| Vapaa taidekoulu

Student Stories

Minna Salomaa:
“I’m fascinated by the idea of a deliberate mistake.”

Minna Salomaa, Will-o’-the-Wisps, 2024, 60 x 70 cm, oil on canvas

News

24.06.2025

Raana Lehtinen Selected as Recipient of the Aïda Alliman Grant 2025

The 2025 Aïda Alliman Grant has been awarded to painter Raana Lehtinen. Lehtinen graduated from the Free Art School in 2019. In the article, Raana Lehtinen discusses her current artistic practice and the grant she has received. What are you currently working on in painting? I recently completed my p...

News

24.06.2025

Scenes from the Opening of Vapaa '25

The Free Art School’s annual graduation exhibition opened on Friday, May 2, 2025, at Puristamo, Cable Factory. This year, twelve painters graduated from the school. Warm thanks to everyone who joined us for the opening! We would like to thank Olvi and Vindirekti for providing the refreshments, and e...

News

24.06.2025

Anita Snellman Foundation Awards Grants to Four Graduating Painters from the Free Art School

The Anita Snellman Foundation, which supports art education, appreciation, and engagement, has awarded grants to graduating painters from the Free Art School. This year, €2,000 grants were awarded to Pinja Kanon, Marika Maijala, Eevi Oittinen, and Maria Rasinkangas, all of whom graduated from the Fr...

News

24.06.2025

You can now register for the open art courses for autumn 2025

The Free Art School’s open art courses will start again this autumn. This season, a total of three creative courses will be offered. The Free Art School is a private institution founded in 1935, specializing in painting and located at the Cable Factory in Helsinki. In addition to our painting degree...

News

17.06.2025

Partnership Project with Icelandic Art School Completed – Erasmus+ Activities Continue

The EU-funded project created a model for close collaboration between two painting schools and launched the development of a network for European painting schools. The two-year pilot project included teacher exchanges between Finland and Iceland, study trips from Helsinki to Reykjavík and vice versa...

News

27.05.2025

90 Years of Painting Education – A Book on the History and Pedagogy of the Free Art School

The Free Art School celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, a commemorative book is being published in collaboration with HAM Helsinki Art Museum and publishing house Parvs. The richly illustrated volume highlights the school’s diverse history and its unique pedagogical app...

News

26.05.2025

Vapaa '25 Showcases 12 Recent Graduates in Painting

Press Release, March 2025 This May, twelve painters will graduate from the Free Art School, Finland’s only institution solely dedicated to painting. Their graduation works will be showcased in the Vapaa '25 exhibition at Puristamo, Cable Factory in Helsinki, from May 3 to May 18, 2025. The opening r...

News

12.05.2025

Vapaa '25 now available as a virtual exhibition

The degree exhibition, which closed on 18 May 2025, is now available as a 3D recording on our website. You can explore the virtual version of the Vapaa '25 exhibition online: Vapaa '25. In the future, the link to the recording will be available on the exhibition's webpage. The exhibition presents th...

News

12.05.2025

The final Painting of the Month vote of the Spring Term 2025 was won by a work by Enna Saari

In the final Painting of the Month vote of the Spring Term 2025, students selected a work by Enna Saari as the winner.Saari is currently in her first year of studies. ArtistEnna Saari, born 2004Hometown: Heinola...

Subscribe to

Minna Salomaa: “I’m fascinated by the idea of a deliberate mistake.”

Minna Salomaa:
“I’m fascinated by the idea of a deliberate mistake.”