GRANITE FALLS, Minnesota, April 11, 2024 - The next episode of Postcards features comedian and musician Steve Solkela, who shares his passion for music and his Finnish heritage, and two artists, who create beautiful textiles, from Finland. ”Finnish Musician and Artists” airs on Pioneer PBS Thursday, May 2 at 7 p.m. and repeats the following Sunday at 7 p.m. and Monday at 1:30 p.m.
Steve Solkela is a comedian, and the only member of his one-man band, which includes accordion and cymbals among other instruments. Solkela finds joy in his music and his heritage, showcasing his talent and sense of humor to audiences all over the world.
Postcards caught up with Solkela at Norsefest in Madison, Minnesota, where he was the featured musician at the annual Lutefisk Eating Contest. Playing music is Solkela’s guiding light and enjoyment.
Tea Rahkamaa is a weaver who teaches traditional crafts in Helsinki, Finland. She creates rugs and carpets using recycled materials. Tea is also an expert at making Finnish lace. In a world where people are increasingly turning to mass-produced products from stores, Rahkamaa's work pays homage to the past, where people used everything they had and took pride in their crafts. After a career in science, she now finds teaching traditional craft to be a more fulfilling path in life.
Outi Martikainen is a Finnish textile artist based in Helsinki, Finland. Martikainen merges traditional techniques with unconventional materials to create large murals featuring smaller weavings that come together to create a larger picture. She finds her inspiration in everyday life, giving the ideas a new purpose.
Tune in next week as Postcards captures the lives of local artists and the cultural history of our viewing area.
Credits: Executive Producer Dana Conroy, Videographers/Editors Ben Dempcy, Kristofor Gieske
About Postcards
Postcards is an award-winning art, culture and history program, produced by Dana Conroy with videography and editing by Kristofor Gieske and Ben Dempcy. The program is made possible by contributions from the voters of Minnesota through a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The 2024 season is made possible by funding from Shalom Hill Farm, Explore Alexandria Tourism, Lake Region Arts Council, KRAM 96.7, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies and members of Pioneer PBS.
About Pioneer PBS
Established in 1966, Pioneer PBS is an award-winning, viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing stories from rural Minnesota with the world. Pioneer PBS is headquartered in Granite Falls, Minnesota, with towers in Appleton, Worthington and Fergus Falls. Pioneer PBS reaches more than a million people in rural areas and small towns in western Minnesota, the eastern Dakotas and northern Iowa. Pioneer PBS is honored to be your television station—the only station in western Minnesota telling your stories and raising your voices into the media landscape. For more information visit pioneer.org or call 800-726-3178.
