FinnFest Schedule

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Tentative Schedule

THURSDAY, JULY 24

Unless otherwise indicated, lectures will run 45 minutes and include questions and answers and introductions. Therefore, it will be important to begin and end on time to allow the next program to set up. Thanks to one and all.

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Thur, All-Day Activities
Tori and Tori Stage – Pioneer Hall
Genealogy – St. Louis River Room
Military Display – Lake Superior M & N
Sami Camp – Outside (southwest of the Auditorium by the “Statue of Liberty”)
Craft Demonstrations – Chester Creek Room
Food Court – Edmund Fitzgerald Hall

For information and times for these activities,
click here.

Tori: The Tori (marketplace) at FinnFest 2008 will feature more than 120 booths with a wide variety of Finnish gifts and merchandise, from famous Finnish knives to sauna accessories, Iittala glassware to Toikka birds, paintings to books.  Other booths will distribute information on Finnish organizations and activities.  Finnish ethnic music will be performed by bands on stage with seating available for several hundred.
Genealogy: — St. Louis River Room All Day Thur, 9 am to 5 pm Fri, 9 am to 5:30 pm Sat, 9 am to 5 pm Genealogy: Representatives from the Institute of Migration, the Swedish Finnish Historical Society, and the Finnish Genealogy Group of Minnesota will be on hand to help people work on family genealogy research. Computers will be set up and assistance with on-line databases will be available.
Massage:  Kai Weissman will offer demonstrations of "Kaleva-type bonesetting" at various times. Check the schedule at the registration desk or at the room.
Military Display: Brent Snodgrass, a researcher of Finnish-Russian-Soviet small arms, the founder of the Estonian Veterans Research Interviews, and an assistant to the Finnish Veterans Interview Project has brought a section of is vast military collection to display. 
Sami Camp: The Sami Siida of North America, a loosely organized group of self-identified Sami descendants, has gathered for winter and summer Siidastallens. At FinnFest2008 the Siida will host a Sami camp at the west end of the DECC near the small Statue of Liberty. The camp will feature reindeer from the Dancing Reindeer Farm, Sami craft demonstrations, lavvus furnished with objects of everyday life, and traditionally dressed Siida members who will answer questions about Sami life, history, and culture. It is a place and time for those of Sami heritage and others interested in the Sami to learn and find fellowship in a welcoming traditional and educational setting.
Food Court: Food is available for purchase.

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Thur, 8 am, “Demonstration of Contemporary
Techniques and Styles for the Kantele”
French River Room, MUSIC
     Three Rivers Kantele Ensemble from Haapavesi, Finland is directed by Norma Jane Ilmola. They perform on small and large kanteles. They are Finland’s Young Adult Cultural Ambassadors to the United States and are supported by the Ministry of Education of Finland through a grant. The members are: Norma Jane Ilmola, Anne Maarit Hintikka, Johanna Hietala, Päivi Ollikainen, Paula Kantola, Jaakko Meriläinen, Maiju Mertala, Laura Pesonen, and Maria Suihkonen.

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Thur, 9 am – 3 pm, Art Displays
Thur, 9 am - 6 pm, Art Displays
Duluth Art Institute, 506 W. Michigan St., (9:30 am - 6 pm) has the exhibition "Naturally Finnish/Luonnollisesti Suomalainen" with artists Tiffany Besonen, Tia Salmela Keobounpheng, Lynn Korhonen, Joyce Koskenmaki, Lenore Lampi, Virginia Maki, Scott Murphy, Kristin Pavelka, Natalie Salminen Rude, John Salminen, Cherie Sampson, and Laura Ahola Young. FinnFest Visual Artists have work in the Corridor Gallery. Artists include Mary Erickson, Carl Gawboy, Kathryn Nordstrom, Sue Matuszak, Angel Sarkala-Saur, Andy Saur, Marlene Wisuri, and Margaret Webster.
Tweed Museum of Art, 1201 Ordean Court, University of Minnesota Duluth, (9 am - 4:30 pm) has the exhibition "Honoring Tradition: Finnish and Sami-inspired Textiles." The work includes rag rugs, transparencies, poppana, felting, clothing, woven wall hangings, takana, raanu, rya, and other textiles. Vintage Finnish textiles will provide historical context for the exhibit. Participating artists include: Mary Erickson, Paivi Homola, Laurie Jacobi, Irene Johnson, Susan Johnson, Edith Karlstrand, Ruth Koski, Karen Lamppa, Annika Martilla, Wynne Mattila, Mel Olsen, Joyce Seppala, Carol Sperling, and Mary Wovcha.
See the Wednesday Art Display listing for Finnish-American and Finnish artists who have work at area galleries. (Note: Art Exhibit Receptions and Gallery Hop will be held from 3-6 pm.)

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Thur, 9 am, “One Year at the Kaustinen Folk Music School -— Ala-Könni Opisto”
 Lake Superior Ballroom L, LECTURE
     Minnesota residents Eli Bissonett and LynnAnne Vesper spent the past year studying folk music at Ala-Könni Opisto, an education program in Kaustinen, Finland organized by the national Folk Music Institute.Their studies included the history of Finnish folk music, and building the ancient Finnish instruments jouhikko and kantele. This summer, they performed at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival.
     LynnAnne and Eli, who are both from Ely, Minn., met through their shared interest in Finnish folk music. LynnAnne studied music at Gustavus Adolphus College and Eli earned a degree in classical violin performance from the University of Minnesota, and later toured nationally as a folk fiddler.

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Thur, 9 am,“The Finnish Kantele Among the Baltic Psalteries” with Carl Rahkonen
Lake Superior Ballroom O, LECTURE
     Carl Rahkonen received his Ph.D. degree in Folklore and Ethnomusicology from Indiana University, Bloomington, with a dissertation on the “Kantele Traditions of Finland.” He is a music librarian and professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is an active researcher, most recently on Scandinavian music, and a musician who plays classical, popular and folk music in a variety of ensembles.

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Thur, 9 am, “The Legend of Bobby Aro”
with Casey Aro
 Gooseberry 1,  LECTURE
     For over 50 years, Bobby Aro entertained residents of Northern Minn. with his radio shows, his band, “the Ranch-Aros”, and his recordings. In the 1960s and 1970s, he had a large Finnish-American fan base in Ohio, Mich., Wisc., and Oreg. Bobby Aro used a strong “Finn-glish” accent on his recordings, and on one record he sang, “I’m not Finnish, but my English teacher was.” His most well-known song was “Highway #7”.
     Bobby’s son, Casey Aro, is an entertainer, musician and story teller with 25 years as a member of an “old-time” dance band. Harry Whitt and Larry Koski will join the program.

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Thur, 9 am, “Sami Art: Craft a Little Sami Magic”  with Mary Oberg Hanf and Rosann “Rantala” Wulff
Gooseberry 2,  ART
     Mary Oberg Hanf was born in Biwabik, Minn. to Finnish-American and Finnish/Sami-American parents. She was aware of her Sami roots as a young person. In 1990, she traveled to Finland to visit her Sami relatives and to Norway to participate in the Indigenous People’s Conference. Since then, she has been a frequent visitor to Sami areas in Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Russia. During these trips, she’s learned about Sami language, culture, music, and history.
     Rosann “Rantala” Wulff is a practicing Finn from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She’s third generation of Finnish descent with her family originating from Lohtaja, Finland and then moving to Oulu, Wisconsin. She serves as vice-president and the cultural chairperson of Little Finland in Hurley, Wisconsin, sings in the National Finnish-American Festival Chorus, leads a small singing group called Iloset Laulujat, and serves on the Board of Salolampi.

Thur, 9 am, “A Wave of Finnish Influence”
with David Salmela
Gooseberry 3, LECTURE
     David Salmela FAIA will present architectural projects influenced by Finnish culture and architecture. Salmela is a self-trained modernist architect practicing in Duluth. His work is sensitive to the vernacular of Minnesota’s immigrants. Brandenburg’s Ravenwood Studio in Ely, Minn. and the Emerson Sauna in rural Duluth as well as the Jackson Meadow Development in Marine on St. Croix, Minn. (the oldest settlement in Minn.) represent his work. Overall, Salmela has won 40 regional and national awards, many from the AIA, and his work has been featured, nationally and internationally, in magazines and books. The monograph,
Salmela/Architect (2007) was written by University of Minnesota Dean of Architecture, Thomas Fisher.

