Imatra Art Museum

Imatra Art Museum was founded in 1951 on the initiative of engineer and art collector Jalo Sihtola (1882-1969).

The Art Museum moved to Culture House Virta in 1998. The museum has a total of 600 m² of exhibition space, which is divided into collections and changing exhibition spaces. The museum focuses on Finnish visual arts and hosts around ten exhibitions a year.

The museum’s collection consists of 1600 artworks that are owned by Imatra Town and the Imatra Art Society.

Sihtola’s Imatra collection is part of Imatra Town’s collection and is of national cultural significance. This collection of nearly 400 artworks includes modernist art of the 20th century from Finland and other parts of Europe.

Nearly all the artworks in Sihtola’s Imatra collection were either donated or sold by Jalo Sihtola, or donated by the Ester and Jalo Sihtola Art foundation and by private individuals.

In addition to the artworks by distinguished Finnish painters Akseli Gallen-Kallela and Hugo Simberg, the Art Museum’s collection includes works by various artists of the early 1900s: Magnus Enckell, Verner Thomé, A. W. Finch, Yrjö Ollila, Mikko Oinonen, Juho Mäkelä, Tyko Sallinen, Eero Nelimarkka, Väinö Kamppuri, Uuno Alanko, and Wäinö Aaltonen.

The 1950s, known as the decade of Modernism, is well represented by the comprehensive collection of artworks by Tuomas von Boehm. Also included are works by Otto Mäkilä, Ole Kandelin, Tapani Raittila, Helge Dahlman, Anitra Lucander, Ina Colliander, Aimo Kanerva, Per Stenius, Olli Miettinen, Unto Pusa, Unto Koistinen, and Sam Vanni.

The collection also includes a selection of Central European artworks from the 1900s.