HELSINKI.- The Ateneum Art Museum, which is part of the Finnish National Gallery, has received a significant bequest of approximately 300,000 euros from a Finnish private individual. The bequeathed funds will be used to develop operations at the Ateneum, including enabling the introduction of a new experiential space for young children. The donor’s wish is that their name is not published.

A permanent activity space for children under school age and their families will be opened at the Ateneum in 2028. Part of the bequeathed funds, as well as additional external funding to be collected, will be used to realise the space for children. The concept of the space and its opening date will be announced later.

“We want every child to experience the Ateneum as their own. With this bequest, we can finally meet the wishes of our audience by introducing a space where you can relax with small children – which is something we have lacked. Meanwhile, we already have a lot to offer families with children, including the Children’s Saturday events and the newly renewed children’s guide”, says the Ateneum director Anna-Maria von Bonsdorff.

Donations are used to enhance operations at the Ateneum

In addition to the now-announced bequest, the Ateneum has, in recent years, received two further significant bequests from private individuals.

In 2022, the museum received an exceptional bequest of more than one million euros for the development of museum and exhibition activities. The donated funds have been used to enhance the experientiality and event-like nature of exhibitions, to increase the number of free-admission days, and to fund the four-year Ateneum for All community outreach programme between 2023 and 2026. The goal of the community outreach programme is to make the museum as accessible and inclusive as possible for diverse audiences. The operations pay special attention to cultural and linguistic diversity, special needs related to disabilities, and socio-economic factors.





In 2025, the Ateneum announced that it had received a bequest of €700,000, with €150,000 to be used for the needs and acquisitions of the Finnish National Gallery’s conservation unit, as requested by the donor. Thanks to the bequeathed funds, a long-planned project could be realised earlier than expected: the conservation of the Kalevala-themed sketches by Akseli Gallen-Kallela for the cupola frescoes of the Finnish pavilion at the 1900 Paris Exposition.

With the help of donations from companies, organisations and private individuals, the Finnish National Gallery and its museums can offer an even wider range of art experiences, for example, for children and young people. People can support the activities of the art museums by donating even a small amount to a cause of their choice on the Finnish National Gallery website or by buying an intangible gift. The largest financier of the Finnish National Gallery is the Ministry of Education and Culture. Proceeds are also received from ticket sales, fees for services, and sales at our museum shops, but donations are increasingly important to the Finnish National Gallery.