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Issue 12, March 24, 2004:
Successful Debut for Nordic Expo
More than 700 people visited the Nordic Expo 2004, which took place on March 13-14 in Manhattan. "We are already thinking about turning this into an annual event," Director of Operations and Production, Ben Geboe, said.
By IRINA LEE
44 artists from the five Nordic
Countries – Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland –
took part in the event, and Nordic Expo seemed to fulfill its mission
to "launch Scandinavian Artists and Designers in New York,"
as stated in the show’s slogan.
Steady Stream of Visitors
During the first day of the event, Saturday March 13, more than 300
people stopped by the gym at Martin Luther King Jr. High School on Amsterdam
Avenue. On the second day, 425 paying visitors were registered.
Many of the visitors were members of various Sons of Norway lodges, who
had promoted the event within the organization.
Ben Geboe, who took the initiative on the project, was very pleased with
the turnout. "We had a steady stream of visitors on Saturday. Sunday
started out quite slow, but a lot of people came during the afternoon,"
Geboe said.
He will meet with the rest of the committee during this week to evaluate
the event and to decide where to go from here.
Nordic Expo is a non-profit organization, established in September last
year as an independent project to launch Scandinavian artists and designers.
Participants paid a small vendors fee, but the organizers did not charge
the artists for commissions on their sales.
"My impression was that the artists were very pleased, although some
suggested that we should consider installing a charging apparatus, so
that people can charge purchases to their cards," Geboe said.
The Nordic Expo committee will also send out a survey to all the partakers
to get more input on how to further improve the event.
Wide Range of Artists
This year’s event had a wide range of presenters – from
established artists, photographers, and designers, to newcomers in every
field. Swedish artist Malin Abrahamsson was among the participants who
sold one of her pieces. Her original rolled-up artwork was for sale at
$40 per feet, but one visitor couldn’t decide what part of the artwork
she wanted.
"She was thinking about buying a foot or two, but she ended up buying
the whole roll, 27 feet in all," Geboe said.
Geboe also pointed out that the food stand, operated by the Norwegian
restaurant Smörgåschef, which sold Scandinavian dishes, drinks
and sweets, was a huge success.
"Visitors could buy something to eat and sit down for a while. The
food stand contributed to making people spend more time at the exhibition
than they otherwise would have," he said.
None of the members of Nordic Expo’s Board of Directors, which consists
of Boel Kierulf, Rosemarie E. Ryen, Sarah Cameron Sunde, Tanja Thorjussen,
and Ben Geboe, were paid for their hard work in organizing the two-day
event.
"We made a little profit, and we want to give the musicians who participated
a little something," Geboe said.
The rest of the money will be channeled back to the organization, to fulfill
the dream of making Nordic Expo into an annual event.
Previous Stories:
• Issue 11, March
17, 2004
Sokndal - A Town in Slow
Motion
• Issue 10, March
10, 2004
Friendly Visit in Troubled
Times
• Issue 9, March
3, 2004
New Film Explores the
Heroes of the North
• Issue 8, February
25, 2004
Kofi Annan Greets
Norwegian Artists
• Issue 7, February
18, 2004
Bølgen & Moi
Open
Restaurant in Hudson
• Issue 6, February
11, 2004
Norwegian Diva With
Broadway Dreams
• Issue 5, February
4, 2004
Norway's New Princess Named
• Issue 4, January
28, 2004
Helga's Historic Walk
Across America
• Issue 3, January
21, 2004
Arne Næss Jr. Dies
Climbing in South Africa
• Issue 2, January
14, 2004
Norway's Kurt Ready
To Conquer the World
• Issue 1, January
7, 2004
Dragsten Honors Sons of
Norway's Founding Fathers
