Saastamoinen Foundation continues funding for the Finnish Painters project

Saastamoinen Foundation continues funding for the Finnish Painters project

Linda Roschier, Puhelinten jälkeen / After Phones, Oil on linen, 41 cm x 33 cm x 2,5 cm, 2021. Photo: Jussi Tiainen.

The Finnish Painters project has received a grant of 20,000 euros from the Saastamoinen Foundation for the year 2023. The funding is a continuation of the grants awarded by the Foundation in 2021 and 2022.

The project develops the international activities and visibility of Finnish painters, the openness of access to activities, support services for artists, and new contacts and operating models between artists and other actors in the field of visual arts. The Finnish Painters project aim is a space where Finnish contemporary art and painting are internationally known and in demand.

The Finnish Painters project is part of the international operations of the Finnish Painters’ Union. Together they publish the finnishpainters.fi website, which highlights Finnish painters and the diversity of painting, and acts as a channel between international art professionals and Finnish contemporary painters. Its operation is non-commercial, and the service is free for all participants. The website represents over 80 artists, curated from among the Painters’ Union members. It is the first English-language site to present Finnish painters extensively but in a curated way. The website was published in October 2021, which launched a three-year pilot phase of the Finnish Painters project.

The Finnish Painters’ Union is a nationwide non-profit association of professional painters. The union works to improve the professional and social interests of visual artists and to promote the visual arts. One of the goals of the Finnish Painters’ Union is to increase the international recognition and demand for Finnish contemporary art and painting.

Saastamoinen Foundation is a Finnish cultural foundation that engages in purposeful collaboration with several partners in science, education, art, and culture. It promotes internationality and openness in all its activities. The foundation believes in transparency, internationalisation, expertise, and continuity, and these values shape the support they offer to artists, researchers, art institutions, and ground-breaking scientific projects.