Stephenie Anderson is an at-large member of our board from Fosston. Stephenie works in marketing for Carver Performance, Inc. She is a creative and detail-oriented fiber/textile artist with a strong background in knitting, quilting/machine sewing, and hand sewing of Viking Age textiles. 

Stephenie studied and recreated historic knitting patterns from the Norwegian Husfliden archives and used historic knitting methods and patterns to create modern garments. She also studied and recreated historically accurate Viking Age garments based on archaeological findings. She has taught and displayed these garments in living history events such as: Heritage Days in Fosston, Nordic Fest in Decorah, IA, Midwest Viking Fest in Green Bay, WI, and several local events for both adults and children.

Stephenie has also created, wrote, and published many patterns over the past 30 years. She has test knit and/or technical edited for designers and publishing companies.

Stephenie has been involved in the Pine to Prairie Folk School, a school that strives to preserve heritage trades and foster community through experiential learning and the teaching of traditional crafts; the East Polk County Heritage Center, a destination where visitors experience the past through educational opportunities and interactive demonstrations; and the Order Of The Mitten, a group of textile artists from Norway, England, Poland, and myself, who research textile grave finds and recreate as historically accurate as possible.

Stephenie has exhibited works in the NWMAC Gallery at NCTC, the Sorenson Art Gallery in Fosston and at the Minnesota State Fair (receiving a blue ribbon).

When asked why she joined the NWMAC Board she said it was for a few reasons. First, she received grants from different organizations in the past and wanted to give back. Being someone who has applied for a grant and received a grant gives her a different perspective when evaluating them. Second, because her community submits and receives grant funding, she feels having a representative on the board from her area is important. And finally, as an artist/craftsperson she believes it is important to help keep artistic opportunities going in our area.

Stephenie eloquently explained, “Art is economic stability for communities, art is a connection to history, art helps mental health, art is peace of mind and creative excitement, art is a way to connect and learn about other cultures, art creates emotional responses. Art is extremely important for so many reasons!