Thur, 9 am, “How to Trace Your Roots in Finland”
with Jouni Korkiasaari
 Meeting Room 202, LECTURE
     Jouni Korkiasaari will discuss Finnish genealogy, especially from the point of view of emigration and the use of the internet. He will discuss the emigrant register and other online sources available for those searching their roots in Finland.
     Jouni Korkiasaari, Turku, Finland, has worked as a researcher and expert of Finnish migration at the Institute of Migration since 1980. His special area of interest is Finns abroad. He is one of the authors of the six-volume book series on the history of Finnish emigration. His current research focuses on the Finnish North Americans today. He is also an expert in using computers and the internet in genealogical research of Finnish emigrants.

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Thur, 9 am, “Nature and Parks in Finland”
with Ken Gilbertson
Meeting Room 203, LECTURE
     Ken Gilbertson is a professor of outdoor and environmental education at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He has worked with the Finnish Forest and Park Service (Metsähallitus) over the past 15 years. During Fall 2008, Ken spent 3 months studying sustainability of nature tourism in Finnish parks. Ken has been teaching outdoor education at UMD for 30 years. He is working with Finnish universities and Metsahällitus to develop a sustainability education program for nature-based tourists.
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Thur, 9 am, “Renewal of Life in the Villages of
Karelia” with Pekka Palosaari
Meeting Room 204-205, LECTURE
     Pastor Palosaari serves an eight-village parish in Russian Karelia. A former teacher of biology, geography and religion, Pastor Palosaari has served as a pastor to the deaf, as a seamen’s pastor in Belgium and Finland, and as a parish pastor.
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Thur, 9 – 11 am, “Learn to Play Finland’s National Instrument” Kantele Class, 5 and 10 String
French River Room, MUSIC
     Koivun Kaiku from Minneapolis, Minn. perform on small and large kanteles. They are the winners of the Finlandia Foundation’s “Performer of the Year” award. Members are Joyce Hakala, Betsey Norgard, Al Norgard, Kay Seppala, Julene Johnson, Kirsti Taipale, and Tia Smith.

Thur, 9 – 11:45 am, Saint Croix Avenue Walking Tour
Begins and ends at the DECC, Advance tickets only $5
     Saint Croix Avenue was the heart of Duluth’s Finnish-American community at the turn of the 20th century. Your costumed guide will help you visualize the life of a Finnish immigrant in 1910 as your stroll back in time through historic Canal Park. Plan to spend some time in the Lake Superior Maritime Visitors Center and Marine Museum after your tour to learn about shipping on the Great Lakes. (Lunch not included)

Thur, 10 am, “Learning Finnish thru Song & Stories” with Ulla Suokko
Lake Superior Ballroom L, LECTURE
     New York City-based Ulla Suokko is an internationally acclaimed concert flutist, performing artist, Reiki master, sound healer and teacher. A native of Finland, she has been featured in some of the world’s most prestigious concert venues.

Thur, 10 am, “Three People Meet: Past, Present, and Future” with Asfrid Karlsen
 Lake Superior Ballroom O, LECTURE
     This presentation is a history of Kven and Sami and the Norwegianization policies that impacted both groups. See examples from church, school and government. Explore topics such as symbols, Kven clothing, kantele, food traditions, and sample recipes.

Thur, 10 am, “From Lapatossu to Eino and Toivo: Finnish-American Folk Humor” with James Leary
Gooseberry 1, LECTURE
     Folk humor is a vital part of the Finnish-American experience. Although their characters, settings, and language have changed over time, Finnish-American humorous riddles, stories, poems, songs, and sketches have maintained a sharp, sometimes self-deprecatory wit and an egalitarian stance.
     James P. Leary is a professor of folklore and Scandinavian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His current projects include a book and multi-CD package, Folk Songs from the Other America, regarding field recordings of traditional singers, including many Finnish-Americans, made in the Upper Midwest from 1937-1946.

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Thur, 10 am, “So Where Did Mojakka Come From Anyway?” with Eleanor Ostman
Gooseberry 2, LECTURE
     Eleanor Ostman, the food writer at the St. Paul Pioneer Press for 30 years, will give a presentation on the origins of Finnish food in Minn. and other American-Suomi enclaves. Born in Hibbing, Minn., she is of 100-percent Finnish ancestry and is well-known for writing about Finnish foods in her Sunday “Tested Recipe” column. She is the author of several cookbooks, including Always on Sunday Revisited and Always on Sunday, both based on her column. She is also the founder and past president of the Newspaper Food Writers Association. In addition, she has led 50 food-writer trips to world destinations, including Finland.

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Albert and George Haapala with Erkki Maatanen

Erkki Maatanen

Thur, 10 am, “Määttänen Documentaries”
with Erkki Määttänen
Gooseberry 3, LECTURE

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Thur, 10 am, “The Titanic’s Missing Woman:
Solving the Confusion over Mrs. Anna Lahtinen’s Fate” with Greg Isola
Meeting Room 202, LECTURE
     When the Titanic struck that iceberg in 1912, there were 66 Finns on board. Two of them were a Cokato couple, William and Anna Lahtinen. Only 23 made it in the lifeboats to reach the rescue ship Carpathia. In several newspaper accounts during the immediate aftermath, there was considerable confusion over the fate of Mrs. Anna Lahtinen. Did she die with her husband or was she rescued? To this day, many Titanic web sites list her as among the rescued. What can the Ellis Island immigration records tell us? Isola’s research into the Lahtinen’s Titanic story grew out of his interest in genealogy, Finnish history, and church history.

Thur, 10 am, “My Life in Pictures” with Carl Gawboy
Meeting Room 203, LECTURE
     Carl Gawboy is enrolled in the Bois Fort Band of Minnesota Chippewa. With a B.S. degree from the University of Minnesota and an M.A. from the University of Montana, he is a teacher and painter. Carl has been labeled the “Ojibwe Norman Rockwell.” By using a historical realism style, his artwork gives life to the Ojibwe cultural systems reflected in everyday life, work, and rituals within the context of their historical environment and traditions. He has created works for over 75 exhibits, has painted a number of expansive and renowned murals, and is co-author of the book, Talking Rocks.

 

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Thur, 10 am, “Race to the Finnish Line”
with Arnie Ranta
Meeting Room 204-205, LECTURE
     Arnie Ranta was born and raised on the Iron Range in Markham, Minn. A graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth, Arnie worked in the construction field for twenty years before a serious snowmobile accident changed his life. He was able to turn his two life passions (snowmobiles and car racing) into viable business models. His personal struggles caused his life to spiral downward and then back up again. Arnie’s recovery from alcoholism has allowed him to not only find success in the business world, but give back to areas in his life he previously left unfinished.

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Thur, 10 am – 1 pm, “Salolampi Sampler”
Paulucci Hall, WORKSHOP FOR CHILDREN
     Salolampi Sampler is offered for youth seven to 15 years old, who are registered for FinnFest. Registration for children is free. Parents are welcome to participate. Instruction is in Finnish, using skits, motions, physical response, and repetition. Attend any or all of the sessions. Choose Finnish names, learn songs, dance, take a vocabulary tour, listen to a picture story, make crafts, play music, and play games. 

Thur, 11 am – 1 pm, “History of the Finns in Minnesota & Duluth” with Arnold Alanen
Auditorium, LECTURE
     This illustrated presentation, based on the forthcoming book, Finns in Minnesota (Minnesota Historical Society, 2009), will feature the origins of Finnish settlement in southern and western Minn., northeastern Minn. with its agricultural settlements, the Iron Range, Duluth—a city once called “America’s Helsinki,” and information about Minnesota’s Finland Swedes.
     Arnold R. Alanen teaches landscape history and historic preservation in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Alanen has written extensively about the Finns, mining towns, and agricultural settlements of northeastern Minn. His recent book, Morgan Park: Duluth, U.S. Steel, and the Forging of a Company Town, features the famous Duluth community that once housed steelworkers.

Thurs, 11:15 am – 12:15 pm, History of Kantele
with Joyce Hakala
French River Room , MUSIC
     Joyce Hakala, director of the Twin Cities kantele ensemble, Koivun Kaiku, has a long-standing interest in Finnish folk music. Her first book, Memento of Finland: A Musical Legacy (1997), presents a history of the Finnish national instrument (kantele) and biographies of immigrant kantele players.

