This January in California—

An exhibition of contemporary craft artists from all of the Nordic countries at the YBCA, SFO; weekend Championship soccer with Swedish men's National Team, and Pippi Longstocking in Berkeley. 

  • 'Wild At Heart' by Louise Nippierd, courtesy Alf Borjesson

  • The Swedish national soccer team is starting off 2009 with a tour across the North American west coast where the team, commanded by team captain Henrik Larsson, will face the United States and Mexican national teams.

  • 'Secret Sorrows' by Louise Nippierd, courtesy Alf Borjesson

  • 01.24.2009 5:30 PM. Sweden vs USA at the Home Depot Center, Carson. Tickets, $18-$150, through Ticketmaster and other outlets. Home Depot Center, 18400 Avalon Blvd., Carson, CA 90746 Phone: (310) 630-2000

  • 'Kjolebukse' by Per Lysgaard, courtesy Esten Borgos

  • 01.28.2009 7:30 PM. Sweden vs. Mexico at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (also known as McAfee Coliseum). The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce San Francisco has a suite at the arena—free food and drinks and free parking is included in the SACC SF/SV event; members: $115, non-members $125. More info http://www.sacc-usa.org/sf/upcoming_events.html

  • 01.22.2009 (through 02.08.2009) Active Arts Theatre for Young Audiences presents Pippi Longstocking at Julia Morgan Center, Berkeley. Tickets available at www.activeartstheatre.org or call 925-973-ARTS. More info: http://www.activeartstheatre.org/Pippi_.html

  • 'Irreverent: Contemporary Nordic Craft Art'
    Irreverent at the YBCA on Mission St. SFO features a new generation of craft artists from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The exhibition runs until April 12 and offers new, fresh dimensions to the Swedish and Nordic cultural identities. The artists, challenging the aesthetics and principles of Scandinavian Modernism, use traditional materials and honor the hand-made traditions, but divorce form from function. They also tend to move away from the sleek aesthetic of high modernism, turning instead to camp and intricacy. Rejection the notion of utilitarianism, and intentionally designing objects whose form does not give rise to a traditional or expected function, their craft art is characterized by quirky, provocative and playful one of a kind works that tell personal stories.

  • Curated by Kate Eilertsen
    YBCA Galleries, 701 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103
    For more info contact 415-978-2787 or see http://www.ybca.org
    $8 in advance/$10 at the door/FREE for YBCA Members.
    The exhibition, Irreverent: Contemporary Nordic Craft Art, is open through Apr 12, 2009. Hours: Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat & Sun: noon – 5 pm
    Thu: noon – 8 pm. Closed Mondays and major holidays.