Today, 1 October, we celebrate the European Day of Foundations and Donors. The aim of the day is to highlight the work that foundations do for the common good – work whose impact can be seen all around us in many ways.

One of foundations’ main strengths is their long-term outlook. Their job is to serve a social purpose. In Finland, foundations support science, the arts, culture, and civic engagement. They also maintain museums, collections, archives, and other cultural and educational spaces that are open to all.

At our museum, we see the foundation’s work in action every day. The Aboa Vetus Ars Nova Foundation’s mission is to preserve Finnish cultural heritage and support the arts. This involves, for example, preserving historical structures and archaeological finds, curating our art collection, and organising new exhibitions of contemporary art.

Our Foundation’s work connects the past with the future: we preserve what tells us about our history, while also creating space for new art, ideas, and encounters. After the Day of Foundations, our attention immediately turns to the new: tomorrow, 2 October, the exhibitions by Laura Dahlberg and Liisi Beckmann open at Ars Nova.

Photo: Tuomas Keränen.