Rakel's Salon

The salon, decorated in the spirit of the 1920s, features Rakel Kansanen's much sought-after collection from the early 20th century. In the salon you can sit down to browse art books and spend time with works by Ilmari Aalto and Tyko Sallinen, for example. The exhibition serves as a permanent overview of the treasures in the Kansanen collection, and the exhibition combines public work and events around visual art.

Lyyli Elisabeth Kansanen, or Rakel Kansanen (1888-1949), born in Leppävirta, amassed a unique collection of art during her lifetime. In 1947, she bequeathed 14 works from her art collection to Varkauden kauppala in memory of her father, Pekka Kansanen. The collection was later added to by relatives, including Eli Toivola, the wife of his son Joel Toivola.