest art opening!