South Street Seaport Museum hosts an outdoor exhibition, Signs of Origin, exploring Norwegian-American heritage

This fall, the South Street Seaport Museum will present Signs of Origin, an outdoor photographic exhibition exploring personal interpretations of Norwegian-American identity. Opening October 1 and running through November 30, 2025, the exhibition is free and open to the public, with no tickets required. Visitors can learn more at seaportmuseum.org/signs-of-origin.

Signs of Origin features six American individuals of Norwegian descent, each photographed alongside a personal object they feel represents their ethnic heritage. The exhibition is the result of a 2019 collaboration between Norwegian photographer Inger-Maren Slagsvold (b. 1978) and visual artist Lucia Aragón (b. 1988), who traveled through Minnesota, Iowa, and Washington State to interview and photograph 40 descendants of Norwegian immigrants.

During the project, participants selected a single object that best reflected their cultural identity. Aragón and Slagsvold photographed both the individual and their chosen object, then conducted interviews about the personal meaning behind each selection. The resulting portraits and interview excerpts, presented in both English and Norwegian, first debuted in 2020 at the Anno Museum — Norwegian Emigrant Museum.

This fall, a portion of the original exhibition has been reproduced for an outdoor display along the historic streets of the Seaport, including Water Street and Fulton Street. Visitors can stroll at their own pace, experiencing six selected interviews paired with portraits and objects alongside explanatory quotes.

While at the Seaport, visitors can also explore the museum’s indoor offerings. Regular admission grants access to the Maritime City exhibition, the 1885 tall ship Wavertree, the 1908 lightship Ambrose, and the galleries inside Schermerhorn Row. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and students, and $5 for children under 18. Museum members receive free admission. Additionally, Pay What You Wish tickets are available in-person. For more information, visit seaportmuseum.org/admission.

Signs of Origin offers a unique opportunity to explore Norwegian-American heritage in a historic New York setting, combining photography, storytelling, and the charm of the Seaport’s streetscape.

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