Finnish Independence Day program to honor women Dec. 6 at Finnish American Heritage Center

Finnish author and renowned women's rights advocate Minna Canth (1844-1897), is pictured here in her youth (age 13-16). (Photo courtesy wikimedia.org, published under Creative Commons)  

HANCOCK -- It’s been nearly 100 years since women in the U.S. earned the right to vote, exactly 100 years since the U.S. began official diplomatic relations with Finland, and 175 years since Minna Canth, Finland’s most famed champion for women’s rights, was born. Finlandia University’s Finnish American Heritage Center invites everyone to a program on Friday, Dec. 6, celebrating all of these milestones and Finland’s Independence Day.

Beginning at 6 p.m. at the Finnish American Heritage Center, the program honoring Finland’s Independence Day will feature some high-caliber music and drama, with a series of vignettes honoring six notable women from Finnish-American and Finnish religious and political circles who left an indelible mark on Finnish history on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. These portrayals will be interspersed with Finnish songs and hymns performed by a cadre of local musicians, including rising young vocalist Matt Riutta and acclaimed pianist Kathy Alatalo-Arten.

The program will also include a performance by the Kivajat Youth Folk Dancers, as well as the announcement of the Hankooki Heikki honoree for 2020 by the City of Hancock’s Finnish Theme Committee. In true Copper Country and Finnish-American style, this program is a collaboration of numerous volunteers who enjoy sharing their talents with the greater community.

The program is open to the public, and attendees are encouraged to wear their national costumes -- Finnish or otherwise -- to the event. For further details about the program, call (906) 487-7549 or (906) 487-7347.

Public invited to celebrate Finnish Independence Dec. 6 at Finnish American Heritage Center

The Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock will host the 97th annual Finnish Independence Day celebration at 6 p.m. TOMORROW, Saturday, Dec. 6. It will include music, dance, food and fun for the whole family. (Photo courtesy Hilary Virtanen)

HANCOCK --  In keeping with a now-97-year tradition, Finlandia University will celebrate the independence of the country of its founders at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Finnish American Heritage Center on Quincy Street in Hancock.

This year’s program will feature a variety of local talent, ranging from youth folk dancers, to vocal and instrumental musical talents, to a dramatic reading. The evening will conclude with a dance from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., with the Pasi Cats and Oren Tikkanen providing the music. Also at this event, the City of Hancock’s Finnish Theme Committee will proclaim the 2015 selection of Hankooki Heikki, the person honored for his or her contributions to Finnish culture in the area.

The Kivajat youth dancers perform two Finnish dances during the 2014 Parade of Nations international entertainment at Dee Stadium in Houghton. They will perform at the Dec. 6 Finnish Independence Day celebration and will accept donations for their next trip to Finland. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

As the dance band plays, the Kivajat and Loistavat youth folk dancers will provide tasty Finnish treats and will be accepting donations to help fund their trip to Finland in July 2015 for the Tanssiva Turku dance festival. They’re intending to send 33 dancers across the ocean for the festival, so all assistance is appreciated.

The program is free and open to the public. All are welcome.

Finlandia to celebrate Finnish Independence, honor FinnFest USA volunteers Dec. 6

The Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock will be the scene of a Finnish Independence Day celebration from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, 2013. The Center now has a new dance floor. Check it out and dance to the music of Wil Kilpela and Friends! This photo, taken last summer at the time of FinnFest USA 2013, includes the giant chairs, labeled Äiti (Mother) and Isä (Father), on display during the festival. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

HANCOCK -- Every year since Finland became independent in 1917, Finlandia University has celebrated this achievement. They’re doing so again this year and honoring the folks who made the area’s most Finnish event possible.

The public is invited to a celebration of Finland’s independence from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, at Finlandia's Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC). This event will also honor the countless donors and volunteers who made FinnFest USA 2013 an event the Copper Country -- and thousands of guests -- will remember for decades to come.

The event is free and open to the public. It will feature refreshments, door prizes, dancing to the music of Wil Kilpela and Friends, and the reenactment of some of your favorite scenes from FinnFest’s opening ceremony.

At 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, the FAHC will host a screening of the new film Red Metal: The Copper Country Strike of 1913, a documentary that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Italian Hall tragedy and the copper miners' strike that took place in the Copper Country a century ago.

The film is about one hour long. Afterward, some of the people featured in the film -- including author Steve Lehto and FAHC Director Jim Kurtti -- will be on hand for a discussion.*

The film screening is free and open to the public; donations are appreciated. All proceeds from this event will support the Finnish American Heritage Center and Historical Archive at Finlandia University.

For information about either or both events, call the Finnish American Heritage Center at (906) 487-7302 or (906) 487-7549.

*Editor's Note: Read more about the documentary Red Metal: The Copper Country Strike of 1913 and see a trailer of the film in our Dec. 3 article about the premiere screenings of the film.

