WOMAN

(image scanned from invitation - designed by Andrew Cairns)

WOMAN is an art exhibition in celebration of International Women's Day at the Ferry Building Gallery, 1414 Argyle Ave, in West Vancouver, BC. The opening reception is tonight, Tuesday, March 7th, 6-8 pm. The exhibition continues to March 26th, 2006 - Hours: 10-6pm Tuesday - Sunday.

Thirty-three artists' works are featured, including that of Jean Morrison.

I admit I'm not much of an activist but I like this kind of event to recognize women! International Women's Day is on March 8th and is celebrated in Canada from March 5th to 11th, 2006.

ADDENDUM: On a related and very interesting note, haihatus, a Finnish artist's blog, has reminded me that women in Finland have had the right to vote for 100 years as of this year! Finland was not yet an independent country one hundred years ago, but a duchy of Russia. Here's some of that history.

photos of Finland

Niklas Sjöblom photo, February 6, 2006

I have a few longer blog posts that I have been wanting to write for some time but have been busy and then too tired to organize my thoughts and research. So, instead I'll be lazy and point to a couple of interesting photography links that I think you will enjoy.

Niklas Sjöblom's photoblog Under the Open Sky has won acclaim for the stunningly beautiful, almost daily photos taken of the changing seasons, usually around Helsinki.

The second site is presently featured on Virtual Finland's front page, and is a hauntingly beautiful slide show of Icebreakers in the Baltic Sea.

Finnish libraries

The Dome Hall, National Library of Finland

As I've mentioned before, I love reading Virtual Finland for all kinds of interesting facts about my birth country. I knew that Finns have long led the world in reading and literacy. Here are some great articles to reveal their collective respect for literacy with their wonderful libraries, including an advanced library network called Library 10, "a state-of-the-art library in the centre of Helsinki that acts as a living room and cultural and information centre open to all. This groundbreaking library opened in April 2005 and soon it was being lauded as an information centre the likes of which could not have been dreamed of by yesterday's champions of popular education. Library 10 offers everyone a route to the information superhighway and the world of experiences, and library users can also create their own material." Read on...

Then there is the architectural gem The National Library, also in Helsinki, which we must try to visit our next time there. It "exists to preserve printed treasures, ancient and modern. Its position, where east and west meet, make it unique. In its corridors and halls, old and new western and Finnish classics meet a comprehensive collection of 19th century Russian printed matter, including an exceptional assortment of works written in the eight minority languages of the empire." Read about the many interesting historical collections preserved and displayed at this library.

Living out here on the very young west coast of Canada, I'm fascinated by the ancient history in Europe and other countries. Visitors from there, on the other hand, are enthralled with the young and modern here. I do like both, but here we must try to save more of the old for posterity, hmm? Certainly our libraries are not preserving history, yet.

Pekka Kivikäs

As my readers know, I'm nuts about prehistoric art, particularly that of northern Europe. One site that I check periodically is Arkeo.net, a Finnish portal for archaeology fans. Recently I spotted a notice about some new books (PDF) that have come out. I'm particularly keen on the two books by Pekka Kivikäs. "Rocks, Landscapes and Rock Paintings", written in both English and Finnish, is about Finland's pictographs, based on his many years of research. The other book "Ruotsin Pyyntikulttuurin Kalliokuvat Suomalaisin Silmin" (Sweden's Prehistoric Rock Paintings Through a Finn's Eyes), is based on the author's 12 years of visits to Swedish sites. I've been hoping to get my hands on some of his books which have gone out of print, so I've eagerly ordered these two new ones from Akateeminen Kirjakauppa, a major bookstore in Helsinki which takes online orders and credit card payment. I can hardly wait.

Kivikäs was the subject of a very early post I wrote when starting this blog. I'll repeat this quote:
"The art teacher Pekka Kivikäs has become well-known for his work as an active documenter and publisher of Finnish rock paintings... the book is aimed at the wide circle of readers interested in the ancient culture of Finno-Ugric regions...Kivikäs considers rock art the silent message of man from behind the thousands of years...."

Rereading this now, I'm struck by "silent message", considering that my current working print series is titled "Silent Messengers"!

