Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
New stories from across the region continue on Postcards Thursday, April 23 at 7 p.m. on the @PostcardsOnPioneerPBS YouTube channel.
The episode features Minnesota-based composer, improviser and performer Sara Pajunen, whose work is shaped by her Finnish heritage and upbringing on the Mesabi Iron Range.
Pajunen began playing violin at a young age, blending classical training with Finnish folk traditions. She went on to build a professional career performing and composing, including collaborations in the Finnish-American duo Kaivama and with Finnish accordionist Teija Niku.
In recent years, a late-stage cancer diagnosis has profoundly influenced Pajunen’s approach to creativity, performance and daily life.
The episode also offers a behind-the-scenes preview of Pioneer PBS’s original special “From Nesna with Love.” The program follows Dana Conroy as she travels to Nesna, Norway, to uncover the story behind a pair of 1950s felted wool “lobben boots” gifted to her in "Knit with Love.” In the small northern municipality where her great-great-grandparents once lived, Conroy traces the origins of the gift, discovering it was sent by Norwegian relatives in gratitude for support her American family provided before and after World War II.
The journey includes visits to a former lobben factory now operating as a brewery, the Zahl Museum and her ancestors’ church. Back in the Midwest, Conroy consults with experts at the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa, to determine the future of the boots and visits family graves that helped inspire the “with love” film series.
What begins as a search for the history of a single pair of boots evolves into a broader exploration of heritage, craftsmanship and the enduring connection between Norway and the American Midwest.
Postcards is an award-winning series showcasing the arts, history, and cultural heritage of western Minnesota and beyond. Funding for Postcards comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
To watch more Postcards visit pioneer.org/postcards or video.pioneer.org/show/postcards
Pioneer PBS is a viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing local stories of the region with the world. Support our mission and become a member at pioneer.org/supportpioneer
#Minnesota #Postcards #PioneerPBS
New stories from across the region continue on Postcards Thursday, April 23 at 7 p.m. on the @PostcardsOnPioneerPBS YouTube channel.
The episode features Minnesota-based composer, improviser and performer Sara Pajunen, whose work is shaped by her Finnish heritage and upbringing on the Mesabi Iron Range.
Pajunen began playing violin at a young age, blending classical training with Finnish folk traditions. She went on to build a professional career performing and composing, including collaborations in the Finnish-American duo Kaivama and with Finnish accordionist Teija Niku.
In recent years, a late-stage cancer diagnosis has profoundly influenced Pajunen’s approach to creativity, performance and daily life.
The episode also offers a behind-the-scenes preview of Pioneer PBS’s original special “From Nesna with Love.” The program follows Dana Conroy as she travels to Nesna, Norway, to uncover the story behind a pair of 1950s felted wool “lobben boots” gifted to her in "Knit with Love.” In the small northern municipality where her great-great-grandparents once lived, Conroy traces the origins of the gift, discovering it was sent by Norwegian relatives in gratitude for support her American family provided before and after World War II.
The journey includes visits to a former lobben factory now operating as a brewery, the Zahl Museum and her ancestors’ church. Back in the Midwest, Conroy consults with experts at the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa, to determine the future of the boots and visits family graves that helped inspire the “with love” film series.
What begins as a search for the history of a single pair of boots evolves into a broader exploration of heritage, craftsmanship and the enduring connection between Norway and the American Midwest.
Postcards is an award-winning series showcasing the arts, history, and cultural heritage of western Minnesota and beyond. Funding for Postcards comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
To watch more Postcards visit pioneer.org/postcards or video.pioneer.org/show/postcards
Pioneer PBS is a viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing local stories of the region with the world. Support our mission and become a member at pioneer.org/supportpioneer
#Minnesota #Postcards #PioneerPBS
