During the week of February 3-7, Musicians Institute and the Consulate General Finland in Los Angeles are proud to display the work of Finnish photographer Pertti Nurmi.
In an exhibit titled "Thirty Years of Blues Photography: African-American Blues Artists in Finland 1972-2002", Mr. Nurmi presents photos of dozens of great American blues artists, ranging from such figures as B.B. King and Buddy Guy to Johnny Shines and Gatemouth Brown. The exhibit is co-sponsored by Ilkka Rantamaki (a Musicians Institute graduate who is Regional Artist of Central Finland) as well as the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Arts Council of Finland and the JamSession Blues Festival.
For decades, Scandinavia has been the site of world-renowned blues and jazz festivals featuring top-name American talent performing before enthusiastic and highly knowledgeable audiences. In 2003, MI co-sponsored the first annual JamSession Blues Festival in Jamsa, Finland, at which Mr.Nurmi's work was also shown. Since the early '70s, he has officially photographed many of the major festivals in Scandinavia for Finland's most highly respected blues publication, Blues News. His work has been exhibited throughout the region, and his show at MI will be preceded by a similar display at the 55 Bar in New York City.
The official opening for the exhibit will take place on Wednesday, February 4 at 7:00 PM in the display space at Musicians Institute's Passage Performance Center, located at 6750 Hollywood Boulevard between Highland Avenue and McCadden Place. Mr.Nurmi will be present, and entertainment will be provided by Finnish guitarist/singer Erja Lyytinen. Hours of display are between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM (the room is an active performance space, so activities will be taking place in the space at certain times during display hours).
If you wish to attend the opening, RSVP to Mirja Covarrubias (310-203-0063; Mirja.Covarrubias@formin.fi).