Nordic Museum director awarded Knight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland

The CEO and executive director of the Nordic Museum has just been recognized by the president of Finland, Sauli Niinistö. Eric Nelson was awarded the Knight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland for his work sharing Finnish culture through the museum.

Nelson will receive his award at a ceremony tomorrow, Dec. 18 at the museum, which will be delivered by Consul General of Finland, Mr. Stefan Lindström.

“As the head of the Nordic Museum, Eric Nelson has worked tirelessly to build bridges of understanding and cooperation between the United States and Finland, and the other Nordic countries,” Consul General Stefan Lindström said in a statement. “The Nordic Museum is located in Seattle, but it serves as a fantastic national and international hub for Nordic values, culture and ideas.”

Nelson has been in his role since 2008, and spearheaded the effort to build the new Nordic Museum. The museum’s offerings have also grown considerably in his tenure — they now offer more than 150 programs a year, from Nordic language classes to knitting conferences and music events.

“I’m humbled to be receiving this great honor from the President of Finland. It’s really a tribute to the entire community that has supported the new Nordic Museum and our mission,” said Nelson in a statement. “This honor really belongs to all of our volunteers, staff and donors who are so committed to sharing Finnish and broader Nordic culture with the Pacific Northwest and beyond.”

The ceremony will take place at the museum at 5:30pm, with remarks from Lindström and Finnish musical performances.

Photo by Dan Morris. Courtesy the Nordic Museum.