In Sigerfjord village, just outside Sortland in Northern Norway, is Lihallen Kulturgård, an Arctic Art Gallery.
The house was once a retreat for tuberculosis patients – a place to relax, breathe fresh Arctic air and enjoy the peace and quiet of the mountains and the fjord. Today, Lihallen is the art gallery, studio and home of painter Tove Hov Jacobsen and her husband, Hans Jørgen. The house is their love project – and it shows.
Tove and Hans Jørgen organise concerts and literary evenings in their home, and sometimes hire it out for smaller meetings and parties.
I’m here for a board meeting and it’s one of the prettiest locations I’ve had the pleasure to meet in.
In the elegantly restored living room, we debate the future of international adoptions. Odd how the surroundings can influence the discussion. It would be difficult not to be positive, creative and productive in this environment.
Beautiful – indoors and outdoors.
An Arctic Art Gallery
In between debates, we browse Tove’s gallery. I love her use of colours – vibrant, yet soft.
I’d like to return for a relaxing stay in warmer weather. No meetings, just me, a notebook (OK, maybe my MacBook, too) and a few books. And if I should forget those, no worries: the gazebo has a small library. Just picture the scene below in green rather than white – or have another look at the top photo…
Lihallen practicals
- Sortland is the major city of the Vesterålen Archipelago in Northern Norway. It’s a 2-hour drive from Harstad/Narvik airport (EVE) or about 20 minutes from the small Skagen airport. Better yet, Hurtigruten, the Coastal Express, anchors in Sortland daily, both north- and southbound.
- More info on Lihallen is here. The website is in Norwegian only, but you can at least enjoy photos and get contact details.
- I can’t draw a straight line for the life of me, but if you’re artistic (or want to be), Tove organises weekend painting courses in Sortland.
I understand the need to put vibrant colours into a largely black and white landscape. Nice.
More blue and white, but yes, I understand what you mean – cheerful, light, summery colours on a stark, rugged landscape.
Wow, those views are gorgeous. I’ve been trying to get to Norway for a few years now, but it is quot expensive! I hope to make it one day too — beautiful place to merge with nature an get inspired and creative =)
– Maria Alexandra
Can’t deny it costs a bit…
Beautiful inside and out is right!
🙂
So many blue colors. Because there is so many snow outside?
Yes, this was in late April here. In some areas there is snow even in summer.
Beautiful paintings and the location looks stunning too
It really is.
What a setting for a meeting! Those mountains are incredible.
It was very inspiring and unusual.
How wonderful to wake up to that view every day. I love the snowy mountains but can well imagine the bliss of sitting in that gazebo with a book on a summer day 🙂
That’s what I’d like to do. Sit in the gazebo and read or just look at the landscape.
Gorgeous photos and what an absolutely stunning setting, Sophie. I’ve been considering visiting northern Norway recently and this kind of beauty (along with that wonderful art) is almost making me forget about the price tag usually associated with the area.
I’m not entirely objective, of course, but Northern Norway is absolutely worth a visit, northern lights and all…
That is just an amazing place. The view got me. I don’t know if it would inspire me to create, or just turn me into a loafer who sits and gazes.
On long summer days, there’s time enough for both 🙂
Love this – inside and out! The paintings look amazing. I really like the color too.
Nice, aren’t they?
Yes, there would be positive meetings for sure! I’ve had my best and most productive meetings in places that are either of beautiful design, or in otherwise beautiful surroundings, i.e. a gorgeous view from the window.
I think the surroundings do makes a difference.
This place is breath takingly beautiful. I can only dream of attending a meeting in a place like this. All venues may not be able to add the scenery but there seems to be great lessons to learn here on optimal meeting conditions.
I think you have some wonderful locations in Nova Scotia, too.
What a fabulous looking place and the art is something I immediately respond to. I’d be happy to join you Sophie and we only need speak at mealtimes!
I imagine it would look a little bit like home to a Canadian 🙂
I’m surprised you were even able to concentrate. I’d be daydreaming and falling asleep in this soothing environment.
Well, it encourages being productive and finish meetings. Then there’s time to enjoy everything else.
Wow – if only every meeting could be somewhere like that. It puts the fancy offices in Manhattan to shame!