At just 16 years old, Jonah Larson’s hands have shaped more than crochet designs, they have shaped lives.
From helping fund school developments in Ethiopia to leading others to find a love for the art of crocheting, Larson would have never expected his passion to have such a tremendous impact on people’s lives worldwide.
As his hooks and yarn continue to weave new stories, another exciting opportunity has arisen for the La Crosse-based crochet prodigy – the chance for his work to appear in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
“It’s just such an honor to have one of my own crochet pieces in there,” said Larson. “It’s really cool because that’s kind of the top museum. … Now, I’ve had my work on ‘Sesame Street’ and in the Smithsonian. That’s like the best duo.”
The Renwick Gallery’s “The State Fair” exhibition will feature extraordinary and unconventional crafts from American state fairs in the 19th century to the present.
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The theme of the exhibition is especially important to Larson, as it’s because of the local fair that his creations have changed the lives of so many.
“Craft fairs, state fairs and county fairs in general have been a really important part of my family for a really long time because they just provide a huge sense of community,” said Larson. “That’s what really started all of this whirlwind of a journey that this crochet has brought me on. If not for the community fair, I would not be where I am today.”
The Smithsonian initially reached out for his flower afghan blanket. Made of 800 individually crocheted flowers sewn onto a blanket the entry had been the star display at the La Crosse County Fair.
However, as part of his philanthropic efforts, Larson’s afghan blanket was sold to raise funds for Ethiopian schools. The same schools he would have attended had he not been adopted by his U.S. parents.
Jonah Larson poses for a portrait at home on Tuesday, Sep. 3 in La Crosse.
“We sold that afghan to raise money for his charity,” said Jennifer Larson, Jonah’s mother. “However, I told them that he did just make something that was inspired by it. … It isn’t the same flower, but it was inspired by it.”
The creation is a multicolor crochet flower tote bag, which left the Smithsonian staff in awe, and Jennifer couldn’t feel more proud of her son.
Soon, the creation will be en route to Washington, D.C., for “The State Fair” exhibition, which is set to be on display from August 2025 to September 2026.
The Central High School senior is set to graduate in the spring, with big dreams for the future.
He currently plans to join the military to serve his country, and then attend college and eventually become a surgeon – the dream he has had since he was 10 years old.
“That’s what I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” he said. “Then after that, I plan to continue my design journey because I am never going to give up on crochet. I just fell in love with it, and now I am going to run with it.”
