Museum Foundation
History of the Foundation
The Gallen-Kallela Museum is maintained by the Akseli Gallen-Kallela Museum Foundation sr. Registered in 1958, the foundation's mission is to preserve the art and life's work of Akseli Gallen-Kallela and to promote public interest in it.
The foundation was established by Kirsti Gallen-Kallela-Väisänen, Pirkko Gallen-Kallela and Aivi Gallen-Kallela, The Kalevala Society Foundation and the Finnish Cultural Foundation Support Association (Suomen Kulttuurirahaston Kannatusyhdistys ry). The museum's art and cultural history collection was donated by Kirsti Gallen-Kallela-Väisänen and Pirkko and Aivi Gallen-Kallela. The museum's current art and cultural history collections, which are of national and international importance, have been built up through donations from Kaari Raivio, Olavi and Ritva Kauranen and other private individuals and organisations.
Foundation Today
The foundation's operations have developed significantly in recent years. The museum's current strategy and vision 2030: Gallen-Kallela Museum is an oasis of knowledge and experiences of the artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela, which preserves cultural heritage and generates well-being. The museum's operations are ecologically sustainable.
The foundation manages the museum's collections, develops the museum's operations and also maintains unique, protected properties: the Tarvaspää artist's studio house (museum building), Villa Linudden and the Akseli Gallen-Kallela's traditional smoke sauna. The foundation preserves the cultural and historical heritage of the museum site. Museum garden and areas around the museum building are valuable parts of the museum visitors experience and museum aims to protect areas biodiversity. The museum site and its properties are protected by the Building Protection Act. The entire museum area with its buildings has been inventoried as a built cultural environment of national importance by the Finnish Heritage Agency.
The museum foundation is governed by a Board of Directors, which in 2025-26 will include:
President: Johanna Piisi, CEO
Vice-President: Jaana Jalonen, CEO
Tuomas Aho, lawyer
Antti Linnovaara, kulttuurineuvos (Finnish honorary title)
Maaria Märkälä, artist
Tuulikki Terho, rakennusneuvos (Finnish honorary title)
Laura Riuttanen, University Lecturer
Markku Valkonen, art historian.
Browse Our Collections
Finna is a joint search service for Finnish museums, libraries and archives that brings together the materials of hundreds of domestic operators under one search.
Find out more about the museum's collection by clicking on this link.
Correspondence between Akseli Gallen-Kallela and Johannes Öhquist in Finna.
Explore Our Photo Collection on Flickr
The museum has published wide collection of images from the Akseli Gallen-Kallela's photo collection on Flickr.
Gallen-Kallela Museum
Situated in the Tarvaspää studio castle, which was designed and built by the artist Akseli Gallen‑Kallela (1865–1931), the museum presents changing exhibitions that explore the art and life of Gallen‑Kallela and his contemporaries, as well as contemporary art. The museum offers a rich programme of events and activities and serves as a central source of information on Akseli Gallen‑Kallela.
Come and discover both the familiar and the previously unseen sides of Akseli Gallen‑Kallela.