Art All Year Around
You can enjoy art year-round in various rotating exhibitions. Art is offered at the Raahesali Lobby Gallery and Galleria Myötätuuli at the Raahe Event House, Praati – the Living Room of Services, as well as libraries in Raahe, Vihanti, and Pyhäjoki.
During the summer, art is also displayed on the streets of Raahe in the form of a summer street gallery, as well as at the Annala Museum.
At the shops of Kuutos-Tiimi and Raahe’s Taitopaja, you can purchase local art, handicrafts, and gifts for friends.
Two Significant Sculpture Parks
You can find a unique destination for art lovers, the sculptor Matti Lepistö’s Sculpture Park, in Pattijoki. The prolific artist Matti Lepistö, who worked with various techniques, became especially known for his concrete sculptures. Over the years, his private sculpture park in his yard in Pattijoki has grown to include nearly 300 sculptures.
On a beautiful summer day, it's worth heading to the sculptor Kari Juva’s Sculpture Park in Raahe's Raatihuoneenpuisto, which features 19 works. This charming and lush artistic experience showcases sculptures framed beautifully by flowers.
Other Notable Statue Attractions
In Pekkatori Square, in Old Town Raahe, you will find the statue of Count Per Brahe, the founder of the town of Raahe, affectionately known by the townspeople as Pekka.
The Statue of President Urho Kaleva Kekkonen is located in Raahe. President Kekkonen played a significant role in the development of the Siika-Pyhäjoki area. He notably influenced the establishment of the Rautaruukki steel factory in Raahe.
In front of the Sovelius House on Rantakatu stands the statue of August Maximilian Myhrberg, erected in 1931. Myhrberg was born in the Sovelius House in 1797 and is known for his involvement in various wars and struggles, always siding with the oppressed.
The Miner Statue, located in Raahe, was created by the artist trio Rauli and Raine Körkkö and Veikko Laakso. The central figure of the statue is a driller, who represents the elite of the mine both in skills and achievements. The driller figure and the massive stone surrounding him strikingly depict the mine as a work environment.
In Siikajoki, there is the Bark Puller Statue, which portrays the gatherers of willow used in tanning leather. The statue was made by Martti Väänänen. The bark was stripped from willows by entire families, tied into large bundles, and carried on the shoulder. The bark was mainly delivered to Åström's leather factories in Oulu. Bark stripping provided crucial additional income for landless people and small farmers.
The Defender statue, sculpted by Johannes Haapasalo (1880-1965) from Mikkeli, adorns Härkätori Park. Completed in 1908, the statue depicts the period of oppression: one hand defends, raised to protect the head. In the other hand, the man grasps a stone, ready to throw it at the attacker.
The City’s Voice sculpture stands proudly in Raahe harbor. Artist Minna Jatkola constructed the statue from stainless steel cylinders of various sizes, which channel the sounds of the city like wind chimes. The themes of wind and steel symbolize the city of Raahe. They converge in the maritime and industrial history of Raahe, located on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, as sailing ships used for transportation were moved by the wind. At one time, Raahe had Finland's largest fleet of sailing ships, comprising a total of 60 vessels. Later, the maritime city became an industrial town, home to the Rautaruukki steel mill.