Art at the hotel

By the main entrance to Venabu there’s a 2x1m mosaic made by Anne Louise Tvete. The design is based on the tree just outside the entrance. The mosaic was presented on Saturday 27th November 1999, as the new entrance area was finished.

Many painters have spent part of their lives in the Venabygd area and we have some of their painting throughout the hotel:

Karl Johan Løkke (1870-1943) was from Lesja, lived in Ringebu from 1905 and made his living as a painter. Together with Kristen Holbø he was one of the first successful painters to live in Gudbrandsdalen. In 1909, King Haakon bought one of his pictures which to this day hangs in the royal palace. At Venabu we have several of his pictures hanging in the dining room. Karl Løkke is a grandparent of one of the areas current painters, Karl Wimmer. Wimmer works in oils and takes much of his inspiration from the mountains.

Asmund Esval (1889-1971) lived in several local farms in the 1950’s and 60’s. The painting "Ringebu kirke" is one example of his images taken from the valleys of Norway. Some of his painting are hanging in the National Gallery and we have one of his picture hanging in the dining room showing the village of Venabygd.

Painter Tor Refsum (1894-1981) lived in Ringebu for part of his life as well as visiting the area every summer from 1931 and painted regularly here. Several of his pictures are hanging in the National Gallery. He painted many Norwegian farms in an abstract style. At Venabu we have a watercolour of his in the hallway. He also wrote a book about Gudbrandsdal and its painters.

Carl Schøyen (1850 - 1875) was a promising talent who died at a young age. We have a picture of his showing Ringebu Stave Church.

In the lounge we have many paintings by Kjell Åge Levin Nygård. He lived the last five years of his life at Venabu and painted Norwegian nature in a fine traditional style.