The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County is excited to present a performance that highlights the emotions and experiences of immigrants through music, images and the spoken word. HCS welcomes Minneapolis-based, Finnish-American violinist and artist Sara Pajunen for a performance of Laatikko/Box at the Hjemkomst Center on December 15, 2015 at 6:30 pm.  Admission to the event is free, but donations are welcomed.

Immigration and its implications on the culture in the Midwest and more specifically on the Fargo-Moorhead area are still present today. “Although Pajunen developed this work around the Finnish-American experience, the stories are relevant to any immigrant’s story,” said HCS executive director Maureen Kelly Jonason. “The Fargo-Moorhead area was settled by immigrants in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, and continues to welcome new immigrants.  It behooves us to spend an evening sharing these experiences and pondering the similarities of our various origin stories.”

A classically trained musician, Pajunen created the work after receiving a commission from Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. Interested in Finnish folk music, she had an intention to create new music from the Finnish-American archives. “Most drawn to the stories of immigration, I found that my own experience of leaving a place of familiarity for an unknown world had much in common with the experiences of immigrants,” Pajunen said. “The same feelings arose: fear, hope, trust, loss.” Pajunen, a 2015 recipient of an Artists Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, has earned degrees in classical music from both Minneapolis and Helsinki, Finland.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, and by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.  The performance is sponsored by the Red River Finns.

This event is part of HCS’s History + Art series, an occasional, on-going series of exhibitions and events presented by the Historical and Cultural Society that meld art and history in an exploration of our shared cultural heritage.

The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County (HCSCC) collects, preserves, interprets, and shares the history and culture of Clay County, Minnesota. HCSCC also provides interpretation of the Hjemkomst Viking Ship, Hopperstad Stave Church Replica, and hosts traveling exhibits in 7,000 sq feet of temporary exhibition space. HCSCC is a community resource for residents of and visitors to the Fargo-Moorhead metro area, serving on average 30,000 visitors annually from all over the world.

Museum Hours:

Sunday Noon to 5 pm

Monday through Saturday 9 am – 5 pm

Tuesdays open until 8 pm

Admission:

Adults $10

Seniors and College Students $9

Youth (5 – 17) $8

Children (4 & under) Free

HCSCC Members Free

Location:                             

The Hjemkomst Center at 202 First Avenue North in Moorhead.

For more information, www.hcscconline.org or call 218-299-5511.