Learn Norse code
Who is worthy enough to lift the hammer of Thor, Norse god of thunder?
For Monday, Sept. 25, at least, the answer is anyone who makes the trip to Tillamook to take part in The Saga Project, a sculptural ceramic workshop for kids and families taking place at the Fairview Grange.
Workshop participants will get to create Medieval-style press tiles representing Norse myth and legends, such as Thor, Odin, Loki and Sif, along with many symbols from Nordic and Viking culture.
Every participant will receive a ceramic Thor's Hammer, and the first 10 families will also get a Yule tile featuring Nisse, the Christmas gnome famous in Sweden and Denmark.
Running from 4 to 6:30 pm, the workshop is free, but a $10 donation is suggested to help pay for kiln services. Smaller children are encouraged to have parents help. Fairview Grange is located at 5520 3rd Street in Tillamook. To book a spot, call 503-801-0603. A second workshop will be held in October
The workshop is presented by the Oregon Coast Children's Center for the Arts & Theatre, which has created several productions dealing with Scandinavian heritage. The group has toured Denmark and Sweden with performances at the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen, as well as numerous festivals all over the Western US.
The center started The Saga Project in 2019 with an original donation from the California-based Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, which works to preserve Scandinavian cultural heritage. In 2024 the center plans to tour The Saga Project regionally.
• On Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 9 and 10, the Oregon Coast Children's Center for the Arts & Theatre will present "Toy Theatre Project & Introduction to Puppetry Arts.”
Throughout this two-day workshop, students will work in five forms of puppetry and, at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 10, get to enjoy a puppet show of "The Tortoise and the Hare,'' based on Aesop's fables.
The workshop will run from 4 to 6:30 pm at Fairview Grange, 5520 3rd Street, Tillamook. For more information, call 503-801-0603.
• Throughout October the group will also be offering the chance to work on Day of the Dead ofrendas at a series of Artful Monday workshops.
Running from 4 to 6:30 pm on Monday, Oct. 2, 16, 23 and 30, these workshops give kids and families the chance to work on these ceramic family altars and get them ready for the big day. For more information, call 503-801-0603.