WELCOME TO ART CENTER SALMELA

We are a summertime art gallery and cultural festival in Mäntyharju, Finland. Salmela’s annual exhibition showcases visual art by recognized veterans of modern Finnish art as well as young, upcoming talent. The largest visual arts festival in Finland, Art Center Salmela welcomes you to the 35th annual exhibition June 8 – August 11, 2024. We are open from 11am to 6pm every day.

Kateryna Yehorova: Live between Lakes, gouache 2023

The 2024 exhibition lineup includes Elina Brotherus, one of the most internationally recognized contemporary artists from the Nordic countries, Salmela’s Young Artist of the Year Kateryna Yehorova of Ukraine, Berlin-based Robert Lucander and Markus Jäntti, who are putting on a collaborative joint exhibition, and many more.  The legacy of Finland’s leading concretist Lars Gunnar Nordström will be celebrated with a series of works to honor the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Exhibition artists 2024:
Tuomo Saali
Elina Brotherus
Nora Tapper
Topi Ruotsalainen
Susanne Koskimäki
Kateryna Yehorova
Lars-Gunnar Nordström
Robert Lucander & Markus Jäntti
Antero Kare
Hannu Hyrske
Jaana Bombin
Mariam Falaileh
Paavo Pelvo
Ville Löppönen
Eeva-Marja Saarinen

In addition to visual art, Salmela is the venue for a yearly series of concerts played at our own outdoor stage and inside the historic Mäntyharju church across the street. The 2024 concert schedule is posted here (in Finnish).

The setting for our exhibits is a stunning and historically significant cultural milieu. A mid-19th century parish house functions as the main gallery. Across the water, the exhibit continues in a lovingly restored old apothecary, postal office, and auxiliary buildings that offer a peek into the residential and commercial history of the area. Our waterside sculpture park, restaurant Kesäheinä, and collection of beautiful gazebos make up the rest of the extensive exhibition space.

Uimamökki Domanderin alueella

VUOHIJÄRVI HOUSE OF NATURE AND CULTURE

vuohijarven luonto- ja kulttuuritalo

Our second location, the Vuohijärvi House of Nature and Culture, houses a large gallery, a gift shop, and a café serving the world’s best cinnamon rolls. Right down the road from Repovesi national park, the exhibitions draw inspiration from nature – both local and universal.

The building, completed in 1966, originally served as a church. The serene space is a standout example of Finnish modernism in architecture and a great setting for displaying art. A beautiful sculpture garden is nested in the middle of the multi-level structure, offering a place to rest and reflect.

Opening times for 2024 are 11am – 6pm daily June 8 – August 11. Admission: adults 9 €, students 5 €, children aged 7–15 4 €, children aged 0–6 free. The exhibition program will be announced in January.

Vuohijärven luonto- ja kulttuuritalon super suositut korvapuustit
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Hannu Hautala: A summer night's ascent 1996

Hannu Hautala: Golden Eagle and White Swan III

In 2024, the Vuohijärvi House of Nature and Culture will exhibit Golden Eagle and White Swan III, a commemorative collection of the works of Hannu Hautala, a pioneering Finnish nature photographer who passed away in 2023. Hautala achieved significant international recognition during his long career. The exhibition focuses on his trademark motif, animals in the distinct northern light.

In addition to the ca. 100 photographs by Hautala, we will also showcase photographer Juha Metso’s documentary and series of  striking portraits of Hautala himself. In the portraits, Metso depicts the nature photographer as he might an artist or rock star, making use of projections of Hautala’s own works onto his body. 

LOCATIONS AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Mäntyharjuntie 25, 52700 Mäntyharju

A two-hour car ride from Helsinki, Art Center Salmela is located in the heart of southeastern Finland. You can also easily reach us by train: the Mäntyharju station is just a few kilometers away.

For more information on the town of Mäntyharju for travelers, click here.

Näkkimistöntie 1, 47900 Vuohijärvi

Be sure to also visit the Vuohijärvi House of Nature and Culture, a scenic 35-minute drive from Salmela.

Email: info@taidekeskussalmela.fi

Phone: +358 50 3388 114

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