Rosemaling at the ChazenAn Afternoon with Painter Tara Austin and the Nordic Lights Dance Band

After a short introduction at 11:30 a.m., Austin will paint for 45 minutes accompanied by the ensemble; a 15-minute intermission will follow with an opportunity for questions from the audience. The program will conclude with Austin again painting and accompanied by music. Seating will be first come, first served.

About the artists:

Tara Austin is the 2026 folk-artist-in-residence at the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures. She received her MFA in painting from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2017 and now works as a practicing artist and instructor, teaching rosemaling throughout the Upper Midwest. Her work is inspired by the boreal ecosystem of the Upper Midwest and draws from botanical and natural beauty. Originating in Norway, rosemaling has developed and changed over time and space and Austin’s work—inspired by Norwegian and Norwegian American rosemaling styles, Swedish folk painting, scenic painting and faux finishing, and reverse painting on glass—has been exhibited in galleries throughout the region.

Nordic Lights Dance Band has roots in the Nordic American old-time dance music that has persisted in the Upper Midwest since immigrants settled in the area in the mid-19th century. The ensemble includes Mary Pat Kleven, Colleen Foley, Bill Foley, Steve Holmes, and Susan Cook.

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