On Saturday October 28, the Bishop Hill Heritage Association will celebrate the gift of the Bishop Hill Tapestry. Newly installed at the Steeple Building Museum, the 12’ 3” by 6’7” tapestry was designed by Swedish artist Åsa Bengtson of Stockholm and woven by weaver Lija Rage of Riga, Latvia. This work of art depicts the Bishop Hill Colony in the mid-19th century and is part of a series of nine tapestries telling the story of Swedish immigration to the USA.
The American Daughters of Sweden made this gift possible thru a generous donation. Organized in 1926 in Chicago by a group of women of Swedish heritage, the American Daughters of Sweden has worked for over ninety years to promote and maintain an interest in Sweden and Swedish culture. When the American Daughters of Sweden became aware that the tapestry depicting Bishop Hill’s history was available for purchase, their membership decided that this would be a most worthy use of funds and arranged for the purchase as a gift to the Bishop Hill Heritage Association.
The Bishop Hill Tapestry Celebration will be in the Steeple Building Museum, located at 103 North Bishop Hill Street. It will be an open house format from 2:30 to 5 p.m., with a formal ceremony beginning at 2:30 p.m. At the formal ceremony, the following individuals will be speaking: Dan Swanson, Illinois state representative; Gerd Sjögren, Chicago’s Honorary Consul General for Sweden; Mattias Hallendorff, president of the Carl Axel Valen Foundation; and Janet Nelson, president of the American Daughters of Sweden. Music will be provide by hammered dulcimer performer Jon Wagner. Light refreshments, provided by BHHA volunteers, will be served immediately after the formal ceremony. This program is free and open to the public. Please help the BHHA celebrate the arrival of the Bishop Hill Tapestry. For more details, please call 309 927-3899 or email [email protected].
