Fall exhibit schedule finalized at Finlandia University Gallery

Events kick off Thursday with opening reception

Finlandia University Gallery has once again lined up an incredible set of Finnish and Finnish American artists for the fall of 2017. The fall schedule kicks off tonight, Thursday, September 21, with a gallery opening for an exhibit of 10 Finnish artists.

“It’s inspiring to work with these artists,” Gallery Director Carrie Flaspohler said. “I learn something new from each artist that exhibits at Finlandia. Our goal for 2017 was to show as many Finnish and Finnish American artists as possible in recognition of Finland’s 100 years of independence. I think the community and students will really enjoy the fall lineup.”

All receptions are free and open to the public and refreshments will be served.

Finlandia University Gallery Fall 2017 Lineup

Satu Miettinen , Taina Kontio and Riitta Ikonen: Moved By Nature

• Opening Reception: Thursday, September 21, 7 to 8:30 p.m., student panel begins at 7:20 p.m.
• Exhibit Period: September 21 to October 14

Moved by Nature will feature three Finnish artists, Satu Miettinen, Taina Kontio and Riitta Ikonen who will create an installation combining the themes of ancient Finnish and Kalevala mythologies that often personalize entities of nature and the stream of life and water. This exhibition will celebrate Finnish landscape, mythology and include collaborative elements from Michigan and Hancock.

Rita Jokiranta: Beyond Horizons

• Opening Reception: Thursday, October 19, 7 to 8:30 p.m., artist talk beginning at 7:20 p.m.
• Exhibit Period: October 19 to December 1

Working with video and photography, Rita Jokiranta explores the traces and landscapes of Finnish emigrants to America in the early 20th century and their relatives who stayed in Finland. Using album photos, archive material as well as new video footage and photographs from locations around Lake Superior and Finland, her project, Horizons, is based on the life of two brothers who lived on different sides of the Atlantic. It is also an attempt to remember that which a century had changed and the memories that already were lost. Also on display will be a video installation and photos from her Life as it Flees project, specifically composed for Finlandia University Gallery. The work refers to the difficulty of catching real life in images. Exhibit supported by Arts Promotion Centre Finland and Svenska kulturfonden.

27th Annual Contemporary Finnish American Artist Series Exhibition, Kristin Pavelka: Kahvipaussi

• Opening Reception: Thursday, December 7, 7:00-8:30 p.m., artist talk beginning at 7:20 p.m.
• Exhibit Period: December 7, 2017 to January 13, 2018

Coffee, sweets with butter, visits with relatives, eating fresh fish caught, fried and served by the lake during the midnight sun… these quintessentially Finnish moments are the inspiration for a series of ceramic pieces on display for the 27th Annual Contemporary Finnish American Artist Series Exhibition. Using multiples of the same form, Kristin Pavelka plays with botanical themed surface design to pay homage to her Finnish ancestry.

The Finlandia University Gallery is located in the Finnish American Heritage Center at 435 Quincy Street in Hancock, Michigan. It is open five days a week. A full schedule and hours are available by visiting finlandia.edu/universitygallery.