Thur, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, Box Lunch Pick-up
Edmund Fitzgerald Food Court,
Advance purchase only, $14
     Includes sandwich, chips, fruit, cookies, and soda.  

Thur, 11:30 am – 12:45 pm, “Memoirs of the Old Days” with Paul Niemisto
Lake Superior Ballroom L, MUSIC/ LECTURE
     American Finns have a rich and varied music history. Not only was there the popular music of the dance hall, with accordions and fiddles, but also music of choirs, brass bands, “iskelmat”, and even serious “long hair” composers. Thanks to an active Finnish-American press and a prolific recording activity, much of this history is well documented. This session will help us all to remember Finnish-American music. The audience is invited to offer comments, reminiscences, and questions. There will be recordings and photographs included.

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Thursday, July 24 afternoon

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Thur, 12 - 1 pm, Traditional Finnish Lunch
Lake Superior Ballroom J&K, LUNCH,
Advance tickets only $18
     Traditional Finnish Lunch – Karjalan Paisti (Karjalan ragout) with whipped potatoes, vegetable, rye buns, coffee, tea, milk, assorted bars.

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Thur, 12 pm, “Finnish Favorites Past and Present” with The Third Generation
Lake Superior Ballroom O, MUSIC
     From the 1970s to 90s, this popular folk music group recorded four albums, performed in the midwest, toured Finland twice, and appeared on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. Members include: Gregg Santa, vocal and guitar; Wesley Santa, accordian; Leonard Saari, mandolin and banjo; Johanna Santa Doty, violin; Jeanne Santa Doty, violin; and Dan Doty, bass. Oren Tikkanen, Mich. musician and writer, wrote, “The sound this group created transfixed me: vigorous, old-time accordion, banjo and bass playing, with a soaring, singing violin that transcended mere fiddling; then quiet guitar chords under a rich, powerful baritone voice.”

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TThurs, 12 pm, “Gus Hall: A Finnish-American Don Quixote” with Tuomas Savonen
Gooseberry 1, LECTURE
     Starting from Gus Hall’s Finnish roots and Minn. childhood, Savonen will look at Hall’s studies in Moscow’s International Lenin School, his actions as a labor organizer in Ohio in the 1930s, the Smith Act trial of the late 1940s, and his prison sentence in Leavenworth. His four decades as the general secretary of the CPUSA, his presidential campaigns, and his relations with the Soviet Union will also be discussed. A brief look at the dissolution of the CPUSA in the early 1990s will conclude the presentation.
     Tuomas Savonen earned his master’s degree in history from the University of Helsinki in 1997. Since 2000 he has worked as a journalist for the Finnish News Agency STT.

Tuomas Savonen

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Thursday, 12 pm, “UMD Women’s Hockey Team and its Finnish Connection” with Ira “Mimmu” Salmela
Gooseberry 2
     Salmela will discuss building a bridge between a U.S. college hockey team and Finland. She will talk about the success of the UMD Women’s Hockey Team and the impact its Finnish players have made. Salmela will show the motivational and highlight tapes she built for the team.
     From 1999-2006 Ira “Mimmu” Salmela worked with the UMD women’s hockey team which captured three NCAA National Championships. As an assistant coach in 2003-2006, she was responsible for recruiting in the U.S. and Europe. Prior to that, Salmela was the team’s media and video coordinator. The Bulldogs had 11 Finnish players, many of whom Salmela helped recruit.

Thur, 12 pm, “Kvens: Finns to Norway and Russia, then on to America” with Richard Tormanen
Gooseberry Falls 3, LECTURE
     Tormanen’s power point presentation is about why the Finnish people migrated to the Arctic shores of Norway and Russia. He discusses the main routes they traveled and what they did when they arrived. It covers the Finnish fishermen, farmers and the Laestadian movement in Arctic Norway and Russia. The last part of the presentation covers the Finnish overseas emigration of the Kvens to America.
     Richard Tormanen is a retired computer software developer living in Dassel, Minn. He became interested in Finnish history while helping his wife, Anne, and brother, Calvin, with their genealogy research. After a few trips to Northern Finland, Sweden, and Norway, where his ancestors came from, he researched Finnish-speaking people who immigrated to Norway and Russia. He has presented his research to the Finnish Genealogy Group of Minnesota.

Richard Tormanen

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Syrene Forsman

Thur, 12 pm, “Researching Swedish Finns in the U.S. and Finland” with Syrene Forsman
Meeting Room 202
     Syrene Forsman will describe how to research Swedish Finns, both their lives in Finland and their new lives in the U.S. She will discuss the Swedish Finn Historical Society website for relative queries and will give examples of searches on the 1.5 million name database called TALKO. She will also demonstrate church books from the U.S. which were maintained in the Scandinavian system and she will answer genealogy questions. Syrene Forsman taught Swedish Language classes, English and painting at a Seattle high school. Now retired, she serves on the board of the Swedish Finn Historical Society where she has designed and produced exhibits. She also designed and illustrated The Birch and The Star coloring book which was printed in Swedish, Finnish, and English.

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Thur, 12 – 2 pm, “Finnish & Native Culture
Monographs” with Dr. Donald Bibeau
Meeting Room 204-205, LECTURE
     Donald F. Bibeau, a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, is a US Air Force veteran, Korean Era. He received a B.A. from St. Olaf College, Chemical Dependancy Counselor Training at Hazelden Foundation, and an M.S.W. and Ed.D. from the University of Minnesota. He is currently an associate professor and chair of the Social Work Department, Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, Minn. He lives in Minneapolis and maintains a dwelling at Ball Club, Minn., on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation.

Thur, 12:30 – 3:30 pm, North Shore Scenic Train Ride/Luncheon
The Depot, 401 W. Michigan St., Duluth, Advance tickets only $35
     Board the North Shore Scenic Railroad at the Depot and ride out to Lester River Park while enjoying the entertainment of Casey Aro, Harry Whitt and Larry Koski. Detrain and walk to the park and listen as Aro, Whitt and Koski are joined by the music entertainment of the Nathan Muus Band and an Ojibwe drum group. A box lunch will be provided while you enjoy the beauty of Lester River and the tall pines.

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Thur, 12:30 – 5 pm, Historic Mansion Tour
Begins and ends at the DECC, TOUR
Advance tickets only $29
     Explore Glensheen, the Historic Congdon Estate, then hop aboard and take a driving tour of the luxurious homes in East End Mansion District. (Lunch not included)

Thur, 12:45 – 2:30 pm, Kantele Concert
French River Room , MUSIC
     Kevin Sikkila from Duluth performs on the 10 string kantele and jouhikko.
     Kanteleen Soittajat from Duluth performs on 10 and 11 string kanteles. Members are: Cathy Beaver, Harold Haapoja, Steve Rantala, Al Savela, Alyce Santa, Doris Ukura, Phyllis Polla, Jean Miller, and Sue Sigel.
     The Duluth Area Youth Kantele Ensemble, directed by Barbara Hanka, is a children’s group, ages 10–14. They perform kantele music on 5 and 10 string kanteles with vocals from Finland, Karelia, Russia, Lapland (Sami), and other countries. Noted for arrangements in major and minor keys, their melodies are accompanied by arpeggiated, strummed, and improvisational techniques. They also integrate a variety of other instruments into their performances including violins, clarinet, flute, birch bark flute, accordion, Sami drum, and other percussion. Members are: Ian Peters, Danielle Patterson, Katie Tahtinen, Sergei Hanka, Aili Lund, Kristina Green, Diana Hanka, Rayne Robison, and Glenda Fitzpatrick.
     Margaret Webster, a storyteller and actress portrays Louhi, the Mistress of the North, and tells a story from the Kalevala about Väinämöinen’s creation of the Sampo and its recovery from the bottom of the sea.

Kevin Sikkila

Kanteleen Soittaja

Youth Kantele Ensemble

Margaret Webster

Thur, 1 pm, “The Healing Power of Music”
with Ulla Suokko
Lake Superior Ballroom L, MUSIC
     New York-based Finnish performing artist Ulla Suokko enjoys an extremely versatile career. As one of New York’s most-in-demand, avant garde flutists, she has premiered scores of works, many dedicated to her. She also has many credits as an actress, including appearances on NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien as Conan’s Finnish wife. An advocate of the healing power of music, she presents healing concerts and workshops all over the world, most often with flamenco guitarist Carlos Revollar. A graduate of Sibelius-Academy in Finland, she holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Juilliard School.

