Haihatus art centre to receive the Art project of the year award

The Joutsa-based Haihatus art centre operates at grass-roots level, and promotes and solidifies art activities in rural communities, especially targeted at young people. Haihatus, for example, maintains a reserve of art instructors, who transfer information between those who practise art and those who make art available. The art centre's versatile operations include artist residencies, art exhibitions and a variety of events. All this is managed carefully and professionally.

"For fifteen years, Haihatus has persistently produced regional visual art exhibitions of national importance, bringing to the limelight both known and unknown artists. The vibrant, recently renewed summer exhibition is a case in point. Haihatus is easily approachable and likeable, and the people who run it are truly present in its everyday activities", says the jury in its citation.

"Art activities are not always widely understood or supported in a small rural place, so we often come close to losing faith and burning out. The Haihatus art centre is run by volunteers and mainly without pay. Receiving a national award shows that what we do is appreciated, which is something that we all need, no matter how passionate we are about our work. The people at Haihatus are grateful for this honour and hope that the news of this recognition reaches the people at home, too”, says Merja Metsänen from the Haihatus art centre.

This is the third time that the Art project of the year award has been presented. The award was presented by the Finnish Art Galleries Association and Messukeskus. The jury consisted of: the chair Hannele Nyman (the Finnish Art Galleries Association/Galleria Katariina), Clarice Finell (Galleria Johan S), and the editor-in-chief Pessi Rautio (the Taide art magazine). Last year, the award went to Hirvitalo, the Centre of Contemporary Art Pispala.

More information:

Haihatus art centre, Merja Metsänen, tel. +358 40 516 1703, haihatus@haihatus.fi, www.haihatus.fi
Secretary of the jury: Taira Sjöblom-Tallus, communications officer, Messukeskus, tel. +358 50 385 5482, taira.sjoblom-tallus@messukeskus.com

Photos available on Thursday, 10 September from: http://messukeskus.mediabank.fi/

Habitare, Antiikki, ArtHelsinki and HifiExpo, from 9 to 13 September 2015, at Messukeskus. The ArtHelsinki contemporary art fair will be open on Thur. 10 Sept., from noon to 8 pm; on Fri. 11 Sept., from 10 am to 7 pm; on Sat. 12 Sept., from 10 am to 6 pm; and on Sun. 13 Sept., from 10 am to 5 pm. All events can be accessed with the same ticket.
Each year, the Finnish Fair Foundation hands out some €400,000 in awards, grants and scholarships. The most well-known awards granted by the Finnish Fair Foundation are the Kaj Franck Design Prize and the Internationalisation Award of the President of the Republic.