KESÄKUU / JUNE 2023

Our 70th Anniversary Year

Photo by Marcia Villalba courtesy Visit Finland

Did You Know...

...that in 1947, famed Finnish architect Alvar Aalto was commissioned to design the facade for a Lutheran church in Finntown, Brooklyn, New York?

The project was never realized, but in 2018, the original drawings for the facade—missing for decades—were unexpectedly discovered.

Finlandia Foundation hosted an online program in 2021 with architect Kirk Gastinger, whose friend shared with him a manila folder that held two blueprints she’d found in the file of her late father, Dr. Rev. Bernhard Hillilä. They were of Aalto's original design for the church project.

At 3 p.m. (Eastern) on Tuesday, June 20, FFN hosts a new virtual talk with architect and architectural historian Sofia Singler, who has done extensive research on Aalto and his religious architecture.

She is an architect and architectural historian from Jyväskylä, Finland who is currently a Fellow of Homerton College, Cambridge, where she teaches and researches modern architecture.

In her talk, Sofia will cross-reference Kirk Gastinger's earlier presentation.

Join us for Sofia's insights into this remarkable story, and what these drawings mean to Aalto scholars today.

For more information and to register for the June 20 virtual session, click below.

AALTO IN BROOKLYN

Dr. Sofia Singler is an architect and architectural historian from Jyväskylä, Finland. She is currently a Fellow of Homerton College, Cambridge, where she teaches and researches modern architecture.

Juhannus Greetings!

This is a monumental moment in the 70-year history of Finlandia Foundation.

We are pleased to announce that we have completed the first, critical phase of our mission to save the cultural and historical assets of the Finnish American Heritage Center, on the campus of Finlandia University in Hancock, Michigan.

FFN has reached an agreement with Finlandia University’s court-appointed receiver, Patrick O’Keefe and O’Keefe and Associates Consulting, LLC, which is handling the disbursement of the university’s goods and properties.

This agreement ensures that the collection will not be dissolved, sold in pieces, or discarded.

It is the first piece of a multi-phased plan by FFN to preserve these artifacts and historical collections, and make them more accessible to researchers across the country.

Our FFN task force is also working to establish the best physical location for the collection today, and at the same time, anticipating future needs. It is an ongoing, lengthy---and quite interesting---process.

I would like to recognize task force members, FFN trustees Tim Nurvala and Michel Wendell, who have volunteered countless hours, as well as FFN Executive Director Tommy Flanagan, for their tireless effort on this project.

You may read our entire press release by clicking the link in the "Saving Finland in America" story below.

I also want to thank you for the outpouring of support for this project.

We are gratified by the amount of interest in helping to fund this important work. Please see the notice below if you would like to make a contribution today, and watch for additional ways to help as we continue our goal of "Saving Finland in America."

Please check our website and tune into our social media outlets for news on our progress (links at the bottom of this page).

Wishing all dads a Happy Father's Day, and everyone a fun Midsummer celebration!

Anne-Mari Paster

President

president@finlandiafoundation.org

UPDATE ON SAVING FINLAND IN AMERICA

Finlandia Foundation National is pleased to announce that it has completed the first critical phase of its mission to save the cultural and historical assets of the Finnish American Heritage Center (right), on the campus of Finlandia University in Hancock, Michigan.

On June 15, 2023, FFN reached the agreement with Finlandia University’s court-appointed receiver, Patrick O’Keefe and O’Keefe and Associates Consulting, LLC, which is handling the disbursement of the university’s goods and properties.

This agreement ensures that the collection will not be dissolved and sold in pieces, or discarded. It is the first critical piece of a multi-phased plan by FFN to preserve these artifacts and historical collections, and make them more accessible to researchers across the country.

Subsequent phases include plans for the purchase of a building from Finlandia University’s campus to house the collection; the digitization of records to make them more accessible to researchers across the globe; and the creation of an endowment to ensure that these entities can thrive in years to come. Click here to read the full press release.

Stay tuned to FFN social media, website and e-news for updates as the work progresses on this important mission of saving "the Smithsonian of Finnish America."

To contribute to Finlandia Foundation National click below:

Saving Finland in America

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

June 20: "Aalto in Brooklyn: Lessons from a Forgotten Facade,” a virtual program with Sofia Singler at 3 p.m. (Eastern); to register click here

July 26-30: FinnFest USA 2023 in Duluth; click here

September 1: Performer of the Year 2024 application deadline; click here

October 1: Lecturer of the Year 2024 application deadline; click here

October 1: Lindfors Law Scholarship application deadline; click here

2024

January 17: Grant application deadline; click here

February 1: Scholarship application deadline; click here

February 18-24: National Sauna Week; click here

October 1: Lindfors Law Scholarship application deadline; click here

FFN Seeks Applicants for Young Leaders Board

The Young Leaders Board (YLB) of Finlandia Foundation National is looking for new members! We are seeking people between the ages of 23 and 35 who have an interest in Finland. Our goal is to tap the talent pool of the generation of Finns, Finnish-Americans and others in the U.S. who are intrigued by Finnish heritage and contemporary Finland, and are looking for a way to pursue and advance those interests. We strive to create community, networking opportunities and programs around topics that interest you.

The YLB was founded in 2021, as a volunteer group of eight Finnish-Americans who work alongside the FFN board of trustees on committees aligned with their areas of expertise and interests. The group meets virtually on a monthly basis, with occasional in-person meetings and events.

YLB members traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with the Ambassador of Finland to the U.S. Mikko Hautala (above at center), and the group is working with the Finnish Embassy on a variety of topical virtual and in-person programs.

If you're interested in learning more or volunteering for the team and a minimum two-year term, please click below:

YOUNG LEADERS BOARD

Your Gifts Make it Possible: Grants Spotlight

Dr. Sofia Singler, who will present a virtual program on June 20 (see above) is an architect and architectural historian from Jyväskylä, Finland.

Trained as an architect at the University of Cambridge and the Yale School of Architecture, she practiced architecture in Boston, with a focus on educational and industrial buildings, before returning to England to pursue a Ph.D. in architectural history. She is currently a Fellow of Homerton College, Cambridge, where she teaches and researches modern architecture.

Her first book, The Religious Architecture of Alvar, Aino and Elissa Aalto, will be published by Lund Humphries in October 2023.

The research for the book was funded partially by a Finlandia Foundation grant.

FFN relies on your generous gifts to make possible the grant awards and important work like Sofia's. Your contribution is matched dollar-for-dollar by the Paloheimo Foundation (up to $100,000 annually). Finlandia Foundation National, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization, so your gift is tax deductible.

Thank You! Kiitos!

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