Kalevala Jewelry Cultural Foundation

Supporting Finnish culture, art and design

Kalevala Koru, in cooperation with its owner organization Kalevala Women's Association, distributes grants for the promotion of Finnish culture through its own cultural foundation. The foundation grants funding to private individuals or communities for projects promoting cultural heritage. The Kalevala Jewelry Cultural Foundation was founded in 1994.

Grants

More information about the activities of the Kalevala Jewelry Cultural Foundation can be obtained from the Cultural Foundation's secretary, Tuula Kuokkanen tuula.kuokkanen@kalevala.fi.

Grants 2023

No new grants were awarded. Continuing to fund the four-year doctoral study in the field of design at Aalto University, which started 2021. The subject of the work deals with issues of sustainable development and future design.

Grants 2022

No new grants were awarded. Continuing to fund the four-year doctoral study in the field of design at Aalto University, which started 2021. The subject of the work deals with issues of sustainable development and future design.

Grants 2021

In 2021, the Kalevala Jewelry Cultural Foundation distributed around 180,000 euros in grants to support Finnish culture, art and design. The Culture Foundation supported design research from the perspective of sustainable development, artist Marita Liulia's Finland-Japan art project, and the renovation of Minna Canth's home.

The grants for 2021 were distributed as follows:

A donation of 41,000 euros for a four-year doctoral study in the field of design at Aalto University . The subject of the work deals with issues of sustainable development and future design.

A grant of 10,000 euros for artist-director Marita Liulia's Finland-Japan art project called Kaukokaipuu . Artist-director Marita Liulia's Kaukokaipuu art project was an exhibition consisting of photographs and stories, which was presented both in Finland and Japan. The subject of Liulia's interest is mythical figures and their stories, especially female figures and deities of Finnish and Japanese mythology.

A donation of 5,000 euros for the renovation of Kanttila, the home of Minna Canth in Kuopio. Kanttila is being renovated into a meeting place for culture, art and science.

Grants 2020

The 2020 grants were awarded to newly graduated students in the field of craft science and supported craft research with 13,000 euros. Making handicrafts has a long tradition, they are universal and often made by women. Although the meaning of handicrafts has changed over the centuries, handicrafts have stayed with the lives of different generations, always finding new interpretations. When choosing grant recipients, the foundation has also wanted to consider multiculturalism.

As a result of the exceptional situation of the corona epidemic, the Cultural Foundation decided to distribute more grants in 2020, the purpose of which was to ease the financial plight of artists. In addition to loss of earnings, the selection criteria were active and innovative activities in the new digital environment as evidence of optimism and ability to survive. Renewal of Finnish cultural heritage was also considered key.

The recipients of the 2020 grants were:

  • Anna Rauhala , the art of knitting. Dissertation 2019.
  • Shikoh Shiraiwa , graduate student, research title: "Ideology of Heritage, Museum, Cultural Politics, and Construction of National Identity in Finland and Japan."
  • The subject of Ama Essel's Master's thesis is the Finnish rya.


An additional grant was awarded to Puppet Theater Sytkyt, dancer, choreographer Riina Hosio, folk musician Minna Hokka, actress Cécile Orblin, writers Helena Sinervo and Vilja-Tuulia Huotarinen, pop band Maustetytö and troubadour band Kalevauva.

Themes from previous years

2019
Supporting and revitalizing the endangered koltka culture

2018
Enthusiasm for culture for middle schoolers

2017
Cultural gods

2016
The future of the Finnish culture

2015
Culture as a source of joy

2014
The power of poetry in everyday life

2013
Culture as a bridge to changing Finnish society

2012
The mind of form, the language of time

2011
Home as a transmitter of traditions

2010
Fairy tales, myths and epics in our time

2009
Promoting the culture of children and young people

2008
Vibrant nature

2007
Independent 90-year-old Finland

2006
Poetry

2005
Folk dance

2004
The interaction of Finnish image and image culture with neighboring people

2003
Music

2002
Old and new traditions of family celebrations

2001
Revival of the local play tradition

2000
Publication and research of folk tales

1999
Scientific and artistic works and projects that have been inspired by the Kalevala