Thur, 1 pm, “Finnish Folk Songs, Sibelius, Berlin & Gershwin” with the Finnish-American Singers
Lake Superior Ballroom O, MUSIC
     The Finnish-American Singers of Michigan have performed at 15 FinnFests, including the first in 1983. The group is a mixed chorus of singers directed by Henry Naasko, a retired music teacher. Accompanist William Gramzow IV is a Lutheran Kantor, organist, choir director, and teacher. They sing Finnish, classical, folk, popular, and songs from musicals..

Thur, 1 pm, “Arvoisa poikani, arvoisa veljeni, Dear Son, Dear Brother: American Love Letters”
with Jim Kurtti
Gooseberry 1, LECTURE
     Learn the story of Arvi Kallunki, who left Finland in 1905 for Mich., eventually settling in Clatskanie, Oreg. Kurtti, Arvi’s grand nephew, examines this immigrant’s life through letters, including courtship letters that span 1905 -1947.
     Jim Kurtti is the director of Finlandia University’s Finnish-American Heritage Center and editor of the Finnish-American Reporter. A native of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Kurtti graduated from Suomi College and the University of Minnesota, and attended the University of Helsinki. He taught Finnish in Hancock Public Schools, serves on the Salolampi Foundation Board, is chairman of the Finnish Theme Committee of Hancock (Heikinpäivä) and has participated in Finland’s Expatriate Parliament.

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Thur, 1 pm, “Esko, Minnesota, the Sauna Suburb; a Finnish Place Name Success Story” with Bob Esko
Gooseberry 2, LECTURE
     A handful of Finnish immigrants came to a forested wilderness in the 1870s, logged it and with continued Finnish immigration, established hundreds of small dairy farms. Bob Esko will describe how, within 50 years, Thomson Township became the most prosperous (per capita) dairy farming community in the state. The Thomson Township Fair and the Esko public schools reflected the community’s high expectations.
     Robert D. Esko is a grandson of Finnish pioneers and the Esko community’s namesakes, Alex and Eva Esko. Bob, who grew up in Esko and currently lives in South St. Paul, Minn., is active in several Finnish-American organizations. He is a retired educator who does genealogical and historical research for his extended Esko family and publishes an annual family newsletter. He also contributes to Thomson Township historical research projects.

Thur, 1 pm, “Was North America Once Part of
Finland?” with Richard Ojakangas
Gooseberry 3, LECTURE
     The rocks of Finland constitute the central and main portion of one of Earth’s ancient continental nuclei, the Fennoscandian Shield. Their ages range from 3500 million years to 600 million years. Most of the rocks were formed during two major mountain-building periods comparable to mountain-building events on other continental nuclei, including the Canadian Shield as exposed in the Lake Superior region. As in the Lake Superior region, glacial deposits as young as 10,000 years cover the bedrock, complicating the search for mineral deposits in Finland.
     Richard Ojakangas is University of Minnesota Duluth Professor Emeritus, recently retired from the Department of Geological Sciences. He has published dozens of articles and several books.

Thur, 1 pm, “Free Thought & Secularism in
Finnish Diaspora” with Harry Siitonen
Meeting Room 202, LECTURE
     This presentation will deal with secularism and its atheist and agnostic currents in the early Finnish-American immigrant labor movement. It examines its origins in Finland around the founding period of the Social Democratic Party, then in America with the issues between “Hall Finns” and “Church Finns”, and will conclude with a look at the free thought movement in today’s Finland.
            Harry Siitonen is a Michigan State University journalism graduate, a retired newspaper printer and long-term writer for Finnish-American periodicals. He’s a union activist, a secular humanist, a speaker, an actor, and translates Finnish plays into English.

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Thur, 1 – 3 pm, “Manual Folk Healing and its Efficacy” with Osmo Hänninen & “Kaleva-type Bonesetting” with Kai Weisman
Meeting Room 203, LECTURE
     Osmo Hänninen is professor emeritus of the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland.
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Thur, 1 pm, “Hilma Ylonen Laaksonen”
with Rachael Martin
Auditorium Mezzanine, LECTURE
     In this performance, Hilma Ylinen Laaksonen, a Finnish immigrant who followed her husband to Minn. to farm, tells the story of her journey overseas in 1905. Hear about her reasons for leaving Finland and choosing Minn., the ship and traveling companions, customs and reuniting with her husband in Duluth.
     Rachael Martin is a native of northern Minn., where her Finnish grandparents settled. She grew up in Duluth, receiving her MA from the University of Minnesota. Rachael teaches, gives programs and writes books and articles on local history.

Thur, 1:15 – 1:45 pm, “Auntie Sal and the Bear”
with Lisa Fitzpatrick
Paulucci Hall, PRESENTATION
     Auntie Sal and the Bear is an interactive Finnish-American children’s story. The digital collage and animations combine scanned photos and memorabilia. They also include original watercolors by Fitzpatrick’s daughter, Glenda. The voices of her mother and her aunt  tell stories and jokes, and sing in Finnish and English. The rhymes date back to the 19th century. Red-eyed vireos and woodland creatures add to the atmosphere.
     Lisa Fitzpatrick is a graphic artist and multimedia storyteller. She works with computers creating interactive art, animation and stories that inspire children’s curiosity. She has degrees in Russian, graphic design and technical communications..

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Thur, 2 pm, “Accordion Music Radio Shows” with Lauren (Larry) Hiukka
Special Feature in the Tori, Pioneer Hall, MUSIC
     Larry Hiukka studied accordion with Einar Kivela, Arne Fraki and at the Kult School of Music where he played on their Young Artists Radio Shows. Larry played Finn music on Onni Laine’s KDAL radio show for Oxidant Flour. For many years he performed on Leo Keskinen’s Finnish Americana Show from Grand Rapids. He played on KDAL, WEBC, WDSM, WEVE, WMFG, WKLK, WHLB, WCCO and KSTP radio stations and had a bi-weekly radio show broadcast from Ely. He taught accordion at Duluth Accordion Center and at the Ely Accordion Center. Larry is still giving accordion lessons and he believes that he has the largest collection of Finn Music in Minnesota.

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Thurs, 2 pm, “Traditional, Folk and Religious Songs” with the Järvenpää Singers
Lake Superior Ballroom L, MUSIC
     Under the direction of Dolores Carlson, and accompanied by Linda Bray and accordionist Marlene Sherlin, the Järvenpää Singers perform most of their concerts in the summer. They have performed at ethnic celebrations including the Festival of Cultures in Duluth, Iron World on Finnish Day, Pikku Joulu, and at FinnFests in Marquette, Toronto, Minneapolis and Duluth.

Thur, 2 pm, “Finnish Vocal Music”
with Northern Echoes
Lake Superior Ballroom O, MUSIC
     The vocal trio, Northern Echoes or Pohjoinen Kaiku consists of Jayme Bell, Debra Hautala Wahlberg and Margaret Sell Vainio who became life-long friends as members of the Northern Michigan University Arts Chorale under the direction of Dr. Douglas Amman. Jayme in the Marquette area and Debra in Ironwood both had careers as school music teachers and lead the worship music in their respective congregations. Margaret moved to Finland and has worked as organist/choir director for the State Church. Not even the ocean between them has been able to keep them from singing together. The trio’s repertoire contains folksong arrangements as well as contemporary religious music from the soon-to-be-released Finnish-American Hymnal.

Thur, 2 pm, “The Finnish Emigrant Museum”
with Tellervo Lahti
Gooseberry 1, LECTURE
     This presentation will cover the research of Dr. Anna-Leena Toivonen (1922-1969) and the founding of the Emigrant Museum in Peräseinäjoki.
     Tellervo Lahti is the director of The Finnish Emigrant Museum in Peräseinäjoki in Seinäjoki. She teaches cultural studies and art history and is a leader in associations of history and heritage, visual arts and architecture, especially Alvar Aalto’s. Her publications concern visual artists, built heritage and local history. She is the editor of the Old Seinäjoki periodical and a member of The Finnish Association of Non-Fiction Writers. Lahti studied cultural sciences at the University of Turku and art history at the University of Jyväskylä.

