Fonds F0138 - Kristoffer Bakken fonds

Kristoffer "Chris" Bakken, 1881-1937, was born in Waldres, Norway, where he was a Rosamaaling painter. He emigrated to the USA in 1909 and had a painting business with his brother, Andres. Shortly after he moved to Wetaskiwin, Alberta where he worked as a painter and decorator. He made altar pictures for Norwegian Lutheran churches. He then worked in Calgary as an interior decorator with Central Creameries, a dairy owned by his brother-in-law, Peter Pallesen. While working for the creamery he began sculpturing butter. His butter sculptures were displayed at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, the Edmonton fair, in Vancouver and Victoria, and at theatres in Calgary. The sculptures depicted native peoples, pioneers, ranching, homesteading, the Prince of Wales, logging in British Columbia, nursery rhymes, the Fathers of Confederation, etc. He won many medals and prizes for his work. He married Sigrid Ostrom in 1907 and they had three children, Gina, Selma (Mulligan) and Clarence.