Helmi Juvonen
Encyclopedia
Helmi Dagmar Juvonen was an American
artist
active in Seattle, Washington
. She is associated with the artists of the Northwest School (art)
.
on January 17, 1903. When she was 15, her family moved to Seattle, and in 1929 she accepted a scholarship to Cornish College of the Arts
to study illustration and puppetry. An avid reader, Juvonen's favorite subjects involved the mythologies and spiritual practices of people around the world. Particularly fascinated with the myths and history of the native peoples of her own region, she began to research Northwest native art and became a frequent visitor to several of the area's tribal reservations. Juvonen's intense interest and respect for the cultural and spiritual aspects of Native American life made her a welcome guest at a number of sacred native ceremonies, where she did sketches of what she saw and experienced.
founder Dr. Richard Fuller and painter Mark Tobey
, with whom she developed a near-legendary obsession that became a frequent subject for her art.
Despite Juvonen's success as a regionally important artist, she was continually plagued by her 1930 diagnosis of manic depression
. In 1959, Juvonen was committed to Northern State Hospital in Sedro-Woolley, Washington
. After one year of confinement there, she was transferred to Oakhurst Infirmary in Elma, Washington
where she spent the rest of her life. In spite of her surroundings, Juvonen tirelessly continued to produce art using whatever materials she was able to secure.
During the final years of her life Juvonen was the subject of a handful of major exhibitions at such institutions as the Frye Art Museum
in Seattle and the Whatcom Museum of History and Art in Bellingham, Washington
. In the twenty-two years since her death, public interest in Helmi Juvonen has grown, particularly in the Pacific Northwest
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
active in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. She is associated with the artists of the Northwest School (art)
Northwest School (art)
The Northwest School was an art movement based in small-town Skagit County, Washington, and was at its peak in the 1930s and 1940s.-The big four:...
.
Background
Helmi Dagmar Juvonen, known simply as "Helmi," was born the second daughter of Finnish immigrants in Butte, MontanaButte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
on January 17, 1903. When she was 15, her family moved to Seattle, and in 1929 she accepted a scholarship to Cornish College of the Arts
Cornish College of the Arts
-Library:The library at Cornish College specializes in art, dance, design, music, performance production, and theatre. As of 2011 it holds 4700 CDs, 40,000 books, has 2,200 videos, and subscribes to 154 periodicals...
to study illustration and puppetry. An avid reader, Juvonen's favorite subjects involved the mythologies and spiritual practices of people around the world. Particularly fascinated with the myths and history of the native peoples of her own region, she began to research Northwest native art and became a frequent visitor to several of the area's tribal reservations. Juvonen's intense interest and respect for the cultural and spiritual aspects of Native American life made her a welcome guest at a number of sacred native ceremonies, where she did sketches of what she saw and experienced.
Career
Actively engaged with the burgeoning Seattle art community, Juvonen made and fostered friendships with a number of prominent artists and collectors including Seattle Art MuseumSeattle Art Museum
The Seattle Art Museum is an art museum located in Seattle, Washington, USA. It maintains three major facilities: its main museum in downtown Seattle; the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill, and the Olympic Sculpture Park on the central Seattle waterfront, which opened on...
founder Dr. Richard Fuller and painter Mark Tobey
Mark Tobey
Mark George Tobey was an American abstract expressionist painter, born in Centerville, Wisconsin. Widely recognized throughout the United States and Europe, Tobey is the most noted among the "mystical painters of the Northwest." Senior in age and experience, Tobey had a strong influence on the...
, with whom she developed a near-legendary obsession that became a frequent subject for her art.
Despite Juvonen's success as a regionally important artist, she was continually plagued by her 1930 diagnosis of manic depression
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
. In 1959, Juvonen was committed to Northern State Hospital in Sedro-Woolley, Washington
Sedro-Woolley, Washington
Sedro-Woolley is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,540 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. After one year of confinement there, she was transferred to Oakhurst Infirmary in Elma, Washington
Elma, Washington
Elma is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. The population was 3,107 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Elma is located at ....
where she spent the rest of her life. In spite of her surroundings, Juvonen tirelessly continued to produce art using whatever materials she was able to secure.
During the final years of her life Juvonen was the subject of a handful of major exhibitions at such institutions as the Frye Art Museum
Frye Art Museum
The Frye Art Museum is an art museum located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA . The museum emphasizes painting and sculpture from the nineteenth century to the present. Its holdings originate in the private collection of Charles and Emma Frye...
in Seattle and the Whatcom Museum of History and Art in Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
. In the twenty-two years since her death, public interest in Helmi Juvonen has grown, particularly in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
.