Olive Marie Nordby

OLIVE JENSEN NORDBY, ARTIST AND PHILANTHROPIST MADISON-Olive Marie Jensen Nordby, 98, died on Tuesday, April 8, 2014, at the Sebring Assisted Care Residence, in Madison, Wisconsin. Mrs. Nordby, who would have been 99 years old on Thursday, was born in Dodge Center, Minnesota, on April 10, 1915. The daughter of Norwegian immigrants, Mrs. Nordby enjoyed a long career as both artist and philanthropist. Over many years, her sensitive hand-colored woodcut prints gained a wide following and national recognition. Her work has won many awards at juried exhibitions, including Wisconsin shows at the Madison Art Center, the Wright Museum of Art at Beloit College, and the New Visions Gallery in Marshfield. Mrs. Nordby’s art has also been honored at the Burpee Art Museum in Rockford, Illinois, and at Høstfest in Minot, North Dakota. Majoring in art at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, Mrs. Nordby also did post-graduate work at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the St. Paul School of Art, and studied printmaking at the Madison Vocational and Technical School. Her widely collected woodblock prints revealed her love of nature and her attraction to the special qualities of wood grain and texture that became an integral part of her printed images. A keen observer of the natural world, Mrs. Nordby was inspired by trees, flowers, mountains, and animals, which she interpreted with flair. She was also attracted to the scenes and subjects of Norway, and to the heritage of Norwegian Americans. Mrs. Nordby combined her love of art with philanthropy, donating the proceeds from the sale of her prints to benefit two non-profit organizations close to her heart: Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum, Decorah, Iowa, and the Norwegian American Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library, Madison. Among other artistic projects, she was commissioned to create forty-seven woodcuts on Norwegian themes for the Stein Eriksen resort in Utah. One of Mrs. Nordby’s first teaching jobs was as an art instructor in 1938 and 1939 at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, where she first met her future husband, Eugene J. Nordby. Their close partnership of over 72 years resulted from this chance meeting. Following Dr. Nordby’s medical school and military service, the Nordbys moved to Madison in 1940, living for many years in South Highlands before moving to Coventry Village during retirement. In Madison, Dr. Nordby began his distinguished medical career, becoming one of the country’s leading orthopedic surgeons. Active in the Madison Art Guild, Mrs. Nordby was, along with her husband, a long-time member of Bethel Lutheran Church. The Nordbys became leaders of the Norwegian-American community with membership and leadership roles not only at Vesterheim and the Genealogy Center, but also in the Gudrid Reading Circle, Madison Torske Klubben, Ydrasil Literary Society, Norwegian American Historical Association, and many other groups. During the nearly thirty years of Dr. Nordby’s service as president of the Vesterheim Museum Board of Trustees, he and Mrs. Nordby became friends of successive generations of the Norwegian royal family, often visiting King Olav V and later King Harald V and Queen Sonja, both during the frequent trips the Nordbys made to Norway and during the periodic visits of the Norwegian royals to the United States. In 2013, Mrs. Nordby’s art was featured in a large format publication called “Olive Jensen Nordby: A Retrospective of Her Art.” Edited by Ingrid M. and Jay L. Jensen, the volume includes over thirty-five of Mrs. Nordby’s best-known woodblock prints, as well as five of her paintings. Quoted in the text of the book that explored her artistic accomplishments and philosophy, she said: “The way things are arranged or composed can create a feeling, give an impression, or recall a memory. That is what art is all about.” In addition to Dr. Nordby, Mrs. Nordby is survived by their son, Dr. Jon J. Nordby and daughter-in-law, Kim Nordby, University Place, Washington. Memorial services will be held at BETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH, GOOD SHEPHERD CHAPEL, 312 Wisconsin Ave., Madison at 11 AM on Saturday, April 19, 2014, with the Reverend Curtis Everson presiding. Visitation will be held on Saturday from 10 AM until the time of the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum, Post Office Box 379, Decorah, Iowa 52101; or to The Norwegian American Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library, 415 West Main Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53703.