Applying membership 2024
The application period starts on the 26th of August (at 8 am Finland time), and closes on the 4th of October 2024 (at 4 pm Finland time).
Membership is applied for by filling in an electronic application form. The link to the form is updated on this page when the applying period starts.
Applications that are submitted before the start of the application period or after it has closed will not be considered. We do not accept e-mailed applications or registered mail.
Exact application instructions (in English)
FAQ (in Finnish)
General membership information
Membership types. The Finnish Painters’ Union has two membership types: full member and candidate member. Full membership is permanent and candidate membership lasts for 10 years. Candidate members can use all services provided by the Union, but may not act as the chairman or representative of the union. Candidate membership cannot be renewed. A candidate member must be admitted as a full member by the end of his/her membership period or the membership ends.
Membership application committee consists of five full members and one candidate member, elected annually by the fall general meeting. That meeting also determines the qualification requirements for the next membership application round. The membership application committee makes a statement for the board which then makes the final admission decision.
The application period is every fall in September and the membership application committee processes the applications by the end of November. Admission decisions will be e-mailed to all applicants after the final meeting of the committee. All five full members of the committee must be present when considering applications and making decisions. A committee member shall disqualify him/herself in any proceeding in which his/her impartiality might reasonably be questioned. If the committee votes on admission and the vote is a tie, the decision shall be made in favor of the applicant. It is not possible to appeal against the decisions of the committee.
Membership renewal. A resigned member or a member who has been expelled due to unpaid membership fees can reapply for membership simply by contacting the Union’s membership secretary and paying his/her membership fees.
Membership qualifications
Professional competence. An applicant holding a degree in visual arts from a recognized institution is admitted as a candidate member based on professional competence. The applicant must submit a degree certificate. Accepted degrees granted by Finnish or institutions in EU-area: Bachelor or Master of Fine Art (specialization in visual arts), or a diploma granted by the Free Art School in Helsinki (four years of studies). An applicant holding a degree from an institution outside of EU-area must have a Master of Fine Arts degree (specialization in visual arts).
Degree in Bachelor of Fine Arts completed in the United Kingdom will be accepted if the degree was completed before 1.1.2021 (Brexit).
An applicant meeting the above requirements and wishing to apply for full membership must submit a curriculum vitae and ten photos of recent artworks (not older than five years and one of the photos must be from the applicant’s exhibition) with an attached list of the works.
Professional merit. A person who is professionally merited can be admitted as a candidate member or a full member. The membership application committee evaluates the application and decides whether or not the applicant is professionally competent (in which case he/she will be admitted as a candidate member) or professionally merited (in which case he/she is admitted as a full member). The applicant must submit 1. a degree certificate or a description of professional competence, 2. a curriculum vitae, and 3. ten photos of recent artwork (not older than five years and one of the photos must be from the applicant’s exhibition) with an attached list of said works.
The committee evaluates the application by each merit:
- Professional competence
- Artistic level of artworks
- Curriculum vitae
Degree certificate requirement
The degree certificate must be in Finnish, Swedish or English, and if not, the applicant must have his/her certificate translated in Finnish, Swedish or English by an authorized translator. If the applicant has graduated from a university in the EU, the applicant should have the right to receive the Diploma Supplement free of charge and in any major European language from her/his university.
Further information about Diploma Supplement: https://ec.europa.eu/education/diploma-supplement_en
NB. Due to our limited resources, we have not been able to translate all application instructions in English. We recommend that you ask a native Finnish speaker to help with your application.
Updated 2.2.2024.