The 2010 Minneapolis Arts Commission’s Award for Community Involvement in Public Art was given to Reynaldo Diaz and Connie Beckers for their project “Awakening,” a stained glass window that celebrates the plants and animals of Loring Park. They received the award during a ceremony at the Uptown Art Fair Friday, August 6, 2010. Commissioned by Friends of Loring Park, the window is installed at the Loring Park Community Arts Center.

For a very thoughtful perspective about how the City of Minneapolis ranks nationally in its funding of the arts, read Minnesota Public Radio’s Marianne Combs State of the Arts blog post: Minneapolis bestows awards to artists, but no cash.

So while I am back on Minnesota soil, I will be writing more in the next few weeks about the Minneapolis-Kuopio Sister City relationship, the Kuopio Housing Fair and perhaps a few more of the three thousand photos I took on this trip. (I wonder how many photos I would have taken if I had to lug around 35 mm film rolls?)

Stay tuned!

Just a few years ago he purchased a sail boat on the Gulf of Mexico through on Ebay … fixed it up, took one amazing sail adventure with my youngest brother, Ray, off the Texas coast. After spending more than a month on the Gulf fixing the boat up, he sold it at a slight profit … allowing him to buy another sail boat closer to home that he can take out on the Minnesota lakes. He is also building a river houseboat … and we’re all yearning for him to complete construction! (He estimates that he has about a year’s work left before he and my mother, Ruth, can be on their way down the Mississippi River.)

With all that said … spending a day cruising the scenic Finnish lakes between Kuopio and Savonlinna makes me think that perhaps I have a passion for boating in my genes!

It’s unseasonably hot here in Finland. On Monday I thought I was going to melt in the city center of Kuopio … so spending nearly 11 hours on the lakes was the most perfect way to spend a hot midsummer day.

The scenery reminds me of Minnesota … except that the lakes and forrest of Finland are much more vast. All along the coast line there are beautiful summer cabins (and saunas) nestled among the pines and birch. Many folks in Finland are on summer vacation, so we saw people swimming and boating along the entire route.

I particularly like how friendly the Finns are on the open water. Everyone … and I mean EVERYONE … waves to each other! (I find the Finns to be a bit more reserved on the roads and walking paths in the cities.) There’s something about water that brings everyone together.

What follows are some of my most favorite photos … selected from hundreds that I still have to review and edit!

As a graphic designer, I am intrigued by the signs I see when I travel to another country. Lisa and I encountered several variations of  ”no dogs allowed” signs … basically consisting of an “X” over the image of a dog. The image is practical, but for a dog lover, it creates an emotional response. (And in all fairness, how many of us know that “koira” means dog in Finnish?)

It has taken a lot of work on the part of dog lovers to make Minneapolis a more “dog friendly” city … with its off-leash parks and allowing well-behaved dogs in sidewalk cafes.

During a walk around the small lake Iso-Valkeinen in the center of Kuopio, I saw a few beautiful dogs enjoying a stroll with their owners around the lake.

Have you heard of the Sac-O-Mat? It’s a great way to encourage citizens to pick up after their dogs.

Near the end of my walk yesterday, I encountered the most engaging sign of all. Can you tell what it means?

A) Bad dog! You made me drop my doughnut!

B) Look, dog, look! Food!

C) Wait, dog, wait! I must find a Sac-O-Mat and clean up your mess!

Guest post by Lisa Goodman ..

After wonderful meeting with the Mayor of Koupio and a formal dinner at Koupio City Hall complete with speeches, gift exchanges and the formal welcome we were off to the Finish Housing Fair bright and early Wednesday morning.

In Finland, much like the rest of Europe, breakfast is the big meal of the day and this breakfast did not disappoint.  Although I am never “hungry” at 7:45 am, the offering of Finish rye bread, eggs, meat and cheese, fruit, cereal and the various forms of caffeine to taste we were off.

The housing fair is basically a city-sponsored parade of homes, highlighting what is new and unique about design and Finish homebuilding.  We traveled there by boat as Kuopio is a city on a peninsula surrounded by lakes and one of the main ways to reach each part of the city is by boat.

The main themes are sustainability, energy and health options in new design.  Thirty-nine homes were built by the private sector and all have been sold.  Housing is very expensive in Finland and these homes were no exception with prices ranging from $300,000 to $1 million plus for home on the main lake.  Saunas are a big part of Finish culture and each home had one or more indoor or outdoor saunas as well as the latest in interior design.  Rooms tend to be small, staircases narrow, closets almost non existant by US standards.

One of the most unique planning features is that even homes across the street from the lake have great lake views as no home is allowed to be placed on a lot without consideration of the view shed of the home behind it.  The homes rarely have garages, all public spaces is built first and the beautiful parks, public buildings and schools and even shops have already been built so after the fair ends each family can move into their new home and new neighborhood without the noise and inconvenience of more construction.

The main highlight of the day was the traditional Finish Sauna and dinner hosted at the Jätkänkämppä, which is translated as Lumberjacks’ Lodge.  I must admit I was a bit apprehensive about the concept of a sauna and a dip in the lake, naked, with a bunch of people I met yesterday and I even brought my bathing suit just in case modesty overwhelmed me.  Truth be told the smoke sauna was the best experience yet in Finland and the dip in the lake between trips in and out of the intense heat was just like a dip in the lake back home.

The smoke sauna, called this due to the smoke allowed to filter in instead of out of the sauna room, was a really hot experience in an already hot environment.  After no more then 10 minutes of sweat a break is had and everyone leaves the beautiful old lodge building and jumps into the lake outside the door.  Then back into the heat for another round and back to the heat.  This process repeats itself as long as you can handle it.  I lasted longer then most which was a surprises even to myself.

After the sauna the tradition is to drink a glass or two of beer and then on to dinner.  By now the sun was still shining, it was 9:30 at night and I was ready to have a bite to eat as was everyone in our group.  Traditional Finish fair was the menu and items such as Vendance pie, kind of a smoked fish wrapped in rye bread, Baltic herring and an interesting mushroom salad, which one can only eat without being poisoned after a certain amount of cooking, were among the offerings.  A wonderful accordion player and singer entertained us while we ate, Karl has video posted today, and everyone who wished joined in the singing mainly depending on how much one drank after the sauna and during dinner.

All in all a wonderful cultural experience and learned a lot, too.

It’s late as I write this … nearly midnight … following an amazing day in Tallinn, Estonia, with Lisa Goodman. The ferry trip across the Gulf of Finland takes just under two hours one way … and once we stepped foot into the old city, we were enchanted. Lisa’s summed it up best as we walked around on the cobblestone streets: “Tallinn is a jewel box city!”

Here are some highlights from today!

This jet-lagged traveler dutifully went to bed at 10 p.m. last night … to make sure that I adjusted as quickly as possible to the eight-hour time difference between Helsinki and Minneapolis. However, at 2:30 a.m. I was up … wide awake … and snapped this view from my hotel window.

As I mentioned before in this blog, the “midnight sun” intrigues me … and while the sun does set in Helsinki (the Arctic Circle is still a ways away from here), dusk and dawn meld into one this time of year.

By 4:15 a.m. I decided to take a little walk … and to buy some orange juice … near the Central Train Station. (Clock tower, below.) The sidewalks around the station were filled with young people leaving the night clubs, buying food from street vendors … and gathering at a few late-night sidewalk cafes. I remember the days when I used to stay up all night in a new city … soaking in the night life. I am much happier today getting a good night’s sleep, and this stroll was just what I needed to get back to sleep by 5 a.m.