School of Arts, Design and Architecture awards distinguished professionals
08.01.2013
The Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture held its anniversary gala on 7 January. The programme began with the exquisite opening lectures of the school’s 13 new professors and continued with speeches and other festivities.
At the gala, the Pallas Athene and the Ilmari Tapiovaara prizes were awarded, four new honorary members were welcomed and the Alumnus of the Year 2013 was named. Decorations awarded by the President of Finland were also presented.
Pallas Athene Prize awarded to journalist Pirkko Vekkeli
The School of Arts, Design and Architecture awards the Pallas Athene Prize every two years in acknowledgement of major work that has been undertaken to promote aesthetic values. This year’s award recipient was chosen by Professor Päikki Priha who justified her choice in the following words: ”Journalist Pirkko Vekkeli is a distinguished professional who has written about designers and artists, documented their life’s work in her books and taught writing skills to students of art and design in an encouraging, enthusiastic and dedicated manner.”
Ilmari Tapiovaara Prize awarded to CEO Håkan Långstedt
The Ilmari Tapiovaara Prize is awarded every two years in acknowledgement of particularly valuable creative work that has been undertaken to benefit people's local environments and the quality of industrial product culture. This year’s award recipient was chosen by Ville Kokkonen, Artek’s design director, who justified his choice in the following words: ’Håkan Långstedt works in an important field for designers: as a promoter of industrial product culture he creates new opportunities for design professionals. In the challenging and extremely competitive operating environment of design-oriented businesses, Långstedt has exhibited an understanding of the ‘spirit of the times’. Långstedt is an ambassador of design, a perfect example of how the culture sector should be represented in international style.’
Mikko Hartikainen is Alumnus of the Year 2013
Each year, the School of Arts, Design and Architecture selects an alumnus of the year in recognition of pioneering or outstanding work in the field of art, design or architecture. This year the award went to Mikko Hartikainen, a counsellor of education who has been a key contributor to the development of Finnish basic education in visual arts during the last 20 years. Last year, Hartikainen also had a significant role in including education in arts, design and architecture in the national design programme currently in the making.
Four new honorary members
Individuals who have actively supported the School of Arts, Design and Architecture or distinguished themselves in the fields it represents and other cultural activities are invited as honorary members of the School each year. At this year’s anniversary gala, four persons were bestowed with an honorary membership.
Director Reijo Kangas from Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, has supported the school and the culture it represents in a particularly valuable way through his activities at the funding agency. With his significant and substantial efforts, Kangas has furthered the launch of several technology programmes related to construction, architecture and spatial design. In his work, Kangas has encouraged schools and research institutions to develop new processes and techniques and facilitated the dissemination of new methods.
Tuula Mehtonen’s ambitious planning of film editing education and her role as a professional example to students have resulted in editing professionals who are aware of their important role in the Finnish film business. The education initiated and planned by Mehtonen supports Finnish film education and the entire film business. With the help of her extensive and varied experience, Mehtonen has laid the foundation of film editing education in Finland.
Michael Thomson has promoted the standing of design in a number of international design-related organisations. In spring 2012, the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture invited Thomson to participate in the editing work of the European Design Innovation Initiative report. Due to his experience, know-how and expertise in design policy, the material compiled by the EDII Secretariat became one of the cornerstones of the design innovation policy of the European Commission.
Kaisa Viljo worked as the amanuensis of the degree programme in industrial design at the University of Art and Design Helsinki Department of Design for approximately 20 years. Before being employed by the former University of Art and Design, Viljo was the secretary of the Finnish Association of Designers ORNAMO. During her years there, she became familiar with the art and design field and its actors.
The decorations awarded by the President of the Republic on 6 December 2012 (the Finnish Independence Day) were also presented during the event. The recipients were Tapio Vapaasalo (Knight, First Class, of the Order of the White Rose of Finland), Esa Vuorinen (Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland) and Sari Tarvainen (Medal, First Class with golden cross, of the Order of the White Rose of Finland).