Thur, 2 – 3 pm, “Life in Marengo, Wisconsin”
with Ainie Hillstrom Busse
Gooseberry 2, LECTURE
     This presentation showcases Ainie Hillstrom Busse’s parents’ photograph album and covers the years 1930 through 1942. The topics covered will include: clothing, food, recreation, church activities, work, schooling, travel, logging, fishing, farming, cars, the coop store, tin melting, charivari customs, WPA projects, the New Deal, and more.
     Ainie Hillstrom Busse, Cokato, Minn., is a writer, lecturer, horticulturist, and genealogist. She is the editor of the Cokato Finnish-American Historical Society Newsletter, a member of the Finnish Genealogy Group of Minnesota, and has presented at many FinnFests. Because of her strong interest in perennials, she free-lance writes about them and has lectured on horticulture in China, Germany, Switzerland and the U.S. She has a journalism major from the University of Minnesota.

Thur, 2 pm, “Visions and Reality” with Pam Brunfelt
Gooseberry 3, LECTURE
     This session explores what it means to be an Iron Ranger. Through the use of themes such as Continuity and Change, Extraction and Exploitation, Distrust, Hope, Foresight, and Loyalty, the history of the people of the Iron Range is explained. Iron Rangers (including those from the UP and northern Wisconsin) will recognize themselves, and others will learn about the area and its unique heritage.
     Pamela A. Brunfelt teaches history and political science at Vermilion Community College in Ely, Minn. Her research focuses on the history of radicalism on the Cuyuna Iron Range and the social, cultural and political history of Minnesota’s Iron Range.

Thur, 2 pm, “Survival Finnish”
with Larry “Lauri” Saukko
Meeting Room 202, LECTURE
     This class will present the basics to get by in Finnish, including “Finnish Pronunciation in Five Minutes”, and how to say things such as “Where is the nearest sauna?” and “Can I borrow your cell phone?” Although spoken in Europe, Finnish is unrelated to most other European languages. Learn what this fascinating language from the land of Nokia is like.
     Larry Saukko is the dean of Salolampi, the Finnish Language Village, where he has been on staff for 32 years. He is also the dean of Waldsee, the German Language Village for Village Weekend Programs. Saukko graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth  in foreign language education, specializing in German and French. He has worked on a master’s degree in curriculum development. He taught high school German and English, taught Finnish in community education and community college programs, and served as business administrator of Concordia College’s Institute of German Studies.

Thur, 2 pm, “Soiva Camp – Salolampi”
with John Laine
Meeting Room 204-205, LECTURE
     John Laine, the president of Finlandia Foundation, was born and raised in New York State to Finnish-American and German parents. His professional life has been spent in the industrial and aerospace hardware area before forming Laine Enterprises, Inc., in Richardson, Texas, where he resides. He has been president of the Finnish-American Society of Dallas/Ft. Worth for six years, a Finlandia Foundation Trustee, and a FinnFest USA board member. He instituted Project 34 as a means of passing the Finnish culture in America on to the third and fourth generations of Finnish-Americans.
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Thur, 2 pm, “Buttonbox Music”
with John Berquist
Paulucci Hall, MUSIC
     John Berquist, a veteran FinnFest performer, brings a program for children of all ages. Hear him perform on the button accordion, sing songs and tell  favorite Finnish-American stories. Enjoy a Pikkisikka, or a song about a sauna, or stories of Holmolaiset, as well as a few new ones, too.

Thur, 3 pm, “Finnish Improvisational Music”
with Ari Lahdekorpi
Lake Superior Ballroom L, MUSIC
     Ari Lahdekorpi, a Finnish-Canadian guitarist and composer, has performed jazz, blues and music as a solo artist, session musician, and a sideman for over thirty years. He has released 10 CDs of original music over the last 20 years and continues to write and record in Canada. The CD, Letters from Karelia, features Ari as composer, producer, musician, and arranger performing on guitar, mandolin, bass and synthesizer.

Thur, 3 pm, “Hymn Sing: Finnish Hymns in English Translation” with Margaret Sell Vaino, K. Marianne Wargelin and the Järvenpää Singers accompanied by Linda Bray
Lake Superior Ballroom O, MUSIC
     The people behind the English publication of Finland’s favorite hymns and religious songs are K. Marianne Wargelin, Dr. Paul Niemisto and Margaret Vainio. The roots of Finnish religious music go deep and there is a strong desire to pass on the music tradition. Second and third generation Finns living abroad rarely speak the Finnish language, although many remember melodies from childhood. Religious songs composed by Finnish Americans are in danger of being forgotten altogether. In addition, English translations of Finnish hymns are needed for international church services, weddings, funerals, baptisms and other international gatherings in Finland.

Faith Fjeld

Arne Vainio

Thur, 3 pm, “Two Identities, One World:
the Finnish Relationship to Indigenous Values”
with Faith Fjeld, moderator
Gooseberry 1, LECTURE
     This panel will discuss their experience in living in two worlds and the Finnish relationship to indigenous values. The panel includes Anja Kitti, David William Salmela, Regina Seabrook and Dr. Arne Vaino.
     Faith Fjeld is the editor of Báiki, The International Sami Journal. She has written and lectured extensively on the emigration of the Sámi to North America and is project director of “The Sami: Reindeer People of Alaska” traveling exhibit. Her masters thesis in American Indian Symbolism at San Francisco State University was titled “The Mother Earth vs Western Man: the American Confrontation Between Two Opposing Value Systems.”
     Panelists: Anja Kitti, a Finnish-born Sami from Toronto, Ontario, is a respected elder from the North American Sami community and she also is a nurse. David William Salmela, Finnish and Sami from Minnetonka, Minn., is a poet and author who is inspired by his Finnish heritage. Regina Seabrook, a Finnish/African American from Cottage Grove, Minn., is a mother, a high school history teacher and a multicultural educator. Dr. Arne Vainio, a Mille Lacs Band Ojibwe and of Finnish descent, is a family practice physician on the Fond du Lac Ojibwe Reservation, Cloquet, Minn.

Thur, 3 pm, “Davidson Windmill”
with Jim Pellman
Gooseberry 2, LECTURE
     The Davidson Windmill, in the town of Lakeside, Wisconsin, was designed and built by homesteader, Jacob (Tapola) Davidson of Lappajärvi, Vaasanlääni, Finland, with help of family and neighbors. The mill successfully served immigrant farmers from the Finnish Ostro-bothnian region. The mill stands as a tribute to Finnish ingenuity, creativeness, craftsmanship, love of freedom, land, and neighbor, and sisu.
     Jim Pellman, artist and local historian, born in Superior, Wisconsin, is a UMD graduate. He has visited Finland and owns Finnworks in Maple, Wisc. He is a painter and sculptor, and is author of Faithful, Finn, and Free (Uskollinen, Suomalainen. Vapaa, 2000). He edited Wisconsin Far Northwest (2004), is currently writing The Discovery of Maple, and is a founder of Old-Brule Heritage Society which owns the Davidson Windmill.¨

Thur, 3 pm, “Bringing Back the White Pine”
with Jack Ivar (Jack) Rajala
Gooseberry 3, LECTURE
     Bringing Back the White Pine is the story of a Finnish-American family who experienced the cutting of the virgin forests of northern Minn. in the early 1900s and then went on to champion the restoration of the monarch of the forest – the White Pine. Building back native forests was a struggle to overcome forest politics and nature itself.
     John Rajala is CEO and President of Rajala Companies and has been employed in a variety of Rajala wood manufacturing enterprises since 1963. Jack was named “1993 Forester of the Year” by the University of Minnesota Forestry Club, he received the 1990 Distinguish Service Award by the Minnesota Forestry Association, and was 1987 Small Businessman of the Year for Minnesota.

Thur, 3 pm, “Finland’s War Children”
with Veijo Paine
Meeting Room 202, LECTURE
     This program concerns the unique and somewhat unknown story of thousands of Finnish children, including the speaker, that were evacuated to Sweden during WWII. These children have been the subject of many studies by sociologists from around the world looking at the effects of their separation from their homes and families.
     Veijo Paine (Pönniãinen) from Bloomington, Minn., was born in Porvoo, Finland, and in 1950 moved to Duluth. His career took him from electronics design engineer with General Mills Electronics, to the Honeywell Ordinance Division (29 years), to Alliant Techsystems which was formed from the defense business part of Honeywell. He retired in 1996 as Director of Program Management.

