MISSION
The mission of the Finland + United States Cultural Alliance (FINUS) is to promote & produce intercultural exchange and learning opportunities through the arts between Finland and the United States. FINUS fosters mutual learning, social, creative and personal development through shared experiences. We have three main goals:

Expanding the understanding of Finland's diverse art culture through the promotion of Finnish arts and artists in the United States

Supporting the cross-fertilization between the art and culture worlds of the United States and Finland

Promoting the broader aspects of Finnish culture in the United States and American (USA) culture in Finland

Our mission is accomplished by bringing together artists from the United States and Finland on a regular basis to learn from each other and benefit from their respective artistic and cultural experiences. Through collaborations with participating schools, galleries and museums FINUS provides educational programs and events open to the public. These shared networks and opportunities ultimately form and strengthen unique relationships and collaborations among artists and cultural entities in both countries.

ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAMMING
FINUS has a rich arts & culture program tailored to a variety of audiences in both Finland and the United States. This programming is multi layered with strong educational, design and experimental arts components showcasing new and emerging artists.

Our 3 recurring annual core events [FINUS Annual Benefit / FINUS Capital Artist Exchange / FINUS Arts Expo] described below. In addition our core events FINUS will develop "special" programming in the United States and Finland on an annual basis.

ANNUAL CORE EVENTS
1) FINUS Annual Benefit
An annual benefit held for FINUS supporters, members, directors and staff. This event raises operational funds and provides an opportunity to deliver our annual report and discuss the organizational direction for the year.

2) FINUS-HIAP RESIDENCY PROGRAM
The FINUS Capital Artist Exchange is an annual exchange and residency program between the cities of Helsinki, Finland and Washington DC, USA. The program covers expenses for an artist from each city to have a one-month of residency and artistic programs in their sister city. This exchange provides opportunities for artists to share perspectives and learn from each other through formal and informal programming throughout the month. These learning opportunities promote a mutual understanding and respect for the unique arts and culture of each country while developing a broader creative space for future collaboration. [click here for more]

3) FINUS Capital Exchange Expo
The FINUS Capital Exchange Expo provides a venue for the competing artists that are not accepted into the residency program to showcase their works in Washington DC or Helsinki. Though minimal in scope, this expo provides additional avenues for the exposure of the artist's work internationally.