The American-Scandinavian Foundation
The American-Scandinavian Foundation, (ASF) is an American non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting international understanding through educational and cultural exchange between the United States and Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The Foundation's headquarters, Scandinavia House, is located at 58 Park Avenue, New York City.
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[edit] About the Foundation
The ASF was founded in 1910 by the Danish-American industrialist Niels Poulsen. It is a publicly supported non-profit organization that carries out an extensive program of fellowships, grants, trainee placement, publishing, membership offerings, and cultural activities.
The Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees of individuals from the United States and Scandinavia, representing diverse interests yet linked by personal or professional ties to the Scandinavian countries. The five Nordic Heads of State serve as the organization's patrons.
[edit] Exchange activities
More than 26,000 young Americans and Scandinavians have participated in ASF's exchange programs of study, research or practical training. Many of its alumni have gone on to leading positions in business, government and the arts. The Foundation cultivates enduring academic, professional, and personal ties between the U.S. and the Nordic countries.
[edit] Fellowships
Each year the ASF awards more than $800,000 in fellowships and grants to individual students, scholars, professionals, and artists - either Scandinavians studying or conducting research in the United States or Americans studying or conducting research in Scandinavia.
[edit] Training
The Foundation's training program enables young Americans and Scandinavians living abroad to receive practical working experience in fields such as engineering, shipping, law, finance, agriculture and technology.
[edit] Language classes
Language classes at Scandinavia House are offered and accredited through New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies. For registration information, call New York University at (212) 998-7171 or visit New York University foreign languages page.[1]
[edit] Cultural programs
The ASF presents a wide range of cultural programs at Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America, including art and design exhibitions, films, concerts lectures, and children's programs representing all facets of Nordic culture.
[edit] Public project grants
Through its public project grants, the ASF funds a wide variety of programs that bring American and Scandinavian culture, art, and thought to public audiences. Grants are awarded to arts and educational institutions adding a Nordic focus to their programming, as well as to smaller organizations with a more regional focus. In 2005–2006, 65 projects throughout the U.S. and Scandinavia received $250,000 in total funding. In 2006–2007, an additional $221,000 was awarded to 62 projects.
[edit] Publishing
The American-Scandinavian Foundation's quarterly journal, Scandinavian Review, is the oldest publication of its kind in the United States. It covers all aspects of life in contemporary Scandinavia with an emphasis on areas in which Scandinavian achievement is renowned: art and design; industrial development; and commercial, political, economic, and social innovation. Leading journalists and writers on both sides of the Atlantic participate in the challenging task of making Scandinavia better known and understood. The magazine offers readers information about the five Nordic countries that is rarely found in the American news media.
The Foundation occasionally publishes books.
[edit]
The American-Scandinavian Foundation's cultural center, Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America, is located at 58 Park Avenue, between 37th and 38th streets in midtown Manhattan. It offers art, design, and historical exhibitions; films; concerts; lectures; and children's programs illuminating the contemporary vitality of the Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden). Designed by architect James Stewart Polshek, Scandinavia House also offers a shop and cafe. It opened to the public in 2000.
[edit] Centennial celebrations
In October 2011, the Foundation celebrated its first 100 years with a series of events attended by Scandinavian heads of state.
The exhibition "Luminous Modernism: Scandinavian Art Comes to America, 1912", held at Scandinavia House [2], was opened by Queen Sonja of Norway on 20 October 2011 in the presence of King Harald, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, and Finnish President Tarja Halonen.
[edit] Diplomatic missions
- List of diplomatic missions of Denmark
- List of diplomatic missions of Finland
- List of diplomatic missions of Iceland
- List of diplomatic missions of Norway
- List of diplomatic missions of Sweden
[edit] See also
- Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (patron)
- Harald V of Norway (patron)
- Margrethe II of Denmark (patron)
- Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (patron)
- Tarja Halonen (patron)
- Princess Benedikte of Denmark (honorary trustee)
- Princess Märtha Louise of Norway (honorary trustee)
- Martti Ahtisaari (honorary trustee)
- Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden (honorary trustee)
- Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (honorary trustee)
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Scandinavia House - The Nordic Center in America
- Polshek Partnership building information and photos
- Finnish Church in New York
- Swedish Church in New York
- The Seaman's Church Institute in New York
- The Norwegian Seaman's Church in New York
- visitdenmark.com, Tourism in Denmark
- visitfinland.com, Tourism in Finland
- goiceland.org, Tourism in Iceland
- visitnorway.com, Tourism in Norway
- visitsweden.com, Tourism in Sweden