Thur, 3 pm, “Limp In, Leap Out”
with James Leary as moderator
Meeting Room 203, LECTURE
     This is a panel discussion of folk healers in the Finnish immigrant communities.
     James P. Leary is a professor of folklore and Scandinavian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he directs the Folklore Program. He has done research on the folklore of Finnish-Americans since the late 1970s, with particular attention to music, song, and storytelling. His current projects include a book and multi-CD package, Folk Songs from the Other America, regarding field recordings of traditional singers, including many Finnish-Americans, made in the Upper Midwest from 1937-1946. Richard Ojakangas will be part of the discussion.

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Thur, 3 – 4:15 pm, “Skålmusik: Scandinavian
Dance Music for the Entire Family”
Paulucci Hall, ART
     Skålmusik, from the Brainered, Minn. area, is a five-piece ensemble performs traditional Scandinavian and Scandinavian/American dance and vocal music. Its members are Paul Wilson, Mary Abendroth, Bob Anderson, Arne Anderson, and Harold Herboldt. Paul Wilson is the founder of Nisswa-stämman, a Scandinavian folk music festival in Nisswa, Minn. Skålmusik has performed at a reception for the King and Queen of Sweden at the Governor’s mansion in Minnesota and appeared coast to coast on Garrison Keillor’s, A Prairie Home Companion.

Skalmusik

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Thur, 3 – 6 pm, Art Gallery Hop and Receptions
Start at any gallery and ride the “Port Town Trolley.” Take a shuttle to the Tweed.
     Duluth Art Institute, 506 W. Michigan St., Tweed Museum of Art, 1201 Ordean Court, University of Minnesota Duluth, (9 am – 4:30 pm), Art Dock, 394 Lake Ave. S., Blue Iris Gallery, 723 Lake Ave. S., Blue Lake Gallery, 395 Lake Ave. S., Just for the Season Gallery, 207 West Superior St., Kollodge Gallery, 310 S. Lake Ave., Lizzard’s Art Gallery and Framing, 11 West Superior Street., Sivertson Gallery, 361 Canal Park Drive, and Waters of Superior, 395 S. Lake Ave. See Wednesday’s Art Display listing for more information on artists and exhibits.

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Thur, 3:30 – 5:30 pm, “Kantele Showcase Concert” with emcee Loretta Suliin Busch
French River Room, MUSIC, Advance tickets only, Adult $10/Child $5
     Kevin Sikkila from Duluth performs on the 10 string kantele and jouhikko.
     Kanteleen Soittajat, from Duluth, performs on  10 and 11 string kanteles. Members are Cathy Beaver, Harold Haapoja, Steve Rantala, Al Savela, Alyce Santa, Doris Ukura, Phyllis Polla, Jean Miller, and Sue Sigel.
     Ari Lahdekorpi from Winnipeg, Canada performs on the 10 string kantele.
     “Remembering Finn Hall” This performance reflects a personal interest and passion for Finnish heritage, history, family, and culture. It resembles the historical Finn Hall programs of the past with a poetry reading, historical commentary, and humorous stories by Jim Johnson, and a concert of traditional Finnish music and original compositions by Barbara Hanka and their two children, Diana and Sergei. Barbara, joined by her children, presents songs sung in Finnish and English, accompanied by the 5, 10, and 36 string kantele (Finnish folk harp), piano, accordion, willow flute, birch bark flute, Sami drum and other percussion instruments.
     Koivun Kaiku from Minneapolis, Minn. performs on small and large kanteles. They are the winners of the Finlandia Foundation’s “Performer of the Year” award. Their members are Joyce Hakala, Betsey Norgard, Al Norgard, Kay Seppala, Julene Johnson, Kirsti Taipale, and Tia Smith.
     Duluth Area Youth Kantele Ensemble directed by Barbara Hanka, is a children’s group, ages 10 – 14, from Duluth. They perform kantele music on 5 and 10 string kanteles with vocals from Finland, Karelia, Russia, Lapland (Sami), and other countries. Members are Ian Peters, Danielle Patterson, Katie Tahtinen, Sergei Hanka, Aili Lund, Kristina Green, Diana Hanka, Rayne Robison, and Glenda Fitzpatrick.
     Diane Jarvi from Minneapolis, Minn., is a versatile jazz and pop singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. She sings and records her own original songs in contemporary folk style and is accomplished on both the guitar and kantele. She is known in Finland as “Minnesotan Satakeili,” the Minnesota nightingale. She is a published poet and a recipient of the Finlandia Foundation Performer of the Year 2000.
     John Nurmi and Jon Romer combine the music of the Native flute with the small kantele. They met studying music at Gustavus Adolphus College in the 60s. Their life journeys have taken them on different paths: Jon to Minn. to teach voice at Gustavus and music at the Leech Lake Tribal College, and John to New York to serve as organist/choirmaster in several churches and to teach middle school music. They continue to collaborate on musical projects including a CD now in production and another produced for Wisdom Steps, a preventive health organization for American Indian Elders.
     Three Rivers Kantele Ensemble from Haapavesi, Finland is directed by Norma Jane Ilmola. They perform on small and large kanteles. They are Finland’s Young Adult Cultural Ambassadors to the United States and are supported by the Ministry of Education of Finland through a grant. The members are: Norma Jane Ilmola, Anne Maarit Hintikka, Johanna Hietala, Päivi Ollikainen, Paula Kantola, Jaakko Meriläinen, Maiju Mertala, Laura Pesonen, and Maria Suihkonen. 

Kevin Sikkila

Kanteleen Soittaja

Ari Lahdekorpi

"Remembering Finn Hall"

Koivun Kaiku

Youth Kantele Ensemble

Diane Jarvi

Three Rivers Kantele Ensemble

John Nurmi

Jon Romer

Thur, 4 pm, “Life and Music of Viola Turpeinen” with Bert Stromholm, Brent and Crista Buswell, Helvi Impola, Richard Impola, and Carl Rahkonen.
Lake Superior Ballroom L, MUSIC/LECTURE
     This performance is a tribute to Viola Turpeinen, 1909-1958, and was written by Bert Stromholm using the biography, The Legacy of Viola Turpeinen, by James P. Leary as his source. The show has been performed at least a dozen times in Finnish and other Scandinavian Halls from Maine to Florida. Bert Stromholm, along with Brent and Crista Buswell, play the music. Both Helvi Impola, who provides narration, and Richard Impola, who will sing, were acquainted with Viola and her husband. Carl Rahkonen will also show a power point presentation of Viola and her fellow performers.

Thur, 4 – 4:45 pm, “The Magic Classics of Finland” with Marjatta Airas, Folke Gräsbeck
and Jyrki Myllärinen
Lake Superior Ballroom O, MUSIC
     This performance presents beloved songs, piano solos, and guitar solos by Sibelius, Kuula, and Rautavaara.
     Marjatta Airas is well known as an artist of many talents with a lyrically dramatic high dark voice and extensive register. Her repertoire encompasses opera, operetta and Lieder as well as gypsy music, light music and spiritual music.
     Folke Gräsbeck, pianist, has performed more than 200 of Sibelius’s compositions, and has given the world premier performances of 82 of them.
     Jyrki Myllärinen, the Naples born guitarist from Lappeenranta won the prestigious international Gargano guitar competition in 1994 and since then has performed all over Europe.

Magnus Londen

Joakim Enegren

Thur, 4 pm, “Come to Finland.
Posters & Travel Tales 1851-1965”
with Magnus Londen and Joakim Enegren
Gooseberry 1, LECTURE
     In the late 19th century, Finland was already an exotic travel destination. Not only was Finland an autonomous Grand Duchy with the Russian Czar as its ruler, the country was also “off the beaten track”, as one popular poster slogan stated almost one hundred years ago. Slides of travel posters throughout the history of Finland will be shown along with a history of the posters.
     Magnus Londen is an author and journalist. He is a familiar radio voice at the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE and a regular newspaper columnist. He has published travel books about Siberia and St. Petersburg, as well as the popular phenomenon of package tours to the Mediterranean. His book on St. Petersburg was nominated for the Tieto-Finlandia prize in 2004, and he was Finland’s 2005 Freelance Journalist of the Year.
     Joakim Enegren has worked both as newspaper journalist and corporate communication planner since 1995. In 2006 he founded his own communication company. His list of clients include several prominent Finnish and Swedish companies. He is currently based in Kathmandu, Nepal, where his wife Mikaela works for the United Nations.

