THE LOVELIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD –NEWS

THE LOVELIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD -EVENING IN SUOMALAINEN KIRJAKAUPPA AT OULU 1.4.

Suomalainen Kirjakauppa at Oulu Rotuaari arranges The Loveliest Girl in the World -author evening on Wednesday 1.4. at 5pm. Experiences of The Loveliest Girl in the World -photograph project is shared with pictures and words by book's author, photographer Miina Savolainen. After the occation listeners can get artist's autograph and inscription in their own The Loveliest Girl in the World -book.

THE LOVELIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD RECEIVED "THE FINEST FINNISH BOOKS IN 2008" -AWARD IN ILLUSTRATED WORKS CATEGORY

Finnish Book Arts Comittee has awarded the last year's most beautiful books at 12.3.2009. The Loveliest Girl in the World -book received the award in illustrated works category.
Board's argumentation: "This piece of art work invites instantly to leaf through the pages. It is the cornucopia of printing technology and desktop publishing. Photographs and illustrated art together bring alive fairytale dream world. Darker colourful pages makes also good point of the serious side of the subject and meaning of many years spent with this project.

DUODECIM'S BOOK ABOUT PHOTOGRAPH THERAPY IS ISSUED AT 3.2

The first Finnish written collection of articles about photograph therapy named Valokuvan terapeuttinen voima (toim. Ulla Halkola et al.), is issued at 3.2. The book contains the article of Empowering photography by Miina Savolainen.  The book is published by Duodecim.

Empowering Photography -web pages has been visited by over 65000 visitors

In the beginning of January, the number of separate visitors in our web pages (www.empoweringphotography.net) have esceeded over 65 000 visitors. Versatility of the web pages has received good feedback. E. g. teachers and social workers have found the pages useful in their work.

The Loveliest Girl in the World -art book has been published

The art book The Loveliest Girl in the World has been published in 12.12.2008. The book has sold exceptionally well and has been warmly welcomed by readers and also by media. "This must be the most touching art book of the year." (Ilkka-newspaper)

Miina Savolainen interviewed in TV1 program Epäkorrektia, Tuomas Enbuske! (aired 18.11.2008)

Miina Savolainen was interviewed in TV1 program "EPÄKORREKTIA, TUOMAS ENBUSKE!: The children should be taken away from the bad parents!" Program dealed with daily routines of foster family and social welfare's point of view. Miina Savolaisen was interviewed last summer in Wäinö Aaltonen Museum, Turku, where the art exhibition of the Loveliest Girl in the World took place.

Art exhibitions of empowering photography has been seen over 40 000 people in Finland

Over 40 000 people in Finland has visited the community art exhibitions "The Loveliest Girl in the World" and "Father - empowering photography", which are based on the method of the empowering photography.

FATHER - empowering photography was a hit in Jugend Hall

FATHER - empowering photography was the most popular exhibition in 2007 in the Jugend Hall, Helsinki. The exhibition touched some 18 258 visitors. Unlike usually, the exhibition attracted many different kinds of people.

Father of the year 2007 was awarded at the Jugend Hall

Father of the year 2007 - award ceremony was held at the Jugend Hall while the Father - empowering photography - exhibition was there. Award was given by Minister of Health and Social Services Paula Risikko to social educator Jouni Lehmonen. The Father of the year was chosen for the second time. The patron of the Father of the year - award is doctor Pentti Arajärvi.

State Award for Children´s Culture 2006

The Arts Council of Finland has awarded photographer Miina Savolainen with the State Award for Children´s Culture 2006. The prize was presented by the Minister of Culture Tanja Saarela on 17th November 2006.  The State Award for Children´s Culture is an acknowledgement for meritorious work during the last three years or  long-lasting worthy work  for children's culture. The prize is 15 000 euros.
State Award for Children´s Culture

State Award for Children´s Culture

The Loveliest Girl in the World in the Inhimillinen Tekijä -TV programme

The Culture Award of Finnish Medical Society Duodecim

Finnish Medical Society Duodecim has awarded photographer Miina Savolainen, her project The Loveliest Girl in the World and the method of empowering photography with their annual culture award. The award of 5 000 euros was presented on 17th of November 2005 in Jyväskylä as a part of the Health, sickness and culture -seminar. The Culture Award of Finnish Medical Society Duodecim is granted to a person or a team, who has remarkably promoted understanding of the connection between health, sickness and culture in the society. The Award has previously been presented to artist Rafael Wardi, author and politician Claes Andersson and actor Kari Heiskanen.

Duodecim

The Young Photographer of the Year -award 2005

Miina Savolainen was awarded with The Young Photographer of the Year -award on 8th June 2005. This prize is presented in alternate years with the Fotofinlandia-prize. The previous The Young Photographer of the Year -prize was presented to Tiina Itkonen and her Inughuit-series on 2003. Itkonen has documented the life of polareskimos in Greenland.

The Loveliest Girl in the World -degree

Miina Savolainen's  Master of Arts degree for the of University of Art and Design in Helsinki was reviewed on 6th June 2005.  The inspectors of The Loveliest Girl in the World – empowering photography -degree were Marjatta Bardy from National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES) and Juha Varto from the  Arts Education department. The degree is dealing with the meanings of  the Loveliest Girl in the World -process and the therapeutic means of photography as well as the method of empowering photography. The 241-page book is available in Finnish also for a long-distance loan from Aralis-library in the address  Hämeentie 135 A, 00560 Helsinki, Finland.

Aralis-library

The Loveliest Girl in the World -documentary

A documentary film has been made about one of the girls participating in the the Loveliest Girl in the World -project, Tiina Siitonen. It is a part of a series of minidocumentaries for the Finnish Broadcasting Network Yle. The documentary is called  the Loveliest Girl in the World and it's duration is 13 minutes. The film tells the story of Tiina growing up to be a mother and it also explains the background of the project. The documentary was aired on TV2 on 28th November 2004. It is directed by Anna Laine and produced by Naked Productions. 

Leikin pikkujättiläinen -book

An article by Miina Savolainen, The Loveliest Child in the world – photography in the family was published in Leikin pikkujättiläinen -book by WSOY Publishing in 2004. The article deals with the method of empowering photography from the viewpoint of a family with children. The book is edited by Liisa Piironen.

Vision of the Year -award  2004

The Green Cultural and Educational Centre Vision of the Year -award  2004 was granted to arts- and socialeducator Miina Savolainen for the method of empowering photography and the Loveliest Girl in the World -project that she has carried out with ten girls and young women who grew up in Hyvönen's children's home in Helsinki. The acknowledgement was granted for developing a therapeutical arts education method that can be applied to both individuals as well as communities. The examples that the Loveliest Girl in the World presents, such as equality, equivalence, trust, tolerance and self-acceptance also counted. Vision of the Year -award was presented for the 8th time on 19th March 2004 in Café Photo in Helsinki. The Visions of the Year accepted the award happily smiling. 

Spotlight of the Year special prize of the jury 2003

The Loveliest Girl in the World -project and exhibition were awarded with Spotlight of the Year special prize of the jury 2003 -award that was 1 000 euros. The prize delighted not only the recipients themselves but also the people close to the awarded. The culture department of the Finnish Broadcasting Network grants the Spotlight of the Year -award to a cultural achievement, that has  shaked, refreshed, changed, delighted or promoted the finnish cultural life nationwide.