FREE ART SCHOOL TODAY, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

PRESS RELEASE

The Free Art School is an experimental painting institution founded in 1935 and maintained by the Free Art School Support Association. Originally, the school emerged as a representative of international modern art in Finland, and it can justifiably be said to have developed the tradition of new color painting in the country.

In art schools, the quality of education is significantly dependent on the personality and artistic caliber of the teachers. Throughout its history, the Free Art School has embraced flexibility in its teaching, as teachers have been chosen based on their artistic merits, with former students often transitioning into teaching roles.

While art education in most schools typically focuses on composition and drawing, the Free Art School, particularly following its curriculum reform, has established itself with a clear emphasis on observation-based color expression. As a counterbalance to theoretical and speculative art education, the Free Art School’s approach emphasizes open receptivity to nature, light, and color. The school offers both a broader open level for students and a more restricted professional level. The study can either be foundational and educational or preparatory for professional studies in painting, depending on the student’s personal goals.

The permanent collection of the Pori Art Museum, particularly the Collection of Maire Gullichsen Art Foundation, prominently features numerous artists who have been involved with or continue to work within the Free Art School. Professor Gullichsen was one of the school’s founders in 1935. The Pori Art Museum has now invited the Free Art School to showcase its current activities, offering an insight into the school’s present-day endeavors. The exhibition features a selection of works by the school’s teachers, as well as its former and current students.

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