New York, NY—This September in partnership with New York Textile Month, Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America is pleased to present the third iteration of NORDIC TEXTILE TAKEOVER, an exhibition, workshop series and symposium highlighting contemporary Nordic Textiles. This year’s program, THE COLD STITCH, celebrates textile art as a living and evolving practice deeply rooted in the cultures of the North, where there is a strong tradition of working with textiles as an art form and where stitching continues to mend, preserve and reimagine the world around us.

Featuring an exhibition in the Scandinavia House gallery alongside artist talks, a reception and hands-on workshops, the annual program this year extends its run to two weeks, taking place from September 4–16, 2026 alongside New York Textile Month.

Events will kick off with a Curator Walkthrough with Ragna Froda on Saturday, September 5 at 2 PM, and will continue with a Basket Weaving Workshop with Leila Bacchi on Tuesday, September 8 (5:30 PM); Artist Talks on Saturday, September 12 with Thórunn Elísabet (Tótalisa), Nora Martine Hjelle Strand, and Ingunn Fjóla Ingfiórsdóttir (2 PM) followed by a Curator Walkthrough and Reception; a Stitching Circle Workshop on Sunday, September 13 with Thórunn Elísabet (Tótalisa), Nora Martine Hjelle Strand,and Andrea Magdalena Jónsdóttir (12-4 PM); and an Artist Talk and Workshop with Heidi Hankaniemi on Wednesday, September 16 (3-6 PM) followed by a final Curator Walkthrough.

In the Nordic countries, stitching has long been more than decoration or domestic craft. It is a necessity, a form of storytelling, survival, memory and care. In landscapes shaped by cold climates and long winters, textiles have become vessels of warmth, protection, repair and continuity, carrying traces of everyday life and cultural identity across generations.

With a title referring both to the geography of the North, the relationship between textiles and the act of stitching itself, THE COLD STITCH brings together artists from across the Nordic region whose practices engage with textiles as both material and language. Through quilting, patchwork, collage, weaving, hand embroidery, sculptural textiles and visible and invisible stitching, the exhibition explores how textile traditions have continued to evolve within contemporary art. A stitch binds fragments together while allowing histories, emotions, reflections on the political climate, and personal narratives to remain visible. Echoing this feature, many of the works in the exhibition embrace reuse and transformation, giving discarded fabrics, garments, yarns, and textile remnants new meaning through the artistic process.

Featured artists include Margrethe Aanestad (Norway), Valgerður Bergsdottir (Iceland), Ellen Dynebrink (Sweden), Ragna Froda (Iceland), Heidi Hankaniemi (Finland), Ingunn Fjóla IngÞórsdóttir (IS), Lee Jensen (Denmark), Andrea Magdalena Jonsdottir (IS), John K. Raustein (NO), Randi Samsonsen (Faroe Islands), Sunna Sigfríðardóttir  (IS), Nora Martine Hjelle Strand (NO), Thórunn Elísabet (Tótalisa)  (IS), Josabet Werkmäster  (SE), Mette Winckelmann (DK) and Kiyoshi Yamamoto (NO).

Organized by the American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF), THE COLD STITCH is co-organized by Ragna Froda (IS/U.S.), Director of New York Textile Month, and Emily Stoddart (Canada), Manager of Exhibitions and Community Programs at Scandinavia House. The exhibition is curated by Ragna Froda. All events take place at Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue (b/w 37th & 38th Streets), NYC.