News 2008

Blacksmith Upi Anttila has been granted award (10 Oct 2008)

Upi Anttila, a Fiskars-based blacksmith, has been granted the Wihuri Foundation Käden taito handicraft award for his achievements in maintaining and developing Finnish blacksmithing. A master of traditional blacksmithing, Anttila also excels in creating contemporary designs. Anttila collaborates with various schools, training new generations of smiths through apprenticeship programs. He is also actively involved in professional associations and events. Anttila has worked in Fiskars since 1992. Anttila has created many commissioned works both in Fiskars and elsewhere, including the railings of Fiskars Wärdshus hotel and the Onoma shop's security grate, which was designed by the artist Jukka Mäkelä.

Howard Smith’s exhibition Party 45 will be opened in Copper Smithy (01 Oct 2008)

The extensive oeuvre of the artist Howard Smith will be presented to the public in an exhibition opening at the Copper Smithy at Fiskars on the 5th of October. Howard Smith is especially known in the fields of design and applied art. Familiar items designed by him include ceramics for the Arabia factory and printed fabrics for the Vallila Interiors company. Howard Smith was awarded the State Design Prize in 2001 in recognition of his wide-ranging achievements in this sector. Smith also operates with ease in the various genres of the visual arts. The exhibition at the Copper Smithy at Fiskars presents the amazingly wide scope of Howard Smith’s art from over the past 45 years, with focus on his most recent works. His sculptures can be seen around in the village during the fall.

Howard Smith has lived in Finland since 1962 and in Fiskars since 1996 and he is an honorary member of the Artisans, Designers and Artists Cooperative of Fiskars. The opening will include the launch of Howard Smith, a richly illustrated biographical work on Howard Smith issued by LIKE publishers. Edited by the architect Jussi Suomala, the book contains texts by the editor and by Tim Steffa MA, the architect and professor Juhani Pallasmaa and industrial designer Barbro Kulvik.

The Copper Smithy, Fiskars 5 October - 23 November 2008, opening on Saturday 4 October at 2 p.m. Open Tue. – Sun. Noon – 5 p.m., admission fee 2€

Ceramic events in Fiskars 13-14 September (03 Sep 2008)

The international ceramic exhibition Tulessa syntynyt, features work by leading ceramists from around the world. In conjunction with this, Fiskars will stage Finland's first International Ceramics Fair, September 13-14th. Together, these events aim to raise awareness of - and stimulate appreciation for - ceramic art in Finland. Finnish and foreign potters displaying and selling their own domestic and artistic ceramics on Ceramics Market on Sat 13th – Sun 14th September. Dance performance “Maa oli autio ja tyhjä” is presented in the ceramic exhibition on Sat 13th at 8 pm. The well known Danish ceramist Thyge Thomasen and his workgroup will be building the sculpture before the actual event and the final stage of the firing of the work is timed to Saturday evening 9 pm., when the approximately 1000°C glowing sculpture will be revealed to the public. More information in Exhibitions & events and www.keramiikkamarkkinat.com

New look for Onoma (27 May 2008)

The Onoma Shop of the Artisans, Designers and Artists Cooperative of Fiskars has been completely refurbished. Both the sales facilities and the visual identity have been revamped, and the shop now features an artist presentation changing monthly. Moreover, Onoma has opened an online shop for its most popular items, which make excellent gifts. www.onoma.org/

Summer exhibitions open on 10 May 2008 (13 May 2008)

The Fiskars Village summer season began on Saturday, 10 May with the opening of the summer exhibitions. The 15th summer of Fiskars exhibitions consists of two shows, the Tulessa syntynyt (Born in fire) international ceramics exhibition and Simple Life, which presents contemporary Finnish art. Both shows are arranged by the Designers, Artisans and Artists of Fiskars Co-operative Onoma. Ingmar Lindberg, the chairman of the co-operative and Executive Vice President of Fiskars Corporation, officially opened the exhibitions, and Mårten Johansson, the city manager of the future city of Raseborg (2009), gave a speech. Moreover, two honorary members of the co-operative, Howard Smith and Stig Nordman, were given special presents. A beautiful, warm summer’s day and two splendid exhibitions guaranteed a great atmosphere.

Paintings by Segerstråle at museum's summer exhibition (07 May 2008)

'Fiskars museum''s summer exhibition Lennart Segerstråle''s Fiskars was opened 1 May. Lennart Segerstråle (1892-1975) was a famous Finnish monumental painter. During this summer Segerstråle''s paintings from Fiskars can be seen at the museum. 1 May - 30 Sep daily 11am-4pm Entrance fee 2,50/2/1 €

Fiskars Design Village exhibition in Mexico 7 March - 8 June 2008 (06 Mar 2008)

The Artisans, Designers and Artists Co-operative of Fiskars will be showcasing itself in Mexico, invited by the Franz Mayer Museum, the most important museum of arts and crafts in the country. Hèctor Rivero Borrell, the director of the museum, visited Fiskars and was inspired to organise an exhibition presenting the Fiskars Village community and their creations. 38 members of the co-operative will participate in the exhibition. Other current shows at the Franz Mayer Museum include the Marimekko exhibition curated by the Design Museum in Helsinki and an exhibition featuring the production of Eero Aarnio.

Celebration time at Fiskars Wärdshus (11 Feb 2008)

Founded in 1836, Fiskars Wärdshus has a long and vibrant history. Marja and Patrick Karlsson took over in 1998 and now celebrate their 10th anniversary at the helm of this venerable inn. The Karlsson era has seen Wärdshus rising to the top league in Finnish cuisine, awarded by the Finnish Chefs Association. But the Wärdshus is not merely a restaurant, it is also a high-quality hotel. With the new annex completed in 2003, the hotel today has 15 double rooms. The anniversary was merrily celebrated on Saturday, 9 February 2008.

Fiskars Wärdshus website

Win a dream day in Fiskars (30 Jan 2008)

Are you a Finnish resident? Take part in Tammi Publishers' competition and win a Dream Day in Fiskars Village for yourself and four friends! The competition has ended on 14, February 2008.

New Fiskars Village brochure now available (28 Jan 2008)

Download our new brochure here (pdf). A revised edition will come out in March when the location and and the opening hours of the Iittala store are announced.

Pro Finlandia Medal to the artist Jukka Mäkelä (03 Jan 2008)

Jukka Mäkelä, visual artist (b. 1949), has been awarded the Order of the Lion of Finland Pro Finlandia Medal, the highest presidential award in culture in Finland. Living and working in Fiskars, Jukka Mäkelä is one of the most acclaimed artists in Finland, with many public works in places like Oulu Music Center and the Olari church in Espoo. His works are included in many notable collections. Mäkelä’s career comprises a series of stylistic shifts. In the 1970s he was known as a lyrical constructivist, in the 1980s as a heroic, down-to-earth expressionist, and since as an aesthete with increasing qualities of subtlety and fragility.

Sparkling Eyes opened the Christmas Season (03 Jan 2008)

YThe theme of the exhibition Sparkling Eyes is humour which is rare in jewellery or in the field of design in general. Jewellery of unusual materials with sense of humour and insightsfull can be seen in the exhibition in the Coppersmithy until the end of April Tue-Sun noon – 5 pm (entrance 2 €, children under 16 years free of charge)