Liv Arnesen

THOUSAND OAKS, CA. - Due to the popularity of the 2010 Nordic Spirit Symposium dedicated to explorers, the 2011 event will delve into the lives of several other adventurers.

“Nordic Explorers: Voyages, Expeditions and Discoveries” will be held Feb. 11 and 12 at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. Nordic adventurers and explorers from the 18th to the 21st centuries will highlight this dynamic symposium featuring distinguished speakers and polished performers. The public is invited to share the time-honored spirit of a symposium, blending music, dining and the free exchange of ideas to enhance the pleasure of learning.

A reception will kick off the event at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11, in the Scandinavian Center. Admission is $10. Reservations are requested.

In the Samuelson Chapel at 7 p.m., an archeologist who served as Thor Heyerdahl’s right-hand man for seven years will discuss the life of the creative thinker, global citizen and environmental activist. Baritone Christian Nova and pianist Frank Garvey will then present “The Andrée Expedition: A Song Cycle by Dominick Argento,” a dramatic musical telling of the 1897 true story of three Swedish explorers on a journey to the North Pole in a hot air balloon. Admission is $20.

On Saturday, Feb. 12, the program begins at 9 a.m. in the Preus-Brandt Forum. A University of California, Santa Barbara professor will discuss Roald Amundsen, the first person to reach the South Pole. Modern-day explorer Liv Arnesen, who became the first woman to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole in 1994, will share her plans to follow in Amundsen’s footsteps on the centennial of his historic feat. Other presentations will include “Vitus Bering: Hero, Wimp, or Somewhere in Between” and “A. E. Nordenskiöld – Explorer and Gentleman.” Swedish guitarist Celia Linde will present a Nordic musical program with a Latin flavor.

Admission to the Feb. 12 program is $40.

Dinner and entertainment will start at 7 p.m. in the Lundring Events Center in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center. Admission is $33. Reservations are required by Jan. 28.

The Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation and California Lutheran University are sponsoring the event. The Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, the Norway House Foundation, the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in San Francisco and the Consulate General of Finland in Los Angeles provided grants.

For more information and early registration fees, visit http://www.scandinaviancenter.org, call (818) 788-4552 or e-mail seeallan@sbcglobal.net.