In honour of the centenary of the Tampere Artists’ Association, the
Tampere Art Museum will hold an exhibition extending to all three floors
of the museum and present works from the whole history of the
association. The chronological focus will be on work by young artists
under 35.
The Tampere Artists’ Association is Finland’s second
oldest still active association of professional artists. It has
currently 284 members (as of January 2019). The association is an
advocacy group for artists in the Pirkanmaa region, and through
national-level organisations in its field in the whole of Finland. It
seeks to develop and promote opportunities for artists to work, organise
training for its members and maintain opportunities for artists to
exhibit their works.
The Tampere Artists’ Association was
established in 1920 to enliven cultural pursuits in Tampere and to
support the work of professionally active artists. Painter Gabriel
Engberg became the Association’s first chairman, serving in this
capacity for some twenty years. Engberg was also the keeper of the
Tampere Art Museum from 1930 to 1953.
In its early years, the
Artists’ Association was not just a society for visual artists. Instead,
its members represents all areas of the arts. It also included amateur
artists and other individuals interested in culture. In 1943, the
association became an organisation uniquely meant for visual artists.
The
Tampere Artists’ Association focused on organising meetings with
programmes and celebrations in its early stages. Exhibition activities
were impaired by the lack of a permanent venue for art exhibitions. The
first space specifically designed for art exhibitions was built in 1925
in connection with the Tampere City Library (present-day Cultural House
Laikku).
