New People on the Line

Erja Saaranen, Marianna Penttilä, Karolina Ajanki and Laura Holm are the new faces of the Taidetestaajat team.

Due to the organizational changes and other personnel shifts at the Finnish Association of Children’s Cultural Centers, four new employees joined the Art Testers program in August.

Marianna Penttilä from Tampere has been selected as the new communications and events coordinator for the Art Testers. Penttilä has built her career in marketing and communications at Särkänniemi and is now transitioning to communicate about different kinds of experiences in her new role at the Finnish Association of Children’s Cultural Centers.

“In the Art Testers communicator role, my passion for creating responsible experiences merges with organizational and event communications. Additionally, it fulfilled my long-standing dream of stepping into the arts sector. The first days at work have been intense with so much to learn, but the warm work community and well-functioning organization have made the transition easier,” says Penttilä.

The new coordinators selected in the spring, Erja Saaranen, Karolina Ajanki, and Laura Holm, also started their new roles in August. All the new coordinators are experienced professionals in the cultural and educational sectors.

Erja Saaranen from Ilmajoki has worked as a teacher for many years and has participated in the Art Testers visits with her eighth-grade students in the role of a teacher. “I’ve been satisfied with how easy art testing has been from the school’s perspective. It has been interesting to start getting to know the work that makes these art experiences possible year after year,” says Saaranen. She coordinates visits in South Ostrobothnia and Satakunta.

Helsinki-based Karolina Ajanki previously worked on cultural education programs for primary and secondary education as a cultural planner for the City of Espoo. “During the first days of work, it has been interesting to dive into how the Art Testers entity is built from small details. I have been impressed by the fantastic team, and the primary emotions have been curiosity, enthusiasm, and respect,” says Ajanki, who coordinates visits in Uusimaa together with Kaisa Järvelin.

Laura Holm from Pietarsaari has served as the museum curator for the City of Nykarleby, responsible for, among other things, the childhood home museum of Topelius, Kuddnäs, the city’s art gallery, and other cultural work.

“After the first week at the new job, I am extremely impressed by the relatively small group of cultural professionals who together drive a massive equality project for all the country’s eighth-graders. With a twinkle in their eyes and supporting each other, they assemble a huge puzzle, of which only a small part is visible to the target group,” says Holm. She coordinates visits in Åland, Central Ostrobothnia, Ostrobothnia, and Swedish-speaking schools in Uusimaa.

Due to the changes, the areas of responsibility for some of the previous coordinators have also been adjusted. Check your coordinator here and on the Contacts page!

Aino Häli: North Ostrobothnia
Anne Pelttari: Kainuu, Lapland
Erja Saaranen: South Ostrobothnia, Satakunta
Hanna Brotkin: Central Finland, Pirkanmaa
Kaisa Järvelin: Uusimaa, Kymenlaakso
Karolina Ajanki: Uusimaa
Laura Holm: Åland, Central Ostrobothnia, Ostrobothnia, Uusimaa (service in Swedish)
Laura Pitkänen: Northern Savo, South Karelia, Southern Savo, Northern Karelia
Tuula Penttilä: Kanta-Häme, Päijät-Häme, Varsinais-Suomi