2024 Updates

We Are America

In June, the Museum's new core exhibit, We Are America, opened to the public! This exhibit focuses on the Swedish immigration journey to Chicago, and emphasizes how Swedes built their lives in their new city and helped shape Chicago as a whole. There are interactive elements and opportunities for guests to share their own family stories. We Are America is an engaging and memorable experience suitable for adults and children alike.

The Café

Our Café opened in May! The Café features baked goods and other special treats made here at the Museum, along with coffee, tea, and refreshing saft (juice). We welcome you to visit the Café for a Swedish fika. It is a wonderful place to enjoy some relaxing time to yourself or catch up with friends.

Volunteer of the Year 2023

At our Volunteer Appreciation Dinner in April 2024, we awarded our Volunteer of the Year for 2023, Vivi-Anne Erikson! Vivi-Anne brings a contagious positive energy to the Museum and she has made visits extra special for all of the guests she encounters. She puts her full energy and heart into her contributions here and we are extremely grateful for all she has done. Congratulations Vivi-Anne!

ABOVE: 2023 Volunteer of the Year Vivi-Anne Erikson with Layne Borden, Community Engagement Manager (left) and Karin Moen Abercrombie, Executive Director (right)

Exciting Member News

Allen Wheatcroft has a unique perspective in that he has divided his time between Andersonville and Sörmland, Sweden for the past several years. His son and his son's family live in Sweden, so he has a strong connection with the country and culture. Allen is an experienced photographer and he has two photography books on press — one on Sweden (Björkevägen (Birch Road) and one on Chicago (The Northside). They were released at AIPAD in New York City in April, where he was there signing them. Since then, Allen has also been featured in the July-September issue of the Royal Photographic Society and in an article in The Phoblographer. In the spring, both Björkevägen and The Northside were named to the 2024 Communication Arts Design 2024 shortlist (for books). In early August, The Northside was a bestseller at photo-eye books, the premier online/brick-and-mortar photobooks seller in the US. Eye of Photography, an online photography magazine, featured Björkevägen (Birch Road). Last week, Björkevägen (Birch Road) and The Northside were featured at the ICP Photobook Fest in NYC Sept 7&8. You can purchase Allen's books on his website. If you prefer to use a payment other than PayPal, please email alwheat@gmail.com and we will reply with options.

The Museum has scheduled an exhibition of photographs from these two books for fall 2025. Details to come!