Gallery Rantapaja is a gallery for contemporary jewellery. It is situated in Lappeenranta, South-East Finland, in the end of old fortress area right next to lake Saimaa, the biggest lake in Finland. The view to the blue lake gives its own atmosphere to the gallery; so does the beautiful building as well. This brick house was originally built as one of the storage houses in the harbour in 1917, and during the times it has worked as a car repair shop and a forge. Now it has been renovated to be a part of the South Carelia Polytechnic's Department of Jewellery and Stonework Design. One room functions as the gallery space.

Gallery Rantapaja operates only during the summer, from May to August. It aspires to be internationally active. Throughout its existence, since 2000, it has been showing mainly European and naturally Finnish contemporary jewellery.
Many internationally well known artists have visited Gallery Rantapaja. These include for example Esther Knobel in 2000, Doris Betz and Mona Wallström in 2001, Susan Pietzsch in 2002, Ruudt Peter's students' project Cow Now in 2003.

In addition to international visits, diploma works of students from Jewellery and Stonework Department are shown each May, as the first exhibition of the season. Showing students' and other young makers' works is important to demonstrate the different ways in which they approach jewellery as art. It also allows them to get personal contacts to other, often more published makers.

During the summer, the gallery shows at least four artists or artist groups. The exhibiting artists are mainly chosen by a gallery team that currently consists of jewellery artists Eija Mustonen, Kimmo Heikkilä and Tarja Tuupanen.
Artists are invited to send an application with pictures from latest works and a curriculum vitae. The applications are reviewed once a year. When selecting the artist, one of the most important criteria is the freshness of the works and that they are interesting in the field of contemporary jewellery.

Gallery provides invitation cards and mails them, and insures the works for the duration of exhibition and transportation back to the artist. The gallery is non-profit, so there is no rent for the gallery space, except for a 10% provision on sold works to cover expenses. The students of the school take care of visitors and look after the works during the opening hours. The gallery wishes the exhibiting artist builds up the exhibition and participates in the opening. Information and pictures from the exhibitions are also made available in web pages.

Helena Lehtinen and Tarja Tuupanen

2006

Opening hours:
Wed - fri 12 - 18
Sat - sun 12 - 15