Videos, Photos: Finlandia celebrates Finnish Independence, Finnish American art

By Michele Bourdieu

At the opening of Finlandia University's Finnish Independence Day celebration on Dec. 6, 2012, Dan Maki, Finlandia University professor of history and Finnish culture, leads the audience in singing the Finnish national anthem, "Maamme" (Our Land), while members of the Kivajat Dancers present the flags of Finland and the United States. The event was held in the Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

HANCOCK -- A large crowd filled the Finnish American Heritage Center on Dec. 6, 2012, to celebrate Finnish Independence Day with music, dance, Finnish poetry, art and holiday refreshments.

The occasion was also the opening of this year’s Finnish American Contemporary Artist exhibition in the Center's Finlandia University Gallery. The visiting artist, Marja Lianko, gave a presentation on her art and spoke with visitors to her exhibit in the Gallery at the end of the celebration.

In the Finlandia University Gallery artist Phyllis Fredendall, left, Finlandia University professor of fiber art, visits with artist Marja Lianko, whose exhibit opened in conjunction with the Finnish Independence Day celebration Dec. 6, 2012. The exhibit, "Marja Lianko: From There to Here," is on display at the Finlandia University Gallery through January 12, 2013.

The Kivajat Dancers, a local youth group of dancers who have also performed in Finland,  kicked off the celebration with some lively Finnish folk dances that delighted the audience.

The Kivajat Dancers, a youth group founded and directed by Kay Seppala, perform Finnish folk dances at the Finnish Independence Day celebration on Dec. 6, 2012, in the Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock. (Videos by Keweenaw Now)

Next in the program, Kaisa Mäenpää of Helsinki, a visiting Finnish journalist for the Finnish American Reporter, and five students from Hannu Leppänen's beginning Finnish class at Finlandia University read excerpts from poetry by Finnish poet and journalist Eino Leino.

Visiting journalist Kaisa Mäenpää of Helsinki reads an excerpt from "Nocturne," by Finnish poet and journalist Eino Leino, and five students from Hannu Leppänen's beginning Finnish class at Finlandia University read excerpts from Leino's poem "Minä." The students, reading after Mäenpää, are (in order) Kayla Olson, Tomoyuki Ishizuka, Brenna Thompson, Retti Waara and Neal Simons.

Following the poetry reading, Hilary Virtanen, Finnish American Heritage Center public programming coordinator, announced the 2013 Hankooki Heikki award winner, Dan Maki, longtime Finlandia University professor of history and Finnish culture.

Each year, the Finnish Theme Committee in Hancock selects one person whose work toward preserving and promoting Finnish culture in the area goes above and beyond "normal" efforts. That person is  "Hankooki Heikki" and presides over the Heikinpäivä Mid-Winter Festival, wearing the crown and robe that come with the honor.

Dan Maki, Finlandia University professor of history and Finnish culture, accepts the 2013 Hankooki Heikki award from Hilary Virtanen, Finnish American Heritage Center public programming coordinator, and agrees to reign over the Heikinpäivä Mid-Winter Festival, set for Jan. 26, 2013, in Hancock.

To celebrate the opening of this year’s Finnish American Contemporary Artist exhibition, visiting artist Marja Lianko presented a slide show of her work and spoke about her childhood in Finland, the influence of Finnish memories on her art, her immigration to the United States and her new work now on exhibit in the Finlandia University Gallery.

Carrie Flaspohler, Finlandia University Gallery director, introduces Finnish-American artist Marja Lianko, who was born in Finland and now lives in Massachusetts. With a slide show of her work in the background, Lianko speaks about her childhood in Finland, her immigration to the United States, and influences on her art.

Finnish American artist Marja Lianko talks about her work, some of which is on exhibit in the Finlandia Gallery, located in the Finnish American Heritage Center. This is the second part of her talk on Dec. 6, 2012, during the Finnish Independence Day celebration.

"Leaving," 2012, by Marja Lianko. Birch, plaster, and mixed media.

The Independence Day celebration concluded with the singing of a patriotic Finnish song and refreshments.

Dan Maki sings "Kotimaani ompi Suomi" (Finland is my Homeland), a patriotic Finnish song, accompanied by pianist Dave Bezotte. Some members of the audience join in singing.

Finlandia to celebrate Finnish art, independence Dec. 6

HANCOCK -- Finlandia University will celebrate Finnish art and independence starting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6,  at the Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock.

Victory Garden No. 3, by artist Marja Lianko. Acrylic and Mixed Media on Panel, 2011 -- part of this year’s Finnish American Contemporary Artist exhibition, "Marja Lianko: From There to Here," at the Finlandia University Gallery from Dec. 6, 2012, through Jan. 12, 2013. (Photos courtesy Finlandia University)

The celebration joins two long-standing traditions at Finlandia: the annual commemoration of Finland’s independence and the opening of this year’s Finnish American Contemporary Artist exhibition, "Marja Lianko: From There to Here," at the Finlandia University Gallery. The event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served.

The dual program will feature the Kivajat Finnish American dancers, a talk by Finnish American artist Marja Lianko, a Finnish poetry reading, and the performance of Finnish patriotic songs by Dave Bezotte and Dan Maki.

Finland is celebrating her 95th year of independence. The Finnish American Contemporary Artist exhibition is marking its 22nd year with this exhibition by Marja Lianko. The exhibition will be on display at the Finlandia University Gallery through Jan. 12, 2013.

