"Art from the Kalevala" reception to be Jan. 26 at Community Arts Center

HANCOCK -- "Art from the Kalevala" is a group exhibition on display at the Copper Country Community Arts Center’s Kerredge Gallery through Jan. 26, 2013.

At Tapio's Slope, by Bonnie Loukus. (Photos courtesy Copper Country Community Arts Center)

Thirteen artists are participating with their interpretations of passages from The Kalevala, an important literary work and epic poem of Finland. Its rich imagery provides a hearty topic for visual art and the exhibit coincides with Hancock’s mid-winter festival, Heikinpäivä. An open house reception will be held from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday Jan. 26, during the Heikinpäivä celebrations.

Joukahainen, by Clyde Mikkola.

Many people come to Hancock during this time and enjoy the vast array of activities that celebrate Finnish and Finnish-American culture.* Artists in the exhibition include: Barb Summersett, Miriam Pickens, Fredi Taddeucci, Bob Dawson, Constance Stockwell Johnson, K. Carlton Johnson, Edith Marshall, Joyce Koskenmaki, Eric Munch, Clyde Mikkola, Cynthia Coté, Bonnie Loukus, and Daniel Schneider.

The Copper Country Community Arts Center is located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. For more information call: 906.482.2333.

* Click here for the Jan. 25-26 Heikinpäivä schedule of events.

Celebrate mid-winter at Heikinpäivä 2013 Jan. 25, 26

The 2012 Heikinpäivä parade heads down Quincy Street in Hancock on a snowy day with a balmy 23 degrees F. (File photos by Keweenaw Now)

HANCOCK -- Heikinpäivä 2013 is underway to celebrate mid-winter (in case you haven't noticed the weather!) It should be a bit warmer by Saturday for the parade and main events. Unfortunately, the Polar Bear Dive has been cancelled this year for lack of a warming place. Nevertheless Heikinpäivä promises fun for the whole family.

Here is the schedule for Friday and Saturday, with some of our photos from last year:

Jim and Debbie Kurtti carry the banner of the Finnish Theme Committee, organizers of Heikinpäivä, in the 2012 Parade.

Friday, January 25

2 p.m. -- Finnish card making class, Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock. 2 hour class. $15 fee.

Trio Tumpelot -- from left, Ana Gawboy, Pasi Lautala and Meghan Pachmayer -- play Finnish folk tunes in the Finlandia Gallery at the Finnish American Heritage Center during Heikinpäivä 2012. Various music groups participate in the events on Saturday, as well as playing for the annual dance.

6 p.m. -- FinnFest preview night/Heikinpäivä Dance, Brownstone Hall, Atlantic Mine, Mich. $5 cover charge, food for sale, cash bar, silent auction. Proceeds benefit FinnFest USA 2013. Call (906) 370-3110. Various musicians will play from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the Minnesota Finn Hall Band will play for dancing at 8 p.m.

Saturday, January 26

Meghan Pachmayer, left, and Anna Leppänen offer Finnish snacks for sale at the 2012 Heikinpäivä Tori in the Finnish American Heritage Center.

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. -- Tori Market, Finnish American Heritage Center and First United Methodist Church.

Carol Bird, seamstress, sells her lovely handmade items at the 2012 Heikinpäivä Tori.

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Family Fun Day -- Vipukelkka (Whipsled) reindeer, kicksleds, World's Largest Kicksled, Rakovalkea (log burning), Finlandia's Quincy Green.

Kids enjoy the Vipukelkka (Whipsled) at the 2012 Family Fun Day events.

11 a.m. -- Parade, downtown Hancock. Line up at BRIDGE School at 10:30 a.m. Prizes.

Immediately following parade -- Wife-carrying contest and kicksled races, Finlandia's Quincy Green.

Contestants in the wife-carrying contest make a required stop at the sauna.

Alex Mayer and Suzanne VanDam stop for coffee during the 2012 wife-carrying contest.

Hannu and Lilli from Finland race for the Finish line ...

And Hannu and Lilli are the winners!

3 p.m. -- Open house for "Art from the Kalevala" exhibit, Community Arts Center, Hancock. Call 482-2333.*

6 p.m. -- Seisovapöytä (Finnish buffet), Zion Lutheran Church, Hancock. Tickets $18.
Silent auction during the banquet.

More photos from Heikinpäivä 2012:

Hazel Tepsa, Hankooki Heikki for 2012, rides on the giant kicksled during the parade. Each year, the Finnish Theme Committee selects one person whose work toward preserving and promoting Finnish culture in the area goes above and beyond "normal" efforts. That person is the festival's "Hankooki Heikki" and presides over the festivities, wearing the crown and robe that come with the honor. Hazel Tepsa was recognized for her many volunteer activities, including service on the Finnish Theme Committee. This year's "Hankooki Heikki" is Dan Maki, longtime history and Finnish culture professor at Finlandia University and performer in many local plays and concerts.

Kivajat Dancers and their Moomin float add color to the 2012 Parade. Moomins are favorite characters in Finnish children's literature.

Reindeer walk in the Parade and later join the Family Fun on Finlandia's Quincy Green.

Carol Williams offers her lovely handmade jewelry for sale at the Tori.

Young Suzuki musicians perform in the Finlandia Gallery just outside the Tori, in the Finnish American Heritage Center.

For more information about Heikinpäivä, visit their Web site.

* Click here to read about the "Art from the Kalevala" exhibit.

"Art from the Kalevala" call for entries for Jan. 8-26, 2013, exhibit

Death and Rebirth, by Paul Osmak. (Photo courtesy Copper Country Community Arts Center)

HANCOCK -- Artwork is being sought for the exhibition "Art from the Kalevala,"which will take place January 8-26, 2013, in the Kerredge Gallery at the Community Arts Center in Hancock.

The Kalevala is an important literary work -- the epic poem of Finland. Its rich imagery provides a hearty topic for visual art, and the exhibit fits into Hancock’s mid-winter festival, Heikinpäivä. An open house reception will be held from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 26, during the Heikinpäivä celebrations. Many people come to Hancock during this time and will enjoy the exhibition’s connection with Finnish culture. Artists may submit up to three pieces, each of which should include the lines from the Kalevala that inspired the work. There is no fee to participate, but a 40 percent commission will be charged on any work sold. If your art is not for sale please note "NFS."

Bear Hunter's Charm, inspired by the Kalevala, Rune 46: The Bear. Fabric, by Cynthia Coté. This piece was part of the January 2012 Kalevala exhibit at the Community Arts Center. See Keweenaw Now's slide show of works in the 2012 exhibit.

Copies of the Kalevala can be found at the local libraries or may be researched on line. Artwork should be delivered to the Arts Center, 126 Quincy St. in Hancock, during the first week of January: from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday Jan. 2-4, or 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5.

For more information call: 906.482.2333 or email: cynthia@coppercountryarts.com.