The early years: The new junior high school and the founding of the association

The one who was employed as a teacher at the new junior high school in Seljord in 1965 arrived at a school led by a principal, Sigurd Telnes, who was more than ordinarily concerned with art and culture. During the school year of 1962–63, he attended the National School of Arts and Crafts in Notodden. Here, he had the task of designing a new junior high school as a student assignment and went on several study trips in Eastern Norway to see new school buildings. His teacher, Ingvar Sundvor, participated in this work. Later, Sigurd Telnes was part of the building committee for the new junior high school in Seljord and succeeded in arranging for the art and craft teaching rooms – or design subjects, as they were called then – to be grouped around an auditorium. Music rooms, handicrafts rooms, drawing rooms, ceramics rooms, woodwork rooms, and photography rooms – all with entrances from the auditorium.

The auditorium had skylights and large clean wall surfaces, ready for hanging art – and student work. In the first years, it was the National Gallery that held exhibitions in the auditorium. Often, the artist himself accompanied the exhibition and took the classes for a tour. “Art in school” and the People’s Academy also offered many cultural activities that the junior high school greatly benefited from. Over the years, there were also numerous concerts in the auditorium, many of them organized by the National Concerts, and featuring the best performers of classical music that Norway had to offer. The auditorium thus combined the functions of a gallery and a concert hall in the best possible way.

Those who started Seljord Art Association in 1968 had a good foundation to build on. Many Seljord residents were interested in art and were familiar with visual arts since there had been many renowned artists living in the village throughout history. But the basis for this appreciation of art was probably related to the appreciation of fine craftsmanship, rosemaling, weaving, woodcarving, log chairs, cabinets, etc., as well as all kinds of crafts related to the making of both men’s and women’s bunads. And this appreciation was and is strong in Seljord.

The statutes of Seljord Art Association state that “the association shall work to preserve and increase interest in fine art and craftsmanship and strive to promote the best in rural culture through: exhibitions, good program arrangements that can also be used in schools in the municipality, and purchasing art for Seljord Art Association’s permanent collection.” One could say that the art association continued the ideas on which the Norwegian Rural Art Association was founded – and which also had a branch in Seljord. In 1951, Seljord Rural Art Association organized a large exhibition with many renowned artist names. Active in this association were the artist couple Nana Kiønig Holm and Ture Holm. Later, it was Seljord Housewife Association that organized summer exhibitions at Borgen for several years – with art and crafts. It was together with the enthusiasts in the housewife association that Seljord Art Association was founded in the fall of 1968, and the first summer exhibition was planned for display in the junior high school. It wouldn’t be the only one!

Glimpses from the 1970s

Every summer from 1969 until Kunstlåven (The Art Barn) could be used in the 90s, the classrooms were cleared of tables and chairs as soon as school was out, and doors were unhinged and stowed away. Out came movable walls on wheels, and boards clad with canvas, everything was transformed and prepared for hanging and displaying art and crafts. And the volunteer crew wasn’t just a big part of the teaching staff and artists and their friends, but also a long line of other villagers. Here it’s pointless to start mentioning names! But who would ever say no when Telnes asked!

Sometimes one of the classrooms was adorned with several hundred-year-old wood materials. It could be turned columns from an old storehouse, or finely carved portals from a demolished stave church. Inside such rooms, the artist Erlend Grøstad created an atmosphere from bygone times. Old church art borrowed from both museums and private collectors was exhibited. Gregorian church music emanated from speakers well hidden behind walls, and one could smell incense. When one stepped over the threshold into such a room, it was like taking a journey several hundred years back in time.

For those of us who had our work at Seljord Junior High School, whether as a student or a teacher, it was magical to see how the somewhat soulless and sterile classrooms were filled with art from old and modern times every summer.

It sounds like a fairy tale, but the art association was allowed to borrow some of the largest artworks, among others from the National Gallery, to display them at the Summer Exhibition. Sigurd Telnes must have been unusually trustworthy to accomplish this, and he was able to drive home to Seljord with the art loaded in his car or on his trailer. Telnes folded down the back seat of his station wagon and drove paintings by, among others, Kai Fjell, Henrik Sørensen, Erik Werenskiold, and Harald Kihle from Oslo to the Summer Exhibition in Seljord (though he had to promise that there would be a night guard throughout the exhibition). Yes, even Tidemand and Gude’s iconic painting “Bridal Procession in Hardanger” hung in the auditorium of the junior high school!

Sigurd Telnes and his helpers also knew well who had the finest examples of log chairs, canopy beds, carved shelves, door frames, doors, milk stools, baskets, carpets, and silverware. Many and long trips to the farthest reaches of Åmotsdal and far into Heii were made in spring and autumn to collect and deliver back. For the Summer Exhibition in 1976, for example, old rural art was borrowed from these places and farms: Øvsttveiten, Færstaul, Tveiten, Lårdal, Groven in Ytre Vinje, Langelim, Minnesjord in Flatdal, Ytre Øverland, and Ytre Nes.

