Summer Street
June 6th – September 29th
The Jyväskylä Artists’ Association, founded in 1945, is an association for professional artists in Central Finland. The annual exhibition is organized alternately at the Jyväskylä Art Museum and the Museum of Central Finland. The annual exhibitions are compiled from artwork submitted to an open call to all artists living in, or from, Central Finland. Each year, a different arts professional, exterior to the artists’ association, acts as curator. The curator for the Jyväskylä Artists’ Asssociation’s 68th exhibition, Pirkko Siitari, is the Director of the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art.
– I wanted to choose work which would work both as a comprehensible whole in the museum and also show the diversity of art currently created in Central Finland. The themes and techniques used in the work submitted were pleasantly diverse. I particularly noticed the quality of printmaking. This annual exhibition shows a lot of fresh new work from many new names, and also shows many well-known artists as well. All in all, the submissions were of quite high quality and great interest, Pirkko Siitari summarizes.
As the exhibition’s name, Summer Street, suggests, this year’s artists were also able to submit environmental and other artwork to be installed outdoors. Near the museum, at the intersection of Kauppakatu and Gummeruksenkatu streets, is Matti Romanov’s piece “Nollakatu” (Zero Street). And Harald Karsten’s “Olotila” (Living Space) can be found in the Galleria Becker yard (Seminaarinkatu 28). Pirkko Siitari also chose a performance work by Kirsi Pitkänen “Yhteiskuntaan soveltumaton yksilö” (An Unsuitable Individual for Society) which was presented during the exhibition opening.
– Once again, the annual exhibition is a great overview of artwork made in Central Finland; through diversity of the materials used and the broad representation of Central Finnish communities. This exhibition is not uniquely a display of members’ work, and the openness of the call is apparent in the end result: One third of the artists, shown in this year’s exhibition, are from outside the artist’s association, tells Pekka Suomäki, Director of the Jyväskylä Artist’s Association.
104 artists submitted 259 artworks to the Jyväskylä Artist’s Association’s 68th Annual Exhibition and this year Pirkko Siitari chose 134 artworks from 63 artists:
Sami Ala, Salla Askola
Hannu Castrén
Outimaija Hakala, Tuomas Hallivuo , Auli Halttunen, Riikka Helminen, Jorma Hiltunen, Maija Holma, Marjatta Holma, Suvi Hyppönen
Jonna Jantunen, Johanna Juvonen&Biagio Rosa
Marko Kaiponen, Aino Kajaniemi, Kapa, Pertti Karjalainen, Arja Karppinen-Rekola, Harald Karsten, Eila Kinnunen, Maisa Kivi, Panu Koskimies, Maija Kumpulainen-Sokka, Tapani Kurttila
Virpi Lehto
Jyrki Markkanen, Outi Markkanen, Päivi Meriläinen, Piippa Mutikainen, Paula Myllymäki, Piia Myllyselkä, Johanna Mäkitalo
Kirsi Neuvonen, Suvi Nurmi, Piitu Nykopp
Kaisa Oikarinen, Hannele Ollakka, Tiina Osara
Tuuli Paananen, Aino-Kaarina Pajari, Riikka Maria Partanen, Kirsi Pitkänen, Saara Pylvänäinen
Anne Rantakylä, Päivi Reiman, Minja Revonkorpi, Matti Romanov, Raili Ruoppila, Ulla Ruppa (Virta), Anna Ruth, Ilona Rytkönen, Kyllikki Rämänen, Marja Rämänen
Carita Savolainen, Jukka Silokunnas, Maarit Siltamäki, Aarno Sundgren, Pekka Suomäki
Ulla Tulonen
Jaakko Valo, Sonja Vectomov, Kristian Venäläinen, Matti Waskilampi