Finland+-+Shawna+McGee

= FINLAND by Shawna McGee  =

//INTRODUCTION: //
 Located in northern Europe, Finland is home to over five million people. It is a part of the United Nations and European Union and has a republican government. Similar to the United States, Finland is a democracy in which the citizens may participate in voting and the president, Tarja Halonen, is the head of state. Helsinki, Finland’s capital city, is well populated with over one million inhabitants. The native tongue is Finnish, however, many residents are fluent in Swedish as well. Industrialization increased rapidly after the 1950s and a great majority of Finland’s income is through international trade.

 Most of the schools in Finland are public schools with only a mere 3% as private. As for the government funded public schools, arts education is not a priority. The students are encouraged to gain an advanced academic or a trade-related education that will provide them with the skills and/or knowledge to apply for tertiary education. Tertiary education, similar to that of university level in the United States, consists of either research-oriented schools for students interested in science related fields or trade schools for students to advance their professional education to the greatest of their ability. As you can see with the specific two types of higher education, arts education carries little importance. Just like in the United States, some art courses are offered but usually are limited or considered electives. A Danish tradition, Finland has folk schools that adults could attend and take various classes, ranging from art related subjects to more technical, academic courses like chemistry or calculus.

 // PROFILE OF AN ACCOMPLISHED ARTIST: //

 Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen, known as Eliel Saarinen, is a Finnish architect born in Rantasalmi Finland in 1873. Eliel studied architecture at Helsinki University of Technology and began designing within the Art Nouveau period. He was first recognized at the World Fair of 1900. He is noted for doing urban planning, writing a city planning book, and also designing Finnish money that circulated in 1922. In 1923, Eliel moved to the US where he designed the Tribune Tower in Chicago, worked on t

he design of the Chicago lake front, and worked for a short time as a professor at the University of Michigan. Becoming more well known around the world, and particularly in Michigan, Eliel was asked to design the campus of Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills, MI. He later taught at Cranbrook and was elected president of the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1932. Eliel taught Charles and Ray Eames, also well known architects/designers while he was at Cranbrook. His son, Eero Saarinen, became a famous architect as well and is known for his work the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the TWA terminal at JFK International Airport, and his design of Washington Dulles Airport.



// PROFILE OF A SUCCESSFUL ARTS ORGANIZATION:  // = =

 The Finnish National Gallery is a museum located in the capital of Finland, Helsinki. Established in 1990, this gallery is the largest art organization in Finland. It serve as a museum with various forms of Finnish art, from paintings and photographs to sculptures and models. The gallery was operated by a director when it opened but its success did not come quickly. The addition of a member board in 2000 allowed more people to get actively incolved and make decisions regarding the gallery, which increased its popularity rapidly. Changes were made once again in 2004 when the board was eliminated and the gallery is now administered by the Ministry of Education. Today, The Finnish National Gallery is a popular community and tourist attraction as it offers exhibits of various Finnish masterpieces.

 The gallery offers classes and guided tours for visitors of all ages. The classes offered consist of archaelogical finds, art history, art and creative lessons, and demonstrations by Finnish artists. It is also a popular destination for classroom field trips and art related films.



// TEACHER TRAINING & THE INCLUSION OF THE ARTS:  // The goal of Finnish education is to prepare students for higher education, therefore the arts are not regarded as a top priority. Students are encouraged to become skilled in a professional manner or become educated in a subject to their greatest potential, whether that be science, math, finance, etc, but not art related subjects. Teachers are given basic instruction and skills regarding the arts for when they teach it as a supplementary subject to their primary lesson. They may attend a short class or take a simple assessment but are not required to have art related background. This is unfortunate as students are not receiving guided art lessons by trained and experienced artists.

====// FUNDING ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS: //==== In 1992, the Act on Basic Arts Education was founded. It brought new hope to the lack of arts funding and inclusion in educational settings. Before the Act was established, most art programs were optional programs after school or at community centers. They were considered extracurricular activities and not seen as a necessity to educational requirements. The Act provided funding and resources for art courses in the classroom and even enhanced the extracurricular ones. Not only did it help public schools, but private schools were provided with guidance and resources, also.

====//<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">CONCLUSION: <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> //==== <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Throughout my education I feel that I was constantly encouraged to select a career and get a head start on it early, but the inclusion of art in my life was also encouraged. I have had at least one art class every year of schooling I have had, and have had several since I began college. I was surprised to learn that students were encouraged so strongly to become trained in their technical profession and that arts were not regarded as a necessity or priority. I feel like the art classes I have had throughout my education have shaped my creative self and increased my ability to express myself more openly. Other tasks that I do on a day to day basis seem easier and more enjoyable to me when I can incorporate art/creativity in them, such as putting together a presentation or even selecting my outfit for the day. Overall, I would argue that the arts are a necessity and that Finland should encourage art participation with more purpose.

//<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">SOURCES: // //http://www.culturalpolicies.net/web/finland.php?aid=831// //http://www.fng.fi/fng/rootnew/en/vtm/esittely-historia.htm// //http://finlandconsulate.gov.lb/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=1// //http://www.eliel-saarinen.com/2/Facts.htm// //http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/Eliel_Saarinen.html// //http://www.stat.fi/til/kou_en.html//