Born in Finland, artist Marja Lianko has worked in media including painting, silkscreen, monoprints, and mixed media sculpture. Her work chronicles her emigration journey and is also influenced by her travels, her memories of Finland, her experiences as a mother, and the challenges of balancing life and work in a new country.

The artist Marja Lianko with some of her work.

Lianko lives in Massachusetts. She taught at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Mass., from 1976 to 1999.

On a wintry morning several decades ago, Finnish immigrant Marja Lianko arrived in New York City by ship following a stormy Atlantic Ocean crossing.

"I remember that I had no inkling how my life was going to turn out," Lianko reflects. "I was twenty-years-old with a head full of dreams and a new green card in my pocket."

Lianko’s paintings chronicle her emigration journey, from childhood memories to the personal symbolisms of a new life discovered and fully-lived.

In an article in the Boston Globe, art critic and writer Cate McQuaid comments that "(Lianko’s) paintings seem to represent a deeper truth, a kind of music accompanying her through life."

Other influences on Lianko’s work are her travels within the U.S. and in Europe, her experiences as a new mother, balancing life and work in a new country, and her memories of Finland.

 Eeva, 2012, by Marja Lianko. Birch, plaster, mixed media.

"I see a map of my life with markers for time and change," Lianko notes. "I see uplifting events, new discoveries, and visits to foreign lands. I also see trying times, obstructions, and sorrow, all of them creating a personal patchwork of intricate patterns … and Finland," she adds, "always Finland, with its melancholic beauty, the birches, the pine trees, the somber songs of my childhood, appearing again and again."

The Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC), and the Finlandia University Gallery within, are located at 435 Quincy Street on the campus of Finlandia University.

For more information, please contact Hilary Virtanen, FAHC programming coordinator, at 906-487-7505, or Carrie Flaspohler, Finlandia University Gallery director, at 906-487-7500.

Finlandia to celebrate Finnish Independence Day, Finnish American Art exhibit Dec. 1

HANCOCK -- The Finlandia University Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC), Hancock, will host its 94th annual Finnish Independence Day celebration beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1. The event is free and open to the public.

This year’s Finnish Independence Day celebration is presented in conjunction with an opening reception for the Finlandia University Gallery Contemporary Finnish-American Artist Series 20th Year Retrospective Exhibition.

Eric Aho, First February Night, 2009. Oil on linen, 24 x 22 inches. (Photos courtesy Finlandia University)

At the event, honored guest Anneli Halonen, cultural counselor of the Embassy of Finland, Washington, D.C., will present a talk titled, "Cultural Identity and Finnish Art." Several artists whose work is featured in the Retrospective exhibit will speak about the influence of their Finnish American heritage on their artwork.

The Finnish Independence Day program will also include musical performances, announcement of the 2012 Hankooki Heikki awardee, and refreshments, followed by a reception and gallery viewing.

Bruce Niemi, Protected. Bronze, 2005, 15" x 21" x 12."

Artwork by each of the 19 artists featured in the annual Finlandia University Gallery Finnish-American Artists Series exhibit will be on display. (A 10-year retrospective exhibit was held in 2002.)

Artists exhibiting work are Tarmo Watia (series artist in 1991), Joyce Koskenmaki (1992), Kathleen Oettinger (1993), Peder Kitti (1994), Yeshe Linda Helander (1995), Gerald Immonen (1996), Elsa Bekkala (1997), Marlene Ekola Gerberick (1998), Rudy Autio (1999), Gladys Koski Holmes (2000), Arno Rafael Minkkinen (2001), Eric Aho (2003), Petri Flint (2004), Vaino Kola (2005), David Salmela (2006), John Lundeen (2007), Desiree Koslin (2008), Bruce A. Niemi (2009), Dina Kantor (2010).

Rudy Autio, Twisted Tree. Digital Print of Acrylic Painting, 1997. Collection of Finlandia University.

"Inspiration found in their ancestry often plays a strong role in the work of these Finnish-American artists," says Carrie Flaspohler, director of the Finlandia University Gallery. "Some draw from stories of Finland heard in their youth, while others incorporate life lessons from their immigrant grandparents. Some summon the strong connection to nature so prominent in Finland, and others are influenced by the strength of contemporary Finnish art and culture."

Finlandia University Gallery has published a 48-page exhibition catalog that includes full-color reproductions of each of the artworks included in the Retrospective exhibit, along with biographical information about each artist. The catalog will be available for purchase at the reception/Independence Day Celebration and at North Wind Books.

The exhibition and exhibition catalog are supported in part by Finlandia Foundation® National, Finn Spark, Inc.; Patricia Van Pelt; and a gift in memory of The Hon. Dr. Gloria Jackson.

The Finnish American Heritage Center is located on the campus of Finlandia University at 435 Quincy Street, Hancock.

For more information, contact Hilary Virtanen, FAHC programming coordinator, at 906-487-7505.

"20 years of Contemporary Finnish-American Art" is on display at the Finlandia University Gallery through Jan. 14th, 2012. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday noon to 4 p.m., or by appointment.