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Katharine Johnson

Larry Luukkonen

Marlene Wisuri

Margaret Olson Webster

Thur, 4 pm, “History as Inspiration: a Writers’ Panel” with moderator Beth Virtanen
Gooseberry 2, LECTURE
     This event, with panelists Katharine Johnson, Larry Luukkonen, Mark Munger, Marlene Wisuri, and Margaret Olson Webster, concerns how history can reach a larger audience as a work of fiction, poetry, memoirs, children’s literature, and traditional non-fiction. Each panel member has a unique perspective of incorporating historical research into literature.
     Katharine Johnson was born a Yooper and raised a Ranger with four Finnish immigrant grandparents. What else could a person wish for? She is proud of her heritage and relies on it as a writer. When she teaches memoir writing to adults, she encourages them to frame their stories with historical events that give depth and meaning to their stories.
     Larry Luukkonen, McGregor, Minn., received degrees in history at the University of Minnesota and currently works as an independent historian. He has written extensively on the history of Northern Minn. with his most recent publication being Between the Waters: Tracing the Northwest Trail Between Lake Superior and the Mississippi. He co-authored a book on the history of Cloquet, Minn., and has written many articles for magazines and newspapers dealing with various aspects of Minnesota’s early history.
     Marlene Wisuri, Duluth, is a college teacher, artist/photographer, historian, author, and book publisher. She received her MFA degree from the University of Massachusetts. Her photographs have appeared in numerous exhibits throughout the country and in Finland and Norway. She has been the co-author of several books about immigrant issues, local history, and Ojibwe culture and history. She is an active member and elder of the Sami Siida of North America.
     Margaret Olson Webster is a graduate of University of Minnesota Duluth and has taught high school, college art and home economics for nearly three decades. Several of her books on Finnish culture have been nominated for book awards and her plays have been performed widely. She received the Hubert Humphrey award for her work in community art and recently published  Life Times Six, intimate glimpses into the joys and struggles of six generations of Northland immigrants.

Thur, 4 pm, “Cut-to-Length and Other Logging Practices” with John Koski
Gooseberry 3, LECTURE

Thur, 4 pm, “Finlandia/Finnish Student and Faculty Exchanges” with Phyllis Fredendall
Meeting Room 202, LECTURE
     Finlandia University (Suomi College) International School of Art and Design was founded in 1996 with significant influence from their sister school, the Kuopio Academy of Design, Kuopio, Finland. Students and faculty participate in exchanges with Kuopio, the University of Art and Design in Helsinki, the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, and most recently Hämeen Ammattikorkeakoulu in Hämeenlinna. Phyllis will show images of student and faculty work and talk about the curriculum and cultural influences. Associate Professor of Art and Design, Phyllis Fredendall has been teaching fiber and fashion design at Finlandia University since 1993. She has been an artist-in-residence on Isle Royale and the Felt Center in Petäjävesi, Finland.

Thur, 4 pm, “Sauna in North America: Past, Present, and Future Trends” with Keith Raisanen
Meeting Room 203, LECTURE
     The presentation will review sauna design trends, and how the sauna has developed in the U.S. and in Finland since early Finnish immigrants brought it to this country.
     Keith Raisanen is the founder and current president of Saunatec Inc., nationwide sauna manufacturer and distributor and the largest sauna company in North America. He is also the founding member and director of the North American Sauna Society and the chairman of the State Bank of Cokato.

Thur, 4:30 – 5:30 pm, “Mandolin Lessons”
with Ted Heinonen
Paulucci Hall, MUSIC
     Ted Heinonen will give lessons on the mandolin. Bring your own or borrow one of Ted’s. He has been performing professionally for the past 35 years in various bluegrass, swing, country-rock and Scandinavian roots bands and has been a studio musician for several CDs. He has shared the stage and taught workshops with mandolin greats such as Jethro Burns, Butch Baldasari, Adam Steffey and Peter Ostrousko. He also plays the fiddle, guitar, kantele and the nyckleharpa. He’s an award-winning graphic artist with the Duluth News Tribune.

Thur, 4:30 – 7 pm, “Rock the Block”
with Ninni Poijärvi Trio
Superior Street in front of the Holiday Center,
Downtown Duluth, MUSIC
     Ninni Poijärvi Trio band members Mika Kuokkanen, Ninni Poijärvi, and Olli Haavisto share a passion for old Finnish and international music as well as traditional Finnish Pelimanni folk music. Mika, guitar player and singer, is rooted in the singer-songwriter tradition but not a “stranger to urban and sharp edged rock.” Ninni, a songwriter and master of vocal harmonies, plays violin, accordion and piano. Olli is the guru of the pedal and lap steel guitar and the mandolin. “Rock the Block” is sponsored by the Greater Downtown Council. In the event of inclement weather, the performance will be moved inside the Holiday Center.

Ninni Poijärvi	Olli Haavisto	Mika Kuokkanen

Thursday, July 24 evening

Thur, 6:30 - 8:30 pm, "Ole & Lena's Wedding"
Fitgers, Midi Change of Pace Interactive Dinner Theater
600 East Superior St. Duluth, $40, advance tickets required.
1-888-872-4880 218-727-4880, http://www.midirestaurant.net
Oh, for fun! In this original hit comedy and Finnish/Norwegian wedding, Lena Handspringinnen will tie the knot with her sweetheart, Ole Olaf Olafsson, Jr. at the Lutheran church up here in northern Minnesota. Join her cousin Karlene Kinnunen, her Uncle Eino, relatives and family friends. Guests will receive a nametag and relationship to the bride or groom. They'll attend the ceremony followed by a reception complete with hotdish, jello, and also some fancy food prepared and served by Midi Restaurant. There's gonna be a dollar dance, gift-opening, a polka party and everything. But a guy doesn't hafta dance if he doesn't feel like it. Whatever.

Thur, 6:30 – 9 pm, A Finnish Dinner
and Three Finnish One Act Comedies
Rubber Chicken Theater, Proctor Area Community Center, 100 Pionk Drive, Proctor, Minn., Advance tickets only. $30, (218) 213-2780
This evening of Finnish dinner theater includes an authentic Finnish dinner, followed by the one-act comedies: The Betrothal (Kihlaus) by Aleksis Kivi, No Wonder! (Ihmekos Tuo!) by Matti Kurikka and Personal Ad (Naimailmoitus) by Edith Koivisto. All of the plays were translated by Harri Siitonen. 

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Ameriikan Poijat

Finn Hall

Thur, 7 – 11 pm, Finn Hall Band
and Ameriikan Poijat
Lake Superior J&K , DANCE
     Finn Hall Band is a group of Minn. musicians dedicated to preserving the feel and sounds of dances at the Finn Halls. They try to remain true to the original tunes, and have also added dances like the humppa and tango. Finn Hall has performed for over 12 years in the USA, Canada and Finland. Their CD Reflections/Muistelmia was released in 2002. Band members include: Al Reko, Dennis Halme, Cheryl Paschke, Mary Oberg Hanf, and Johanna Doty with guest singer Veikko Harola from Finland.
     Ameriikan Poijat, or Boys of America (loosely translated) is a brass septet made up of professional third-generation American Finns. In 1990, the group was formed by Paul Niemistö to revive the relatively unknown music tradition of the Finnish Brass Septet. Their music evolves around the old music and dance arrangements. Ameriikan Poijat members include: Russell Pesola, Marko Foss, Denise Pesola, Brian Borovsky, Tracey Gibbens, Paul Niemisto and Roger Gomoll.

The Northern Stars

Pasi Cats

Thur, 7 – 11 pm, Northern Stars and Pasi Cats
Harborside Ballroom, DANCE
     The Northern Stars is a family band that originated in Virginia, Minn. and has performed dances and festivals for over 30 years. The group features Finnish and Scandinavian dance music recorded by Viola Turpeinen, Walter Eriksson, and Veikko Ahvenainen. Today, the family members of the Northern Stars includes Joan Aho on drums with her children Terri Aho Lehr on violin, mandolin and drums, Taippo Aho on drums and guitar, and Teresa Aho Thums on accordion, violin, and vocals. Kristiina, Joan’s 11 year-old granddaughter will perform on the violin and sing in Finnish. Artist and musician, Teresa Bulen on guitar will join the group.
     Pasi Cats is a Finnish dance band from Michigan’s Copper Country. Pasi Lautala, a grad student at Michigan Technical University is joined by Mike LaBeau, Bob Hiltunen, Keith Rintala, Oren Tikkanen. The band plays Finnish dance music from the 1940s to today including waltzes, jenkka and hummpa.

