Project Advisor(s) (Students Only)
Margaret Morse
Presentation Type (All Applicants)
Other
Disciplines (All Applicants)
American Art and Architecture | American Material Culture | Scandinavian Studies
Description, Abstract, or Artist's Statement
The Regionalist movement in American art attempted to define an authentic national identity through depictions of the American landscape, rural life, and working-class values and communities. From the mid-19th to early 20th century, over a million Swedes immigrated to the United States, many of whom settled in the Midwest, a region frequently depicted by Regionalist artists. Swedish immigrant artists captured the beauty of the same landscapes, portrayed similar rural values, and even created public art, all of which are defining elements of the Regionalist movement. Their artistic expressions align with the themes of Regionalism, yet they remain absent from the mainstream narrative of American art history. Created during the same period and in the same regions, the art of Swedish immigrants and American Regionalists shares an essence that has been overlooked. The immigrant experience is inherently American, and thus immigrant artists should be included in discussions of Regionalism, which originally sought to define an authentic American identity. This presentation investigates the thematic and artistic intersections between Swedish immigrant artists and Regionalists, analyzes their exclusion from mainstream art historical discourse, and redefines Regionalism in order to recognize the role of immigrants in shaping America’s identity.
Augustana Digital Commons Citation
Finney, Grace. "Midwestern Landscapes, Immigrant Hands: Swedish Artists and the Regionalist Movement" (2025). Celebration of Learning.
https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/celebrationoflearning/2025/presentations/1
Included in
American Art and Architecture Commons, American Material Culture Commons, Scandinavian Studies Commons
Midwestern Landscapes, Immigrant Hands: Swedish Artists and the Regionalist Movement
The Regionalist movement in American art attempted to define an authentic national identity through depictions of the American landscape, rural life, and working-class values and communities. From the mid-19th to early 20th century, over a million Swedes immigrated to the United States, many of whom settled in the Midwest, a region frequently depicted by Regionalist artists. Swedish immigrant artists captured the beauty of the same landscapes, portrayed similar rural values, and even created public art, all of which are defining elements of the Regionalist movement. Their artistic expressions align with the themes of Regionalism, yet they remain absent from the mainstream narrative of American art history. Created during the same period and in the same regions, the art of Swedish immigrants and American Regionalists shares an essence that has been overlooked. The immigrant experience is inherently American, and thus immigrant artists should be included in discussions of Regionalism, which originally sought to define an authentic American identity. This presentation investigates the thematic and artistic intersections between Swedish immigrant artists and Regionalists, analyzes their exclusion from mainstream art historical discourse, and redefines Regionalism in order to recognize the role of immigrants in shaping America’s identity.