BRINGING ART AND AUDIENCES CLOSER

RaumArs Artist in Residence Programme was founded in 1997 on the initiative of Lönnström's museums. In 1999, RaumArs registered and operates as an independent association.

The background of the activity is influenced by the area's art and culture institutions, artists and private individuals interested in the activity. The purpose of RaumArs is to promote the region's cultural offering by producing open, interesting and high-level art projects for everyone. Through community and environmental art projects, art moves closer to the townspeople and also enables the development of national and international connections between Satakunta artists and cultural sector operators.

RaumArs AiR is a member of the international ResArtis artist residency organization.

Rauma is located on the west coast of Finland, 90 km north from Turku. RaumArs is situated in Rauma town. Rauma has two Unesco World Heritage Sites: Old Rauma (1991) and Sammallahdenmäki (archeological site, 1999). Here is also Selkämeri (Bothnian Sea) National Park, which is founded in 2011. The residency house is located in Old Rauma, right next to the ruins of the Holy Trinity Church. In a two-bedroom apartment, the artist can live alone or with other artists. RaumArs offers accommodation free of charge to community artists, self-employed artists pay a small fee for housing. There is no studio, but it is possible to negotiate workspaces through our partners.

Long-term and solid partner of RaumArs is the Rauma Art Museum There is e.g. the postal address of the association because there is no office of its own. The Rauma Art Museum supports the association's activities with the help and expert input of its staff.

The arts in the program are: visual arts, performing arts, architecture, film, literature, curation, crafts and design, and research into these. The prerequisite for the selection is a plan presented by the artist for a high-quality and functional community or environmental art project, which will be implemented during the visit in Rauma or elsewhere in the Satakunta region. In addition, many artists implement their own art project, for example in the form of an exhibition or art education event. Writers, curators and researchers are also welcome.

Independent artists and families can also apply for a residency. As a rule, a residency place is applied for in the spring for the year following the application. Each year, 5–10 guest artists or working couples are selected for the residency.

RaumArs ry cooperates extensively with local schools, museums, art institutions, art schools, music colleges, dance schools, various associations and festivals, as well as municipalities throughout the Satakunta region. Please read more about them from 'Cooperation and Rauma'.

Artists' organizations in Rauma are e.g. Rauma Artists' Association, Rauma Printmakers and Keramos Clay Artists' Association, in Pori Nyte Association and T.E.H.D.A.S Association. RaumArs' residency artists have previously carried out art projects with, for example, sailors, Martha Organization, lace makers, orienteers, Inspira (amateur artists) and Aesthetic Group Gymnastics. The artists working in August are members of the jury of the Baltic Herring Short Film Competition and are collaborating with the Blue Sea Film Festival.

To finance its operations, RaumArs annually applies for grants from the public administration, the city and various foundations. Arts Promotion Centre Finland has been the main funder from the beginning. Individuals, other associations or companies can become members of RaumArs and support the activities with a membership fee.

 
Rights reserved: ©RaumArs ry archives 1997-05 and ©Hannele Kolsio onwards, unless otherwise mentioned. Design and techniacal execution by
 
 

Mind Map – a vision of RaumArs activities by the Board of Directors.