Free Art School


Free Art School is an independent art school in Helsinki, Finland, founded in 1935. The school specializes in painting and is known for its emphasis on artistic freedom and individual development. Since 1990, it has been located at the Cable Factory, a major cultural centre in the Ruoholahti district of Helsinki.
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History

The Free Art School was established at the end of 1934 on the initiative of art patron Maire Gullichsen and opened in January 1935. Gullichsen aimed to create an art school in Helsinki similar to the free academies of Paris — open to everyone and free from rigid academic curricula. She was dissatisfied with the traditional Finnish teaching methods of the time, which often began with copying plaster casts.
The school opened its doors on 15 January 1935 in a studio at Eteläranta 14. It soon moved to Ullanlinnankatu 1, and in 1937, to larger premises on Kasarminkatu, in an industrial building owned by A. Ahlström Oy. The school remained there until 1990, when it relocated to the Cable Factory.
In 1971, a four-year study programme leading to a professional qualification in painting was introduced.

Studies

The school offers a four-year program focused on painting. Teaching is studio-based, emphasizing observation, colour and form studies, individual artistic development, and critical reflection on the artist's role in contemporary society.

Admission

The student selection process at the Free Art School consists of two stages. First-year painting students are admitted each spring through a preparatory painting course. Admission is based on an assessment of the works produced during the course, as well as the applicant's artistic progress and motivation. Advancement to the second year is determined by the student's performance during the first year.

Open courses

The Free Art School offers art courses open to the general public. These include life drawing courses held during the autumn and spring terms, an intensive drawing course, and a watercolor painting course. Intensive courses last one weekend, while other courses meet once a week for ten sessions.

Distinctive features of teaching

The Free Art School is distinguished by its strong emphasis on painting. The teaching aims to provide students with a profound experience of visual perception and the expressive potential of colour, supporting the development of each student's individual artistic expression. While the school maintains an open attitude toward various forms of art, its instruction remains centered on its primary discipline: painting.

Selected publications

  • Josef Albers, Värien vuorovaikutus, Vapaa Taidekoulu, 1978. ISBN 951-95982-3-5.
  • Hans Hofmann, Esseitä, Vapaa Taidekoulu, 1983. ISBN 951-99353-2-0.
  • Josef Albers, Taito nähdä, Vapaa Taidekoulu, 1985. ISBN 951-99619-0-9.
  • Tor Arne, Carolus Enckell, Markku Komonen, Seppo Niinivaara, Juhani Pallasmaa, Näkemisen kentät, Vapaa Taidekoulu, 1985. ISBN 951-95982-0-0.
  • Agnes Martin, Hiljaisuus taloni lattialla, Vapaa Taidekoulu, 1990. ISBN 951-95982-1-9.
  • Ad Reinhardt, Taide taiteena, Vapaa Taidekoulu, 1995. ISBN 951-95982-4-3.
  • Pekka Hepoluhta, Carolus Enckell, Reijo Viljanen, Juhani Pallasmaa, Juan Antonio Muro, Voisitko nähdä näin, Vapaa Taidekoulu, 2011. ISBN 978-951-95982-6-0.
  • Meri Karppanen, Elina Merenmies, Satu Metsola, Juhani Pallasmaa, Magnus Quaife, Riikka Stewen, Juha-Heikki Tihinen. Edited by Pirkko Tuukkanen, Vapaa Taidekoulu | Fria Konstskolan | Free Art School: Teaching Painting for 90 Years, Vapaa Taidekoulu & HAM Helsinki Art Museum, 2025. ISBN 978-952-7611-01-2.