The work "Blooming Earth" is the latest work of the art circle. It is a communal environmental art work, which was realized by ceramic artist Heini Riitahuhta, students from the city center school and local master masons. The project was led by the Kankaanpää Art Association. Photo: Aimo Haapakoski / Kuvaseura Pikseli
Danish architect Jan Gehlin According to the description, Melbourne's goal is to turn public space into a diverse gallery of modern art. In Melbourne's inner city, art is combined with the politics of urban space, when art has a visible position in public space.
A similar example from Finland of creating an open-air gallery in an urban space is Kankaanpää located in North Satakunta.
This is what they say Sari Karttunen ja Oona Myllyntaus in a recent study by the Cultural Policy Research Center Cupore, which discusses methods for measuring the economic value of public art. The Kankaanpää art circle is prominently featured in the study as one of four case studies.
The stages of the art world presented in a variety of ways
According to the study, the longest-lasting and most prominent role of public art in urban development in Finland is probably in the small town of Kankaanpää in northern Satakunta. In Kankaanpää, public art overlaps with cityscape and art education as well as functional and economic policy aspirations.
The report provides a comprehensive account of the origins, development and current state of the Kankaanpää art community. In addition, several projects, initiatives and events related to the art community are highlighted, which have had an impact on the formation of the art community. The latest mention is made of art acquisitions based on the percentage principle related to the city's investment projects.
Interviews have been conducted for the purpose of this study. Maija Anttila, who previously worked as a city architect and currently as the chairman of the Kankaanpää Art Association, has been a key influencer in the art community. In addition, the education program manager has contributed perspectives to the study. Matti Velhonoja and lecturer Tomi Kuusimäki SAMK Fine Arts Kankaanpää unit and entrepreneur of Café Postelli Elina Kivikoski.
The potential of the arts community could be utilized more effectively
In their study, Karttunen and Myllyntaus consider the impacts of public art and their indicators, such as the employment of artists and art experts and the regional economic impacts, for example in the form of tourism and events. In addition, the importance of urban development and the image effects of public art are highlighted.
In the case of the Kankaanpää art circle, the employment effects have been project-based. The study believes that the increase in the percentage principle used by Kankaanpää will promote the employment of public art creators in the long term. In terms of regional economy, the Kankaanpää art circle has been utilized as a project platform, within the framework of which numerous projects have been implemented, through which a significant amount of, for example, EU money has come and gone to the region.
According to the survey, the assessment of interviewees from Kankaanpää was that the image potential of Taidekehä has not yet been fully exploited. KankaanpääFor example, companies do not use in their advertising The art district, and it does not attract large numbers of tourists to the city. The city has considered the better utilization of the art district as an image factor and tourism product for the region on several occasions. The Ecomuseum project of the Fine Arts Unit of SAMK and the Kankaanpää Art Association is currently underway, with the aim of touristizing and branding the regional art center.
More information
The announcement related to the investigation can be read on Cupore's website: Information about the economic value of public art can be obtained using willingness-to-pay methods
The entire publication can be downloaded from Cupore's website: Sari Karttunen and Oona Myllyntaus (2020): Public art in regional construction and development – Identifying economic value and evaluation methods
The Kankaanpää art circle is presented on pages 63-67. The economic impact of the art circle is discussed on page 100.