Carol Bender

Rosemaling since her 20s, Carol has taken many classes with Vesterheim Gold Medalists and Norwegian rosemalers. She has taught rosemaling locally through Chestnut Center for the Arts, Wisconsin State Rosemaling Association, Coon Region Rosemalers, and Terrace Hills Rosemalers. Since 2003, she has been the rosemaling instructor for Masse Moro, the Sons of Norway District 5 Youth Heritage camp. Over the years, she has received awards for her rosemaling, including two Best of Shows at the Wisconsin State Rosemaling Association competition. Through the Wisconsin Arts Board Apprenticeship Program, she studied the Gubrandsdal style of rosemaling with Pam Rucinski, Vesterheim Gold Medalist, from 2015-2017. In 2018, she traveled to Norway and Sweden on Vesterheim folk-art tours.

Carol has been awarded two Folk Arts and Cultural Traditions Fellowships through the American Scandinavian Foundation in 2019 and 2023 to study folk art painting in Sweden and Norway. These fellowships were shared jointly with Pam Rucinski. This fellowship deepened her skills as an artist and created connections to museum curators, authors, and folk art painting artists both in Sweden and Norway.

A Residency with Vesterheim in 2023 gave her the opportunity to study Vesterheim’s beautiful chest painted by Sebjorn Kverndalenn of Numedal. Since then, she has done more research on her own and has connected with Even Traen from Numedal who has given her more leads.

Pam Rucinski

Pam Rucinski has been rosemaling since 1974. She teaches all over the United States, has taught in Japan, and has traveled to Russia for folk art studies. Pam received her Vesterheim Gold Medal in 1995, in part for her Gudbrandsdal painting. She has developed her own subtle variations over the 20+ years she has painted this style, looking to Jacob Klukstad and baroque wood carving for her inspiration. Through the Wisconsin Arts Board, Pam has worked with four apprentices concentrating on the Gudbrandsdal style. In 2019, Pam was awarded an American Scandinavian Foundation Fellowship. In June 2019, she and co-fellow, Carol Bender, spent three weeks in Sweden, studying folk art with artists who are using the traditional techniques and materials of the 1700-1800s. She and Carol Bender were recently awarded a second fellowship through American Scandinavian Foundation and will travel in August and September of 2023. This time, they will study Swedish folk arts and Gudbrandsdal rosemaling, especially the work of Jakob Klukstad.