Nordic Hall becomes haven for creatives, small businesses

It’s a modest building, tucked between two parking lots on the southern end of Sioux Falls’ downtown.

And throughout the years, Nordic Hall has hosted everything from lutefisk suppers and dances on the down-low to Junior Achievement meetings and insurance agents with their own offices.

In recent months, however, the one-story brick building has become a haven for those who want to express their creative sides. Today, the building houses a hair salon, vintage clothing outlet and a recording studio among its businesses. Those who rent office space in the building at 218 W. 13th St. said working among other creatives provides a supportive atmosphere with like-minded people.

“People that are artistic, we’re just following our passions,” said Brenda Rustad-Tombaga, co-owner of Flashy Trash vintage clothing.

“It wasn’t always like this, the first few years I was here. It was a bunch of little, tiny offices,” said Aundre Myles, owner of Blvck Hoodie Studios. “The last couple years, it’s turned into more of a creative space.”

Rustad-Tombaga and Myles both give much of the credit for the atmosphere at Nordic Hall to Hi-Fi Hair, a salon with a midcentury modern style, and its owner, Jeff Gimenez. He opened the business in 2021 after the pandemic made trips back to San Francisco every six weeks to cut his clients’ hair impossible.

From the beginning, Gimenez had a plan for the hair and nail salon. He said at its opening that it would feature rotating artwork and pop-up shops with local makers. He calls it the Lo-Fi Gallery. Gimenez said he wanted to create a culture of support and a “high fidelity” vibe with vinyl records.

Hosting pop-up shops gives him the chance to get new people through his doors and see what he offers, Gimenez has said.

The building originally was conceived as office spaces and a place for the fraternal organization the Sons of Norway to establish a museum. Its purpose would be to celebrate the achievements of the region’s Scandinavian settlers.

According to information compiled by local historian Eric Renshaw, the building was in use by April 1953. Early office tenants included the U.S. Alcohol Tax Unit and Internal Revenue Service. The lower-level banquet room was used for special gatherings, including a torsk and meatball supper served by the Sons of Norway.

When Gimenez first heard about Nordic Hall as a possible site for his salon, it brought back memories for his wife, Sarah Larson, a Sioux Falls native.

“My dad threw illegal dance parties in the ’60s at Nordic Hall,” she said. “Students at Augustana (University) were not allowed to dance on campus. In the ’90s, this whole music, sort of punk skate scene was run by four kids in the basement at Nordic Hall.”

That experience was preserved in an award-winning documentary, “I Really Get Into It,” which came out in 2020. Nordic Hall and a former bar and music venue known as The Pomp Room are where teens and others came to see touring acts such as Green Day, The Offspring and Neurosis and were able to perform themselves.

Now, Larson has her own business in Nordic Hall, across the hall from her husband’s salon. Hartt Studio is a community art studio that focuses on community inclusivity and establishing a safe space through art.

A Bush Foundation grant allowed Larson to start Hartt Studio Open Heart Project, which provides kits of canvas and markers to give the opportunity to offer expression through art.

“We had a gallery show in February, and it’s amazing what came back,” Larson said. “We had 25 to 30 banners with rainbows and inclusive and open-heart language.”

Hartt Studio has taken part in birthday parties, an open makers’ table on Saturdays and pop-up shops. Now, it is moving into event-based and scheduled events.

First, Larson had to renovate dark office space into something warm and inviting.

“The walls were dark, and we tore up the carpet to see the beautiful original tile,” she said. “My husband and I scraped and scraped, an hour per tile, so there’s a lot of love there. We took some walls down and painted the remaining walls to add vibrancy and lots of color.”

In November 2018, Myles started Blvck Hoodie as a label for artists. When he had the opportunity to move into this area, he changed it to be both a recording studio and label.

“This is one of those places I’d drive by and see Nordic Hall and think it was kind of cool,” Myles said. “My ancestry roots are Nordic, and being downtown, being part of the scenery, I liked it. The price is right, the location is right — everything went in the right direction.”

Myles has been involved in hip-hop since he was 16, and he named his label as an ode to the music’s 1980s era when the attire was simple: a black hoodie, jeans and chains.

He rents two office spaces in Nordic Hall and also operates a cellphone repair business there in his free time.

When he first moved in, Myles said, the lower level often was busy with Sons of Norway events like lutefisk feeds. The COVID pandemic has slowed it up, and he has never seen the Nordic museum.

Myles’ longevity as a tenant means he has seen other businesses come and go. He welcomes the transformation into a creative hub, describing Hi-Fi Hair as a “cool little art piece.” Myles would like to see a mural painted on an exterior wall to draw more attention to the building and its possibilities.

Myles has two other artists on his label and has worked with more than 60 artists in Sioux Falls. Eighteen months ago, he expanded his single recording booth into two. His space in Nordic Hall meets his current needs well.

“If I’m ever rich and successful one day, I’d like to buy this building,” he said.

Rustad-Tombaga and Flashy Trash co-owner Trista Thronson call their business a passion project. Both women also have other occupations: Rustad-Tombaga is a residential Realtor and Thronson owns massage-therapy clinics.

Flashy Trash has not opened officially, but the co-owners have participated in pop-up shops within the Nordic Hall building. Inventory is more than adequate, Rustad-Tombaga said, but the space needs further development.

She describes Nordic Hall and its current occupants as a creative hub in a perfect location.

“I just think this is where the action is, downtown,” she said. “Within this building, I just really appreciate all the creative people that have set up shop here. The people are artistic. We’re just following our passions.”

As a girl, Rustad-Tombaga played with Barbie dolls. Now, working with vintage clothing, she has the chance to help others select a personalized look.

Flashy Trash will allow her to express herself in a unique location, she said.

“This gives an outlet for my creativity,” she said. “I color outside the lines, and I live outside the box.”

And as a full-blooded Norwegian, walking into Nordic Hall feels like coming home, she said.

Current tenants hope Nordic Hall continues to grow as a place for artistic enterprises. Larson talks longingly about an art market or just more artists moving in. Collectively, when the tenants come together, including Caitlin Moen and her recently opened Midnight Spark Permanent Jewelry Studio, everyone is inspired, Larson said.

“I feel really lucky to be a part of it, given all the history there,” Larson said. “The spaces are amazing. There’s a nice front light, the original tiles — you can just tell there’s some stories in there. We just want to protect it, so it stays, so it has longevity.”