Stronger Together? The Cultural Sector Considers Mergers
Artists’ Association of Finland is exploring the possibility of merging its member organizations. Similar discussions are also taking place among music institutes. Behind these conversations lies growing concern about the vitality of small organizations at a time when resources are being cut.
Juha Merimaa
PHOTO: Jussi Puikkonen
Suomen Taiteilijaseura selvittää jäsenjärjestöjensä yhdistämistä. Samanlaisia Artists’ Association of Finland is exploring the possibility of merging its member organizations. Similar discussions are also taking place among music institutes. Behind these conversations lies growing concern about the vitality of small organizations at a time when resources are being cut. käydään myös musiikkiopistoissa. Taustalla on huoli pienten järjestöjen elinvoimaisuudesta aikana, jolloin resursseja leikataan.
Artists’ Association of Finland was founded in the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1864. Its sixteen founding members represented different artistic disciplines, from painters to writers, and the organization’s original mission was to unite the arts. For the first 25 years, the association was chaired by Zacharias Topelius. Its first honorary member was the poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg.
One hundred sixty-two years is a long time. Both the art world and society have undergone profound changes. Artists’ Association of Finland has helped establish institutions such as Kunsthalle Helsinki, The Finnish Artists’ Studio Foundation and Kuvasto, the organization that manages artists’ copyrights, among many others.
The association itself has also changed. In 1952, it became the central organization for visual artists in Finland. Today, it has six member organizations: the Finnish Painters’ Union, the Association of Finnish Sculptors, the Association of Finnish Printmakers, The Association of Finnish Art Associations, Artists’ Association MUU , and the Association of Photographic Artists.
And the changes are far from over, says the Executive Director of the Artists’ Association of Finland, Annukka Vähäsöyrinki.
“The world is changing, and it is important to consider how organizations can best fulfill their mission of advancing the position of visual artists and visual arts, both now and in the future,” Vähäsöyrinki says.
Taking the Initiative
It is better to make changes proactively than under pressure. That is why the Artists’ Association of Finland launched the project Sustainable Structures, Thriving Visual Arts – A Model for a New Shared Organization for Visual Artists at the beginning of the year. As the name suggests, the goal is to examine whether it would make sense to bring together the currently fragmented organizational landscape under one umbrella. The project aims to create one or more models for a new organization for visual artists in collaboration with artists themselves.
“Possible consolidation is intended to bring greater stability and impact to our work. We want the voice of visual artists to be heard more strongly,” Vähäsöyrinki says.
There are two main challenges. The more obvious one is the small size of the organizations. Artists’ Association of Finland and its six member organizations are all small entities operating with only a handful of employees. The smallest organizations, such as the The Association of Finnish Art Associations, have just one staff member.
The second challenge is the broader transformation of cultural policy and the decline in public funding for culture and the nonprofit sector. The future of the welfare state itself appears uncertain. It is likely that organizations’ own fundraising efforts will become increasingly important in the future.
“We need to ask whether the current structure is the best way to advance visual arts and support visual artists in the future,” Vähäsöyrinki says. “One strong organization could potentially provide better member services and advocacy.”
The Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation is funding the study with €500,000. Five of the association’s six member organizations are participating. The Association of Finnish Sculptors chose not to join the project.
Its decision to stay outside the initiative from the outset illustrates the sensitivity of the issue.
“I understand that a project like this can create uncertainty, but hopefully also excitement about the future. With funding from the Foundation, we are exploring together what kinds of opportunities this could open up. Any concrete decisions about possible consolidation will ultimately be made independently within each organization after the joint development process.”
Similar Discussions Among Music Institutes
Visual arts are not the only field facing pressure to adapt to a changing world. In 2024, the The Conservatory Association of Finland launched the project Future-Resilient Educational Institution Culture, which explored the future development of the field from several perspectives. The Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation supported the project with €660,000 in funding.
One of the pilot projects examined the possible merger of three Helsinki-based music schools: Kallio Music School, Central Helsinki Music Institute, and The Music Center Resonaari.
The project has progressed in a positive spirit, says Taija Lähdetie, Executive Director of The Conservatory Association of Finland . The benefits of merging have been seen as clear, and the leadership of all three institutes supports the plan.
“The administrative and legal merger is already very close,” Lähdetie says.
Even so, the process is not yet complete.
“One key lesson is that these are complex projects. Questions related to grants and tuition fees, for example, have required careful consideration. It is also important to invest in building a shared culture as staff transition into a new organization.”
Toward Larger Organizations
Elsewhere, too, music institutes are moving toward larger units. In Kajaani, the Kainuu Music Institute and the KAO Konservatorio, which provides vocational education, will merge at the beginning of August to form the Kainuun Konservatorio. Meanwhile, Musikinstitutet Kungsvägen in Espoo and Musik- och kulturskolan Sandels in Helsinki are also considering a merger.
Not all initiatives have advanced, however. Music institutes in Pirkanmaa and Tampere have explored a merger for several years, but the project has so far stalled.
Still, Lähdetie believes more mergers are likely.
“The advantages of larger organizations are clear, especially as younger age groups are shrinking across much of the country.”
Mergers between music institutes are not the only option, Lähdetie notes.
“We will almost certainly also see mergers involving other arts education institutions.”
In addition, other local and administrative collaboration models can be explored. In the Future-Resilient Educational Institution Culture project, such models were tested in Mikkeli. There, the local music institute experimented with new forms of cooperation with schools in the area through initiatives such as Tempo orchestras, language-based music playgroups, and music immersion activities. This part of the project got off to a strong start and will continue even after the project ends.
Moving Forward Over Morning Coffee
The project is currently recruiting staff, and throughout the spring the association has hosted regular virtual morning coffee sessions open to anyone interested in the topic.
“The process of designing a new organizational model is participatory,” Vähäsöyrinki emphasizes.
Ultimately, however, all final decisions will rest with the organizations themselves.
“It is entirely possible that within ten years, the organizational landscape for visual arts in Finland will look very different. Through this project, we are building a shared understanding of what kind of development path would best serve the members of visual arts organizations.”