This event will take place at the Museum in the Wallenberg Gallery, where Verna's exhibit is displayed.

In researching her father’s immigrant journey from the Swedish area of Finland, Verna Todd came across some curious phenomena.  Join her in exploring not only bomarks and gasps, but the Crusades in Finland, the ancient origins of the children’s game “Rida, Rida, Ranka,” and many more examples of strange and wonderful cultural lore from Swedish Finland.

Verna’s photographic exhibit “We Left Home,” which pictures her dad’s immigration journey 100 years ago, is currently on view in the Wallenberg Gallery at the Museum.  The exhibit was born during the COVID epidemic when Verna began to delve into her dad’s story.  He had been diagnosed with TB the day after she was born, and he had always kept his distance to protect her.  Working on the exhibit gave her new insights into the person her father was and created a new closeness with him.

Verna’s photography has been featured in national and international exhibits, and she is affiliated with Perspective Gallery of Fine Art Photography in Evanston, IL.  She is also an award winning writer and poet.