Welcome to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Riihimäki Art Museum with cake and coffee on March 26th.

24.3.2025 News Culture and leisure Welfare and health Wellness Culture The Museum Center Riemu Museums Art

Helene Schjerfbeck's painting, Azalea, c. 1910, oil on panel. — Helene Schjerfbeck, Azalea, c. 1910, oil on panel. Collection of Tatjana and Pentti Wähäjärvi. Photo: Heikki Tuuli.

The Riihimäki Art Museum opened to the public 30 years ago, on Sunday, March 26, 1995. The ceremonial opening ceremony was attended by the then President of the Republic, Martti Ahtisaari, and Mrs. Eeva Ahtisaari. The opening speech was given by the Minister of Finance, Iiro Viinanen.

The city's residents are now welcome to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Riihimäki Art Museum with cake and coffee at Riemu Museums (Temppelikatu 8) on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, starting at 11 a.m.! There will also be festive art buckets for party guests! Cake and buckets will be available while supplies last. In addition, Riemu Museums has free admission all day from 11 a.m. to 17 p.m. Come and enjoy art with a bucket sale!

Riihimäki Art Museum and Riihimäki City Museum merged under one roof on January 1, 2024. The joint name chosen was Riemu Museums.

The museum originated from Pentti Wähäjärvi's art collection.

The establishment of the art museum was made possible by art dealer and collector Pentti Wähäjärvi, who donated his extensive art collection to the city of Riihimäki in 1993 with his wife Tatjana Wähäjärvi. The museum's creation is based on the Wähäjärvi's significant life's work and the presentation, preservation and research of their collection.

The Wähäjärvi collection is significant in terms of art history and offers a diverse overview of Finnish art from the first half of the 1900th century. The collection includes works by Helene Schjerfbeck, Ellen Thesleff, Tyko Sallinen, Jalmari Ruokokoski, Ester Helenius, Eero Nelimarka, Marcus Collin and Elga Sesemann. The collection also includes 1800th-century Russian icons and Asian antiques.

The value and scope of the collection created the need to establish an art museum 30 years ago, and suitable premises were sought for it. The goal was to find a place that would enable the presentation of the collection and at the same time support the activities of a modern art museum, such as changing exhibitions, art education, research, public outreach, lectures, concerts and events. A suitable space was found in the state office building on Temppelikatu, where the premises previously used by Posti were renovated to be suitable for the art museum.

Welcome to celebrate with us!

Discover Riemu museums here.