Scandinavian Summer: Ephraim Children Responding to Local History
2020
Granary Arts, in collaboration with the children of Ephraim, created artworks relating to Ephraim City’s Scandinavian Summer celebration. Granary Arts created virtual workshop tutorials for kids and families where they were able to access the videos and create the art at home.
The annual Scandinavian Festival in Ephraim celebrates the early settlers of the Sanpete Valley who were originally from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. The festival gives participants an opportunity to learn about Scandinavian tradition, and recognize its influence that is still present today.
Each project relates to a piece of Scandinavian tradition, landscape, wildlife, or culture. Symmetry is a common characteristic of traditional Scandinavian art. The Swedish Dala Horse is traditionally hand-carved and painted as a symbol of good-luck. Nordic Dragon ships were built during the Viking Age and are characterized as being slender, flexible boats with a true keel. Sweden has sixty-four different species of dragonflies. Flowers and plants grow vigorously as Scandinavian summer days are long and light plentiful, these plants provide sustenance for insects, birds and many other creatures. In Scandinavian tradition, a tree is often planted in the center of a property to symbolize a connection to their ancestry.
These artworks share the stories of local Sanpete heritage through the eyes of the children in our community.
This project was created as part of our Virtual Workshops for Kids series. Projects invite students to explore a variety of fine art mediums, materials, and processes.