Finnish Heritage Museum in Fairport Harbor to host Cleveland Institute of Art student's art exhibition

Jun. 13—A Cleveland Institute of Art student will display her works in a solo exhibition at the Finnish Heritage Museum in Fairport Harbor Village.

"Seeking Sisu: From Finland with Love" is the title of a show featuring artwork created by Gwen Putz, a printmaking major at Cleveland Institute of Art.

"Sisu" is a Finnish concept that refers to extraordinary determination, courage and firmness in the face of adversity, according to sciencedirect.com.

Putz's art exhibit will open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 15 at the Finnish Heritage Museum, which is located at 301 High St. On that same day, a reception for the display is slated from 3 to 6 p.m., and Putz will make a brief presentation at 3:30.

The artist's works will be shown alongside the museum's permanent collection. Since the museum is only open Saturdays, the final opportunity to view Putz's exhibition will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 22.

Putz soon will be starting her senior year at the Cleveland Institute of Art. She has partnered with the Finnish Heritage Museum to produce work about her family's Finnish and Karelian heritage.

That heritage includes her family's experiences during the war between Finland and Russia in the 1940s.

In addition, her work explores themes of immigration, migration and refugeeism.

Karelia is an area in Northern Europe currently divided between Finland and Russia. At the outset of World War II, Finland was attacked by the Soviet Union and ceded a large portion of Karelia via treaty — forcing hundreds of thousands of people to be relocated.

Finland soon took back this territory, but a few years later, was forced out again. This resulted in the entire population being evacuated from the region with no chance for return.

"Though my family was faced with hardship and displacement, they remained resilient. The bravery my Iso Mummi (great-grandmother), Lulu, showed during this time is something that I will always look up to and do my best to honor," Putz said. "I will never truly understand the weight of their decisions, but I will always carry their sacrifices and inspiring stories with me."

For "Seeking Sisu: From Finland, with Love," Putz found inspiration within the museum's collection and by connecting with its Finnish members.

A resident of Cleveland Heights, Putz said she first came across the Finnish Heritage Museum in Fairport Harbor while on a trip to Lake Erie.

Putz decided to reach out to the museum about a project, after she started making more work in response to her family's heritage.

"I didn't have as much of a connection to my culture as I would've liked growing up, and I thought that this would be a great opportunity to not only connect with my culture, but other Finnish-American people as well," she said.

As a starting point, Putz contacted Anne Pohto, who is in charge of genealogy records at the museum.

"I received endless excitement and support for the project I wanted to complete with the museum," Putz said. "I would visit most Saturdays leading up to this exhibition to talk with Anne and others at the museum. We'd discuss my artwork, as well as our shared heritage."

Putz said she also has enjoyed talking with museum curator Janine LaBounty.

"I have learned a lot from her about what it takes to run and maintain a museum's collection," Putz said.

LaBounty said the Finnish Heritage Museum is excited to have Putz's talents and story on exhibit.

"She brings a fresh perspective on Finland's struggle during the Winter War," LaBounty said.

For "Seeking Sisu: From Finland with Love," Putz explored a range of printmaking processes. The works she created are mainly lithographs and monotypes.

Lithography is a method of printing that uses stone or metal plates to create and print multiples of an image.

A monotype is a single print taken from an inked piece of plastic or glass. On the other hand, a monoprint forms part of a series of prints that each have some variations between them.

"Looking at cultural textiles and finding ways to understand and explore my heritage — despite being far removed by time and distance — is something I deeply tap into through the work in this exhibition," Putz said. "In the act of transcribing and transforming photographs onto lithography stones, I am not only trying to connect with my family's history, but also share this little-known history with others. Acknowledging the pain and displacement war causes serves as an example for why it is important to remember our histories."

Putz created "Seeking Sisu: From Finland with Love" through the Creativity Works program at Cleveland Institute of Art. Creativity Works is a self-initiated internship program with the goal of supporting a student's professional development.

"The work for this exhibition began in January of 2024, so I have been working on this project for about six months," she said.

Putz said "Seeking Sisu: From Finland with Love" is "an exhibition of deeply personal, but also historically referenced work."

"I've poured a lot of personal and factual research into this project, but I have also challenged myself technically in the creation of the artwork," she said.

The artist said she wants to challenge and excite viewers with new historical perspectives.

"I think anyone who loves to learn about art and history can enjoy something from this exhibition," she said.