GRANITE FALLS, Minnesota, April 11, 2024 - The next episode of Postcards features Christine Novotny, a weaver inspired by nature; Nora Taksdal, the principal violist of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra; and the wonders of the Versterheim Norwegian-American Museum. “Weaver and Radio Orchestra” airs on Pioneer PBS Thursday, April 18 at 7 p.m. and repeats the following Sunday at 7 p.m. and Monday at 1:30 p.m.
Christine Novotny is a weaver, living in Grand Marais, who draws inspiration from the natural beauty of the North Shore. Novotny began her career in the arts by going to school in Minneapolis for painting, but found her calling as a weaver years later when she went abroad to learn the loom.
“I think it’s really powerful to create something with our hands…I think when people do that for the first time, something like a switch flips in their brain,” Novotny said.
Nora Taksdal plays the viola – the slightly larger sibling of the violin – and is the principal violist of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra based out of Oslo, Norway. The Norwegian Radio Orchestra was founded in 1946 and currently consists of 54 musicians.
The Versterheim is a distinctive museum space that is open to the public. It hosts numerous events, ongoing exhibition galleries and houses a digital production space. It also features a vibrant folk arts school, where students can learn from a variety of art programs.
Tune in next week as Postcards captures the lives of local artists and relives the cultural history of our viewing area.
Credits: Executive Producer Dana Conroy, Videographers/Editors Ben Dempcy, Kristofor Gieske
About Postcards
Postcards is an award-winning art, culture and history program, produced by Dana Conroy with videography and editing by Kristofor Gieske and Ben Dempcy. The program is made possible by contributions from the voters of Minnesota through a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The 2024 season is made possible by funding from Shalom Hill Farm, Explore Alexandria Tourism, Lake Region Arts Council, KRAM 96.7, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies and members of Pioneer PBS.
About Pioneer PBS
Established in 1966, Pioneer PBS is an award-winning, viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing stories from rural Minnesota with the world. Pioneer PBS is headquartered in Granite Falls, Minnesota, with towers in Appleton, Worthington and Fergus Falls. Pioneer PBS reaches more than a million people in rural areas and small towns in western Minnesota, the eastern Dakotas and northern Iowa. Pioneer PBS is honored to be your television station—the only station in western Minnesota telling your stories and raising your voices into the media landscape. For more information visit pioneer.org or call 800-726-3178.
