20 years of reciprocal residencies in Québec and Finland

Québec, December 15, 2017 – Since 1997, Québec city and Espoo (Finland) have been the adopted homes for 40 Québec and Finnish creators taking part in the exchange program for artists and workshops/residencies promoted by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) and the Finnish Foundation for Artistic Residencies (FFAR). To mark the 20-year anniversary, Finnish artist Katri Naukkarinen, sponsored since September at Méduse by Québec City-based Avatar and VU, put together a souvenir box of artists' postcards to celebrate the successful and long-lasting collaboration between both institutions. The souvenir box was unveiled at Méduse on December 15, 2017.

20 years of reciprocal residencies in Québec and Finland features memories, anecdotes, images and significant works pertaining to the artists' experiences. The contributing artists are Heini Aho, Jacynthe Carrier, Catarina Ryöppy, Ana Rewakowicz, Annie Conceçao-Rivet, Annie Thibault, Barbara Claus, Claudette Lemay, Eija Keskinen, Emmanuelle Léonard, Georges Audet, Hannele Rantala, Jean-Yves Vigneau, Jukka Hautamäki, Karen Trask, Katri Naukkarinen, Kenneth Bamberg, Jean-Pierre Bougie, Manon Labreque, Mirimari Väyrynen, Pascal Dufaux, Petri Virtanen, Sari Koski-Vähälä, Sirkku Ketola, Stéphanie Morissette, Suzanne Ferland, Sylvie Cotton, Timo P. Vartiainen, Ville Mäkikoskela and Virginie Laganière.

" Today, international mobility crops up earlier and earlier as a natural part of artists' careers. For instance, around 50 artists receive CALQ funding each year to take part in a residency here in Canada or abroad. In return, some 20 artists from our partner countries come to stay in our local creative spaces. So I am very pleased to be celebrating 20 years of collaboration with our Finnish partner. This souvenir box is a tribute to this rich heritage and to our shared desire to provide spaces where artists can create, express themselves and develop their talents from a fresh perspective. Long may this positive and fruitful collaboration prosper," said Anne-Marie Jean, CALQ's executive director.

"To develop artists' international profile, the Foundation offers work opportunities abroad," said artist Anssi Taulu, FFAR board representative, who travelled to Québec City for the occasion. "CALQ has been one of the Foundation's leading long-term cooperation partners. Since the participants find these experiences so significant, we hope that this collaboration will bring benefits to artists for many years to come."

A growing network spanning three continents

An extensive network of studios, exchanges and workshops/residencies spanning three continents offers creators from all disciplines some 40 residency opportunities designed to stimulate their professional prospects in some 20 cities/regions around the world, including New York, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Paris, Rome, Berlin, London, Mumbai, Seoul and Tokyo. Since Québec's studio in Paris was inaugurated in 1965, this program has fostered exchanges between numerous international partners and spurred the careers of numerous artists and writers. Thanks to the diversity and quality of its residency network, CALQ has become a global standard setter; it received the international award of excellence in 2010. Information on all residency opportunities is available here.

About the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ)

Focusing on fair and sustainable artistic development, CALQ provides support in all regions of Quebec for creation, experimentation and production and promotes artistic and literary development and dissemination in Quebec, across Canada and around the world.

About the Finnish Foundation for Artistic Residencies (FFAR)

Created by the Association of Finnish Artists, the Foundation provides work-related infrastructure and workshops/residencies for visual artists and helps to improve their working conditions.

APPENDIX

List of Québec and Finnish participating artists

Pascal Dufaux 1998 Hannele Rantala

Annie Thibault 1999 Catarina Ryöppy

Karen Trask 2000 Sari Koski-Vähälä

Sylvie Cotton 2001 Eija Keskinen

Jean-Pierre Aubé 2002 Pirjetta Brender

Louis-Pierre Bougie 2003 Petri Virtanen

Stéphanie Morissette 2004 Jarmo Kallinen

Carl Trahan 2005 Marika Orenius

Ana Rewakowicz 2006 Heini Aho

Claudette Lemay 2007 Elina Hartzell

Diane Morin 2008 Ville Mäkikoskela

Emmanuelle Léonard 2009 Sirkku Ketola

Jean-Yves Vigneau 2010 Kari Yli-Annala

Virginie Laganière 2011 Timo P. Vartiainen

Annie Conceiçao-Rivest 2012 Jukka Hautamäki

Georges Audet 2013 Joonas Siren

Jacynthe Carrier 2014 Mirimari Väyrynen

Suzanne Ferland 2015 Heli Vehkapëra

Barbara Claus 2016 Kenneth Bamberg

Manon Labrecque 2017 Katri Naukkarinen

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