Norwegian ‘rosemaling’ art featured at Central States Fair

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - The Central States Fair is known for its rodeo events and carnival rides, but its showcase of regional and international art is also on full display this week.

One of the art-forms presented is the Norwegian Folk art of rosemaling. It’s a decorative style of painting that had its origins in the low-land areas of Eastern Norway in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Renowned rosemaling artist Tonya Mandi gave lessons in the style in the Fine Arts Building at the fair, with her daughter providing marker henna rosemale tattoos.

She said that its fun to watch how the art-form can bring people of Norwegian descent together in the area.

“There’s a lot of people with a Norwegian and Scandinavian background in the area, and it’s something that applies to a lot of people, and so it’s kind of fun to talk to people about if their relatives are from Norway, what their regional style would have been, and just develop and cultivate that interest in a folk art,” Mandi said.

Rosemaling is regarded as an upper-class, rural artistic style.

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