In-person

Members Opening: "Nordic Utopia? African Americans in the 20th Century"

2655 NW Market Street, Seattle, WA 98107

206.789.5707

Join us for the exclusive preview of Nordic Utopia? African Americans in the 20^th Century. Hear from the exhibition’s Curators Dr. Ethelene Whitmire, Professor, University of Wisconsin—Madison and Leslie Anne Anderson, Chief Curator, National Nordic Museum. This exhibition illuminates the untold story of African American visual and performing artists, who sought new possibilities, inspiration, and environments in the Nordic countries. Light refreshments will be served, and musician Winston McFarlane will perform jazz music during reception.

Featuring

Dr. Ethelene Whitmire

Ethelene Whitmire is the Chair and a Professor in the Department of African American Studies at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
Bio

Dr. Ethelene Whitmire

Ethelene Whitmire is the Chair and a Professor in the Department of African American Studies at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Whitmire was a Fulbright Scholar and a Visiting Professor at the University of Copenhagen’s Center for Transnational American Studies in 2016-2017. She has received additional fellowships from the American-Scandinavian Foundation and the Lois Roth Endowment. Her current book projects are: The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram (Viking) and Searching for Utopia: African Americans in 20th Century Denmark. She is the author of Regina Anderson Andrews, Harlem Renaissance Librarian (University of Illinois Press, 2014).
Leslie Anne Anderson

Chief Curator
Leslie Anne Anderson is Chief Curator at the National Nordic Museum, a mayoral-appointed Seattle Arts Commissioner, and chair of Seattle’s Public Art Advisory Committee.
Bio

Leslie Anne Anderson

Chief Curator
Leslie Anne Anderson is Chief Curator at the National Nordic Museum, a mayoral-appointed Seattle Arts Commissioner, and chair of Seattle’s Public Art Advisory Committee.

Prior to her arrival in the Pacific Northwest, she held curatorial positions at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts/University of Utah and Indianapolis Museum of Art. She has been an American Scandinavian-Foundation Fellow and a Fulbright scholar at the University of Copenhagen. She has organized dozens of exhibitions with collaborators like the Ateneum Art Museum/Finnish National Gallery and Sweden’s Nationalmuseum, published in numerous scholarly journals, and acquired over 1,000 works of fine and decorative art for collections in her purview. Recently, she was also the commissioning curator of Jónsi: FLÓÐ and co-curator of the traveling exhibition Nordic Utopia? African Americans in the 20th Century. Leslie is the recipient of the international Association of Art Museum Curators Award for Excellence (First Place) in 2018, the Utah Museums Association Award for Excellence in 2020, and the University of Florida Alumni Association’s “40 Gators Under 40” honor in 2023.
Winston McFarlane

Vision Music founder & guitarist Winston McFarlane has managed to fuse his love for music and business. Winston graduated Morehouse College 2001 with a degree in Business where he concentrated in Marketing.
Bio

Winston McFarlane

Vision Music founder & guitarist Winston McFarlane has managed to fuse his love for music and business. Winston graduated Morehouse College 2001 with a degree in Business where he concentrated in Marketing.

While at Morehouse Winston was involved in the Student Government Association. In addition to his SGA involvement Winston was also a member of the Morehouse Investment Club, and the Morehouse Business Association which enabled him to have a one-on -one with Warren Buffett.
“It was an honor to meet Mr. Buffett. I learned a lot from him about life, not just numbers.”

Winston was also Morehouse Colleges student Ambassador to Harvard University. But Through it all Winston Always found Time for his Guitar. After Graduating Morehouse College Winston went on to work as a Brand Ambassador for the Coca-Cola Company for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, where he received the honor of being an Olympic Torch Bearer. Which gave him the honor of taking part in an historic moment to share carrying the flame with the likes of Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstrong, and many others? After taking part in a few other marketing campaigns Winston could no longer deny his passion for music which lead him to graduation from the guitar program at the Atlanta Institute of Music where he studied Blues, Rock, Jazz & classical. Winston’s has been teaching and Playing guitar ever since. Recently Winston finished a music production certification from Berklee School Of Music. Winston sits in with several local artists on the music scene from time to time as well as plays private parties and corporate events.