History

The exhibition about the history of Kankaanpää describes the development of Kankaanpää's industries from the late 1800th century to the present day.

Kankaanpää has been characterized by professional crafts, practiced as a sideline alongside agriculture. The most important crafts, such as making flails and the manufacture of whisks, cart wheels and straw baskets, are comprehensively presented in the museum's exhibition.

Kankaanpää was known for its textile industry for decades. The museum's permanent exhibition presents the history of Kankaanpää's textile industry, and in particular the production of REIMA Oy.

A shoemaker at work. Picture from the museum's history exhibition.

Visual arts

The art exhibition hanging presents the art collections managed by the museum, which include donated collections and the art collection of the City of Kankaanpää.

Kauko and Sinikka Räikke's art collection

Professor Kauko Räike (1923–2005) and artist Sinikka Räike (1925–2009) donated an art collection of almost 1995 works to the city of Kankaanpää in 400. Professor and sculptor Kauko Räike is known not only as the founder of the Kankaanpää Art School and its long-time principal, but also as an early representative of non-figurative art among Finnish sculptors. Sculptor and painter Sinikka Räike is a sensitive representative of intellectual concretism as a painter.

Reima Art Collection

When relocating its operations from Kankaanpää to Tampere and Vantaa, REIMA Oy donated a significant portion of its art collection to the city of Kankaanpää. Especially in the 1960s–80s, REIMA Oy was a strong cultural patron in Kankaanpää.

When the Kankaanpää Art School was founded in 1965, Reima came to support the school in many ways. The company saw a diverse cultural life as strengthening the economic life and overall well-being of the area. The company supported the Kankaanpää Art School with, among other things, teacher and facility resources. Reima Oy's designers taught composition and product design at the school in the early years; among others, Kristina Jakobsson-Kärki and Reino Koski. Reima Oy also acquired works by local artists and the most talented students.

The gems of the collection include, of course, the works of teachers at the Kankaanpää Art School who have already gained a reputation, as well as the works of talented students starting their careers, such as Teemu Saukkonen.