Olive Jensen Nordby, of Madison Wis., age 98, died April 8, 2014, at the Sebring Assisted Care Residence in Madison. Olive was born in Dodge Center, Minn., on April 10, 1915. The daughter of Norwegian immigrants, she enjoyed a long career as both artist and philanthropist. Over many years, her sensitive hand-colored woodcut prints gained a wide following and national recognition. Her work has won many awards at juried exhibitions, including Wisconsin shows at the Madison Art Center, the Wright Museum of Art at Beloit College, and the New Visions Gallery in Marshfield, Wis. Olive’s art has also been honored at the Burpee Art Museum in Rockford, Ill., and at Hostfest in Minot, N.D.

Having majored in art at St. Olaf College, Olive did post-graduate work at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the St. Paul School of Art, and studied printmaking at the Madison Vocational and Technical School. Her widely collected woodblock prints revealed her love of nature and her attraction to the special qualities of wood grain and texture that became an integral part of her printed images. A keen observer of the natural world, Olive was inspired by trees, flowers, mountains, and animals, which she interpreted with flair. She was also attracted to the scenes and subjects of Norway, and to the heritage of Norwegian Americans. She combined her love of art with philanthropy, donating the proceeds from the sale of her prints to benefit two non-profit organizations close to her heart: Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum, Decorah, Iowa, and the Norwegian American Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library, Madison, Wis. Among other artistic projects, she was commissioned to create 47 woodcuts on Norwegian themes for the Stein Eriksen resort in Utah.

One of Mrs. Olive’s first teaching jobs was as an art instructor in 1938 and 1939 at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, where she first met her future husband, Eugene Nordby. Their close partnership of over 72 years resulted from this chance meeting. Following Eugene’s medical school and military service, the Nordbys moved to Madison in 1940, living for many years in South Highlands before moving to Coventry Village during retirement. In Madison, Eugene began his distinguished medical career, becoming one of the country’s leading orthopedic surgeons. Active in the Madison Art Guild, Olive was, along with her husband, a long-time member of Bethel Lutheran Church. The Nordbys became leaders of the Norwegian-American community, with membership and leadership roles not only at Vesterheim and the Genealogy Center, but also in the Gudrid Reading Circle, Madison Torske Klubben, Ydrasil Literary Society, Norwegian American Historical Association, and many other groups. During the nearly 30 years of Eugene’s service as president of the Vesterheim Museum Board of Trustees, he and Olive became friends of successive generations of the Norwegian royal family, often visiting King Olav V and later King Harald V and Queen Sonja, both during the frequent trips the Nordbys made to Norway and during the periodic visits of the Norwegian royals to the United States.

In 2013, Olive’s art was featured in a large format publication called “Olive Jensen Nordby: A Retrospective of Her Art.” Edited by Ingrid and Jay Jensen, the volume includes over 35 of Olive’s best-known woodblock prints, as well as five of her paintings. Quoted in the text of the book that explored her artistic accomplishments and philosophy, she said: “The way things are arranged or composed can create a feeling, give an impression, or recall a memory. That is what art is all about.”

In addition to Eugene, Olive is survived by their son, Jon Nordby ’70; daughter-in-law, Kim Nordby; and nephew, Jay Jensen ’61 and wife Sandra Overdahl Jensen ’61. Olive was preceded in death by her siblings, Lisbeth Jensen ’21, Otto Jensen ’24, and Edith Jensen ’24.