Eric Nelson is a dynamic and passionate executive director/CEO of the National Nordic Museum located in Seattle’s Ballard waterfront district known for its Scandinavian heritage. He successfully led a ten-year building campaign moving the Nordic Heritage Museum in 2018 to its new iconic designed structure by a Finnish consultant architectural firm.  Within its beautiful contemporary facility, Ralph Appelbaum Associates firm designed and planned the museum and created innovative narrative environments. “The Museum’s achievements were acknowledged in 2019 when the Museum was designed as the National Nordic Museum by an act of congress.”

The core exhibit is the “Nordic Journeys” which tells the story from 12,000 years of Nordic history, culture, and values representing “the entire Nordic region (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the regions of the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland, and the cultural region of Sápmi) and the legacy of Nordic immigrants to the United States.”

The Viking treasures are intricate and unique from jewelry, swords, even an incense burner with the runic engraving,” this was made by Hans the great silversmith in Denmark”.

Eric pointed out an interesting fact that the big driver for the Nordic immigration to the US and Canada was the vaccine which lowered mortality rates and more family members were living on the same plot of land. These immigrants took their valued possessions, beliefs in hard work, social justice, creative spirit, and love of nature to North America. Their inventive spirit led some Nordics to fame such as Karsten Solheim, the inventor of the rabbit ears for GE, and later in life when he was old started the ping golf dynasty, creator of its putter.

nordicmuseum.org