Laurann Gilbertson

Laurann Gilbertson holds a BA in anthropology and an MS in textiles and clothing from Iowa State University (ISU). It was while Laurann was pursuing her master’s degree that she made her entry into the curatorial world: first as an exhibit technician at the Brunnier Art Museum, then as a collection assistant at the Textiles and Clothing Museum—both ISU-affiliated institutions. A year after her graduation, she landed a job as a textile curator at Vesterheim, the national Norwegian American museum and heritage center in Decorah, Iowa. In the two decades that followed, she worked her way up to her current position as the museum’s chief curator. This role has included, among other duties, overseeing the museum’s collection of more than 30,000 artifacts, creating exhibitions, leading textile study tours to Norway, and providing Norwegian folk and fine arts presentations to cultural and community groups.