Guests of Honour – Celebrating 40 Years of the Rovaniemi Art Museum

Exactly forty years ago, the people of Rovaniemi gained their own art museum and a permanent home for the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation Collection. In 1986, the collection comprised around 500 works; today it includes nearly 4,000 and stands as one of the most significant collections of Finnish contemporary art.

The Rovaniemi Art Museum’s 40th anniversary exhibition, Guests of Honour, offers a broad overview of the shared decades of the Wihuri Foundation Collection and the museum. Visitors can, among other highlights, take a journey back to the museum’s early years, when a remarkable shipment of artworks - destined to transform a former postal bus depot - was welcomed to its new home. From the approximately five hundred works that arrived in 1986, the exhibition now brings together well-known classics familiar from numerous collection displays, alongside more rarely seen gems.

The exhibition features both audience and staff favourites from across the years, as well as the most recent acquisitions. Young people from Rovaniemi involved in the ArtHop Project have also contributed to the selection of works. The result is diverse, surprising, joyful and moving. The oldest work in Guests of Honour dates from 1944 and the most recent from 2025. The exhibition includes a total of 190 works by 95 artists. It has been curated by Chief Curator Aira Huovinen and Collection Assistant Tino Rautiainen.

Guests of Honour brings together works, memories, and perspectives from the museum’s early years to the present day. It is a tribute to the artists and the collection, but also to the audience, who over the years have made these works their own.

A very warm welcome to celebrate with us – as our guests of honour!

Artists

Albrecht Maija, Arminen Tuija, Blomstedt Juhana, Cavén Kari, Cizmic Mirza, Geller Jiri, Granfelt Erik, Eskelinen Petri, Harri Juhani, Heikkilä Jaakko, Heikkilä Markku, Heinonen Viljami, Heiskanen Outi, Helle Emma, Hirvimäki Veikko, Holma Marjatta, Huhtamo Kari, Hukkanen Reijo, Hurtig Eliina, Jula Jari, Junno Tapio, Juuti Lasse, Juvonen Jari, Jylhä Pekka, Jämsä Aarne, Kannisto Sanna, Kansala Rosa, Karintaus Liisa, Kaskipuro Pentti, Kauhanen Pekka, Kiuru Kaija, Koch Ari, Koistinen Unto, Koivisto Kaisu, Koponen Erkki, Kylänpää Hannele, Kytösalmi-Buhl Mervi, Lassila Nina, Lavonen Ahti, Lehtinen Tuula, Lehtonen Paula, Lipiäinen Leila, Lucander Anitra, Lucander Robert, Luostarinen Leena, Löppönen Ville, Marila Heikki, Merenmies Elina, Mäkelä Jukka, Mäkelä Marika, Nevalainen Pekka, Nisonen Pertti, Nukari Pirkko, Oikarinen Mari, Ojansivu Juha, Osipow Paul, Peltokangas Matti, Pietilä Tuulikki, Pohjola Gunnar, Pullinen Laila, Raekallio Raisa & del Val Misha, Raittila Tapani, Rantanen Silja, Rautiainen Taneli, Remes Helmi, Retulainen Anna, Romo Heidi, Roos Nina, Ruotsalainen Anitta, Ryhänen Heli, Sakkinen Riiko, Salosmaa Aarno, Schroderus Noora, Simonsson Kim, Sirén Päivi, Stereo Maria, Suntio Heimo, Suomi Risto, Särkijärvi Sirpa, Tapper Kain, Toija Tommi, Toivonen Toni R., Tompuri Anne, Tornberg Jaakko, Tuominen Juhani, Utriainen Raimo, Valtakari Jussi, Valtonen Osmo, Vionoja Veikko, Virolainen Heikki, Wardi Rafael, Weckman Jan Kenneth, Wirkkala Maaria and Wuorila-Stenberg Henry