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Thur, 7 – 9 pm, “Finnish Films —
Erkki Määttänen Documentaries”
Meeting Room 202, FILMS
     Erkki Määttänen has been making documentaries for the Finnish Broadcasting company for 30 years. He has made 80 short and feature-length documentaries all over the world. Määttänen’s films have been shown at film festivals in USA, Canada, Europe and Russia. Recently, Määttänen has completed more than 10 stories about Finnish-Americans in the UP-area. FinnFest 2008 will show a variety of Määttänen’s documentaries filmed in Minn., Wisc. and Mich. during the last eight years.

Thur, 7 - 8:30 pm, Three Finnish One Act Plays
Douglas County Historical Society, 1101 John Avenue, Superior, Wisc., Advance tickets only. $10
     Gurley and the Finn, by David Brunet, is about the famous labor organizer Elizabeth Gurley Flynn who came to the Mesabi Iron Range in 1916 to organize a strike and to help create a labor union for miners. When she was arrested it was discovered that she wasn’t the notorious Gurley Flynn but rather a young Finnish woman whose husband was a miner. The Strike, by Kathy Laakso, is about ore dock men, many of whom were Finnish immigrants, who were crushed beneath rail cars. The story of a strike and its resolution unfolds the true story of workers’ - especially the Finns’ - involvement with the radical anti-capitalist I.W.W. and their protest against the Great Northern Railway. Not Red, Just a Little Pink by Dan Reed has been performed troughout Minn. It delves into issues of Finnish-American workers by looking at two men with differing political ideas and viewpoints.

Thur, 7 – 8:30 pm, “Finnish One Acts; The Search for Väinämöinen”
Teatro Zuccone, Renegade Comedy Theatre, 222 East Superior St., Duluth, Advance tickets only. $15/$12.
Call (218) 722-6775 or (888) 722-6627
www.RenegadeComedy.org
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Thur, 7:30 – 10 pm, “Gala Concert”
with emcee Kip Peltoniemi
Auditorium, MUSIC (doors open at 6:30 pm),
$15 for Advance Tickets and Tickets Sold at the Door
     The Gala concert will include performances by popular FinnFest musicians, featuring Master of Ceremonies Kip Peltoniemi, the Arrowhead Chorale, Katirilli Finnish Folk Dancers, Ameriikan Poijat, The Third Generation, Nyt Naura, Ulla and Carlos, Veteli Boys’ Choir, Zingara with Marjatta and Tero Airas, Jyrki Myllärinen and Folke Gräsbeck, Saana, Singing Strings, Richard Koski/Carl Rahkonen and Band’o.
     Kip Peltoniemi is an accordionist, song writer, story teller and comedian who sings original and traditional songs about Finnish-American and northern Minn. culture. He tells tales about fictional and historical subjects and plays Finnish fiddle tunes on two and three row button accordions. The Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s largest newspaper, named his CD Minnesota Tango the best folk music in 2001.
     Duluth’s Arrowhead Chorale, conducted by Stanley Wold, is a professional group of select vocal artists that brings fine performances to the region. Its repertoire spans five centuries of Western Music traditions, sacred and secular, folksong and artsong, opera chorus and vocal jazz, music with humorous texts and occasional full operetta performances. They will perform a selection of Finnish songs.
     The Katirilli Finnish Folk Dancers of California represented Finland at the 1984 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremonies in Los Angeles. Members include Finnish immigrants, Finnish Americans, and others. The group has performed in California, at FinnFests in the U.S. and Australia, and in Finland, including Kaustinen.
     Ameriikan Poijat or Boys of America (loosely translated), was formed in 1990 by Paul Niemisto who, through contact with Finnish brass players, discovered this relatively-unknown musical tradition. During the past decade, modern Finnish composers and arrangers have contributed many new works to the septet. Their playing style differs from other septet players in Finland because they play with a ‘foreign accent.’ However, the more interaction they have with Finnish music colleagues, the more authentic their sound has become.
     From the 1970s to 90s, The Third Generation, a popular folk music group, recorded four albums, performed in the midwest, toured Finland twice, and appeared on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. Members include: Gregg Santa, vocal and guitar; Wesley Santa, accordian; Leonard Saari, mandolin and banjo; Johanna Santa Doty, violin; Jeanne Santa Doty, violin; and Dan Doty, bass.
     Nyt Naura “Now Laugh” with the Suomalainen Sisters is a Finnish comedy and musical trio performing comic reminiscing, hilarious folk songs and lyrics flavored entirely in English, accented with a dose of Finnish spice. The sisters, Linda Kyro, Sherry Kyro Saarinen, and Kris Kyro, will keep you laughing from start to Finnish. Their performances include a unique and interesting blend of music (some original compositions) and comical reminiscing about what it was like growing up Finnish in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
     Flutist Ulla Suokko and flamenco guitarist Carlos Revollar are a unique pair of performers. As international artists and entertainers, Ulla and Carlos use music and stories to create an inimitable musical alchemy of north and south. Finnish folk songs flirt with the fire of flamenco and sway smoothly in Latin rhythms. The Manhattan-based, prize-winning duo Ulla & Carlos received a standing ovation from a packed house in its official New York debut in Carnegie Hall in the Artists International Special Presentation Winners Series in February 2008 and will perform a New York recital in next season’s Artists International Alumni Winners Series.
     The Veteli Boys’ Choir was founded in 1985 by Simo Kangas who continues as the choir’s director. The repertoire of the Veteli Boys’ Choir mainly consists of typical music for boys’ choirs, Piae Cantiones, spiritual or religious tunes, Finnish folk songs and larger choir works.
     Zingara performs a variety of programs which include Finnish folk songs in new arrangements, gypsy songs in Finnish and gypsy languages and classical Finnish concerts and contemporary music. Strong emotions, dance, and virtuosity are distinctive features of their performances. The group includes: Marjatta Airas, vocal and dance soloist, Tero Airas, cellist, and Jyrki Myllärinen, virtuoso guitarist. 
     Saana Ensemble is a quintet of women from the Twin Cities who grew up in Finland. Their repertoire ranges from folk and dance tunes to sacred hymns and contemporary music, both acappella and accompanied by guitar, accordion, clarinet, mandolin, recorder, piano, and percussion. Saana released their first CD in Spring 2007. The singers, Elina Kala, Sari Rönnholm, Ulla Tervo-Desnick, Elina Ruppert and Eeva Savolainen, will be joined by Tyler Kaiser, a guitarist from Duluth.
     Singing Strings is a group of talented young violinists directed by Helinä Leino Pakola and Hilpi Leino Kantola. Founded in 1984, they have performed folk and classical numbers all over the world. Highlight performances have been at the White House “Christmas Celebration,” Finnish Embassy in Washington D.C., several embassies in foreign countries, and numerous FinnFests in this country. Singing Strings creates “performances which promote an increasing exposure to, and an understanding of, diverse cultural expressions.”
     Richard Koski is well known for his traditional Finnish dance music played on one and two diatonic button accordions. He and Carl Rahkonen, an Ethnomusicologist skilled in old time fiddle music, are preserving this old-time music. They blend their creative talents on the accordion and fiddle through harmony, improvisation and complex rhythms.
     Band’o is a family trio from southern Finland representing fresh new original songs by multi-talented sisters, Jemina and Selina Sillanpää. Selina plays the guitar, fiddle and tin whistle and Jemina plays the fiddle. The rhythmic pulse is derived from their father Seppo’s acoustic guitar and various other stringed instruments. The trio’s repertoire is a combination of modern acoustic folk, bluegrass, country and original compositions and has Finnish, Celtic, East European and American folk music influences.

Kip Peltoniemi

Arrowhead Chorale

Ameriikan Poijat

The Third Generation

Suomalainen Sisters

Ulla & Carlos

Veteli Boys' Choir

Zingara Quartet

Richard Koski

Saana

Singing Strings

Carl Rahkonen

Band'o

Jyrki Myllärinen	Marjatta Airas	Tero Airas	Folke Gräsbeck

Katirilli

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Thur, 9 pm, “Finnish Films — Cuckoo”
Meeting Room 202, FILMS
     Cuckoo (Kukushka) is a 2002 film directed by Aleksandr Rogozhkin that takes place during World War II from the perspective of opposing Russian and Finnish soldiers stranded at a Sami woman’s farmhouse. 103 minutes.

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