With regard to the premises used by the art association, the basement height of the junior high school was intended for a school library, but it was not approved due to the low ceiling height. Instead, the art association was allowed to install a kitchen there. Thus, one could follow the practice of the housewife association in selling porridge, bread, and waffles. (The porridge needs a comment: Many cringe when they hear the word porridge, but that is the right word for porridge cooked in butter. It tastes almost like sour cream porridge, which is cooked in sour cream. But some believe that porridge cooked in butter is best.)

Since Seljord was one of the first art associations, and covered a broad spectrum of art, from new graphics to classical works, from silverware to weavings, and because so many had ownership of what was exhibited, hundreds turned up to see the exhibition. During the summer, there were four to five thousand visitors, and in the best years, even more. Attendance was particularly high on weekends, and greatest on the weekend Seljord Play – with local historical content – was performed at Englandsletta, just behind the school. It was common to

watch the play before visiting the exhibition to see both old and modern art. On these days, the porridge had plenty of demand.

But the art association was not only active during school holidays. As mentioned above, the auditorium at the junior high school was used for exhibitions all year round. Many have wondered how one dared to hang up expensive and irreplaceable artworks in rooms where youth went in and out completely unsupervised. But it went well. It never happened that the students destroyed anything. Not everyone liked everything hanging on the walls, but many became interested in art, and they became familiar with art and artists in a way that few others had the opportunity to do. In retrospect, many former students have expressed great gratitude for being in this environment – for which Sigurd Telnes deserves credit.

As an example of how the art association was an integral part of the school, a major art project for the students with the artist couple Britt and Hans Gerhard Sørensen took place over several school days, and the students got to learn and try different techniques. All subjects were set aside – probably to the great delight of the students. In addition, local artists like Terje Grøstad and Knut Flatin also had theme days for students at both elementary and junior high schools. At times, it was mostly unclear where the line was drawn between the school on one side and the art association or the People’s Academy and the National Concerts on the other. In the name of Seljord Art Association, many events and exhibitions were held year-round with artists in both words, tones, and colors.

One result of the close collaboration with the school was that a large number of students over the years got jobs at the Summer Exhibition, in the reception or in the café. For a period in the 1970s, this was an important workplace for youth in Seljord.

A couple of representative years

The minutes of the board meetings clearly show how active Seljord Art Association was in organizing exhibitions in this first period. There were about one exhibition per month outside the Summer Exhibition. All exhibitions opened with various cultural programs. Both actors from the National Concerts and local artists participated. In the annual meeting report from 1974, written on February 28, 1975, it is stated that 17,635 people visited the twelve exhibitions and the thirty cultural events the association organized that year! And this was the activity the following year, 1975:

January: Solveig Zinke exhibition. Textile art. Opening program: the Russian pianist Valery Afanasiev. 200 attendees.

February: Jan Petter Bratsberg exhibition. Painting. Opening program: Åse Nordmo Løvberg and Kaare Ørnung. 120 attendees.

March: Svallaug Svalastoga exhibition. Graphics. Opening program: Music by a trio led by Håvard Mo.

April: Irena Wojnicz exhibition. Opening program: Jens Amundsen and Ellen Bojer Nordstoga.

April: Alexander Schultz exhibition. Opening program: Vinje folk music group and Bjarne Øverbø, singing. 120 attendees.

May: Per Palle Storm exhibition with 53 works. Opening program: Øyvind Bangor.

May: The National Gallery’s exhibition “Norwegian painting from the 1800s”. Between 2000 and 3000 saw this exhibition.

June: Telemark Spring Exhibition.

July: The Summer Exhibition: Harald Kihle as the main exhibitor. Celebration of his 70th birthday with book release. Opening program with Ketil Bjørnstad and Sigmund Groven; Halvor and Ingebjørg K. Sandsdalen and Ellen Bojer Nordstoga. Speech by museum director Reidar Kjellberg. 450 attendees.

Summer: Several concerts and events in addition to the Summer Exhibition.

September: Eystein Sigurdsson exhibition, “Graphics over 25 years”.

September: The National Concerts at Rogaland Theatre with the program “All about love”, by Liv Dommersnes, Kjell Bækkelund, and Isabel Andersson.

October: Knut Johannessen shows the film “Svalbard – The Adventure Island in the Arctic”. 52 attendees.

October: Agnes Hiorth exhibition, painting. Opening program: Ingebjørg and Halvor J. Sandsdalen. 70 attendees.

October: Liv Glaser, piano concert. 110 attendees.

November: Anne-Lise Knoff exhibition. Opening program by Bishop F. Birkeli, Margit Skrede, and Kjell O. Selman. 70 attendees.

November: Professor Olav Bø, lecture on “The Dream Poem”; song by school superintendent Eivind Øygarden. 50 attendees.

November: Knut Flatin exhibition with about 100 works. Opening program with The Norwegian Opera’s wind quintet. 100 attendees.