We live in a small beautiful village in Northern Sweden. It is very quiet. This would suit artists who would like to get close to nature and away from mass tourism. The nature here is beautiful and peaceful with pine forests and lakes.
There are about 60 people living in here. Muodoslompolo is ideally located, benefiting from the quiet of Sweden and the close proximity to Pallas and Olos fells in Finland. It is possible to hike and cross-country ski there, if wanting to follow marked tracks. The nearest small town is Muonio, in Finland, at 15km away. Although there is small shop in Muodoslomplo, which runs services of post and pharmacy, car is very useful in the region.
The history of the House
The house is called Arbetsstugan (=house of work). The house was originally built as a boarding school where children from surrounding villages would come to stay and learn handcrafts. It was built in 1924. There are several similar houses in Sweden. They were a sort of practical schools, where poor children were taught handcraft (carpentry, tailoring, shoemaking, basket, carpet, and textile work, etc.), the purpose of combating idleness, poverty and begging. The children received meals for their work. Originally they had even a small monetary reward for homework from the cottage.
The Arbetsstugan continued to be used as a school until recent times, when it was owned by the village and used as a place for meetings and gatherings. It was eventually sold due to the declining population.
How to Arrive
If arriving in Finland, Muonio is the nearest town and serviced by bus from Rovaniemi and Kittilä. Kittilä in Finland is the nearest airport. If arriving in Sweden, Pajala is the nearest town and serviced by bus from Luleå and Kiruna.
How to apply
Send an email to Maria Huhmarniemi () and tell us when you would like to stay with us and what kind of workshop space you need for your artistic work.
A Home and an Art and Art Education Centre
Today the building has become a home and a center for art and art education events. We have family with two small children and two cats living in the house. We arrange occasionally some art and art education events in the house and in the garden. Look at the documentation in our Facebook site!
Acommodation in the basic Summer Cabins
In the summer we can host artits from May to the beginning of September, in the small cabins located next to the main house. Both cabins have two bunk beds, thus there is a place to stay for four people in each. It is possible to cook in the cabin: there is fridge and a stove. They also have a small bathroom. The shower is located in the one end of the cabins. The cabins are suitable for example for artists with a family.
Artists can stay a period from one week to several weeks.
Artists will be able to use studio space for working inside the main house. The old classrooms are suitable for visual arts, dance and similar activities that don´t need air conditioning.
We charge 120€ per week, for one cabin. The cost includes the use of Internet, bed linens and the possibility to use bikes and washing machine.
The host: Maria Huhmarniemi
In my work as an installation artist, I engage with questions concerning the North, multiculturalism and communality as well as environmental issues such as the relationship between people and nature and environmental responsibility. I make use of old objects and textiles in my work, as well as recycled and natural materials. I knit and crochet, collect and assemble, chat with people and document these chats. My works are installations. They are tied to space or place, whether in galleries or in the outdoors.
I live party in the Arbetsstugan-house of my husband, and partly in Rovaniemi, where I work as a University lecturer. I have a Doctoral degree in Art. I also work as chairperson in Artists´Association of Lapland.