In 1999, Kivikäs' home city of Jyväskylä honoured him and his life's work by establishing the Kivikäs Prehistoric Centre. It features his immense research material of mostly Finland's prehistoric rock paintings and continues the work of research, documentation, education and tours to the rock art sites. If I had known of this centre when visiting Jyväskylä in 2000, I sure would have gone there. Next time.

Unfortunately the website is only in Finnish because there's some interesting reading about the history of the place, but have a look at the photos. My Finnish readers may enjoy it. The Centre is located on a historic 1763 property in the newer Kuokkola Manor, which was built in 1904 for the Swedish-Finnish businessman Julius Johnson.

A bit off the subject, I found it fascinating that the Manor was designed by a woman architect who was a classmate of the famous Eliel Saarinen amongst others. Wivi Lönn (1872-1966) (PDF in English) was the first Finnish woman to start an architectural agency. She gained the qualifications of architect in the 1890s during an era when women were only allowed entry into construction education programmes by dispensation. She had a long and successful career despite some overshadowing by male colleagues. Her last creation was at the age of 78, and she died at the age of 94.

UPDATE: In the comments below, Blogisisko pointed to an article in English about women architects in Finland in the Early 20th Century, in which Wivi Lönn is included. She's also written a post about her, with some photos coming soon.

Virtual Finland is a wonderful resource on everything about Finland and I read it frequently. This time I did not delve into it, as I was really focusing on Pekka Kivikäs. Funny how easily one gets off the subject, especially when one finds such an interesting tidbit.

Marimekko

Marimekko Pattern: Karhunkukka (1964/2004) (translation:Bearflower)
Designer: Maija Isola and Kristina Isola

Soon after my last post, which mentions Marimekko, I found an article in the Guardian about how Marimekko may have won John F. Kennedy the 1960 presidential election! Jacqueline Kennedy wore these Finnish cotton dresses, and seemingly the voters liked that these were less stuffy than her Parisian wardrobe. Certainly it helped increase the fame of this company. It's an interesting story of the company and the women in it. If you're in Glasgow go see: Marimekko: Fabrics, Fashion and Architecture which runs from September 10 to November 8 at The Lighthouse, Glasgow, Scotland.

And here's the Marimekko website. I remember long ago I made a couple of garments out of bold and colourful Marimekko fabric for myself and later for my first child. Back in 2002 when visiting Helsinki we noticed two large and elegant Marimekko stores on fashionable and touristy shopping streets.

(Thanks to Pekka Nykänen for the Guardian link!)

opera in Finland

I've suspected for some time that Charles Downey of Ionarts is "quite a Finnophile", as he admits in a great post about Finnish opera and the Savonlinna Opera Festival.

For me, Savonlinna is a special town in the beautiful lakes region of eastern Finland, the region where I come from. On two different visits to Finland with my family, we stayed with an uncle there. The first visit he treated us to a performance of Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman" at Olavinlinna Castle, where the Savonlinna Opera Festival has been held every summer since 1967. The opera was magical and memorable with the magnificent setting of stone walls and open sky. In 2000 we went again and saw Gounod's "Faust", again a truly great experience, now with a permanent cover over the courtyard. I'm sure that on our next visit to Finland someday we shall go back, and also it's not far from my favourite art gallery Retretti.

Charles Downey "harbor(s) dreams of going one day to the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland" perhaps in 2007 - and perhaps we shall meet there! Thanks for jogging some happy memories, Charles.

Finland Diary

Wow, did I receive a lovely surprise on this morning's check on ionarts. In Blogging Finland, Charles Downey wrote:

"Thanks to The Cranky Professor, I learned about one of the Washington Post blogs, Robert G. Kaiser's Finland Diary, for which the blogger and a photographer are traveling around Finland, "the world's most interesting country that Americans know least about." Given our admiration for the musical life of the Finns, I have a feeling it will become a regular read. Does Marja-Leena know about it yet?"

I've spent the last hour (I'm supposed to be working!) reading the "diary", really amazed and proud of my birth country's success. Most of it is not really new to me, it's the details that really fascinate me. It's interesting also to hear about places I know such as Kuopio which is in my "home" province in beautiful eastern Finland, and the lively university and arts town of Jyväskylä, and of course Helsinki.

That city mayors are hired, not elected, into permanent positions is news to me. Government by consensus, even in coalition governments, we know about and often bring up in discussions here in Canada, with our presently embattled federal minority government, and in British Columbia where we've just had a referendum on changing to a proportional representation voting system (which exists in Finland).

Finland's high taxes are often brought up but we've found from personal discussions with relatives that they are really no more than what we pay in Canada, when you add all our various taxes and user fees, but they receive more for their money. Finns "generally see taxes as a fair price to pay for a society that provides equal opportunities, and because everyone benefits directly from our public services. Everyone has been educated in public schools and universities. Everyone has used the public health services. These aren't just services for the poor. If you don't allow your democratically-elected government to tax the economy to provide equal opportunities in life for everyone, no one else can do it.  But comparing tax bites as a percentage of GDP is misleading. To compare yourselves to Finland, Americans should add to the 25% you pay in taxes all the costs of health insurance and health care, higher education, savings for pensions and so on--in other words, all the expenses that Finns don't have to pay, once they've paid their taxes."

Finland's excellent education system has received a lot of attention. I'm pleased to have confirmation of a suspicion that credit goes to the high status given to the vocation of teaching. Teachers are required to have a great deal more education than generally here in North America.

Many thanks, Charles, for sharing this link - I do look forward to a "regular read" of Finland Diary.

UPDATE: The word is out in Finland at Finnish blog Pinseri!

Tallinn

A fast ferry ride across the Gulf of Finland took us to Tallinn, Estonia with its fascinating medieval walled old town, surrounded by a busy city rapidly catching up with the west after the Soviet collapse.

We met award-winning printmakers Virge and Loit Joekalda, who gave us a grand tour of the studios of the Association of Estonian Printmakers, and the Estonian Academy of Arts, as well as their own studio and several galleries and exhibitions.

Loit had just installed his exhibition of frottages and photos from his expeditions to sites of rock art by Fenno-Ugrians in Karelia. Seeing this work was, for me, a totally unexpected, mind-blowing and breathtaking experience! For some years I have been fascinated by this subject, and here was an artist, a kindred spirit, who had actually been to these sites! Loit is a very active member of the Estonian Society of Prehistoric Art** and the Fenno-Ugria Foundation.

Virge has exhibited and won awards in a great number of international print exhibitions, as well as travelled to many places. To see her work, visit Kunstikeskus, available for viewing for a little while.

We felt extremely honoured to have met and become friends with this exciting couple!

UPDATE: March 21.05 **link is not working, unfortunately

Helsinki

After Vaasa and Turku, came the beautiful capital city Helsinki, full of interesting things to see. As arranged, we met printmaker Vappu Johansson, who had been a visiting artist at Vancouver's Malaspina Printmakers Society. She kindly gave us an interesting tour of the printmaking studios at the University of Art & Design Helsinki, as well as her own Arabia Printmakers studio next door.

Helsinki has numerous museums and galleries and the greatest is the very modern KIASMA Museum of Contemporary Art. I think my Canadian friends loved the city as much as I do!

"Traces" Exhibition in Finland

In May & June 2002, I had the great pleasure of having an exhibition called "Traces" with friends and colleagues Bonnie Jordan and Steven Dixon at the Pohjanmaan Museum'�s Taidehalli in Vaasa, Finland.

Please look at: TRACES, my site specifically about this exhibition.

We all travelled to Finland for this great event. Naturally, I was translator and guide in my birth country as we toured around. In Vaasa we met well-known printmaker Juha Tammenpaa, who kindly showed us his wonderful work, and gave us a very interesting tour of the Vaasa Printmakers Shop (site is in Finnish). Other highlights of the Vaasa area were the ruin area of Old Vaasa and the Stundars outdoor museum.

A quick visit was made to the 775-year old city of Turku and its fascinating Aboe Vetus museum of history & archaeology.

Read about Helsinki and Tallinn in next entry!