Osmo Visuri Watercolor Exhibit on Display at Gulf Coast Library

News item published on: 2017-08-17 14:12:15

The Southern Miss Gulf Coast Library presents a watercolor exhibit by the late Finnish artist Osmo Visuri. The exhibit will be on display on the third floor of the Gulf Coast Library from September 6 through November 30 with an opening reception on Thursday, September 21 from 4:30 – 6 p.m.

The collection is on loan from Mary Pyle of Gulfport, who met Visuri during his tenure as a professor at the University of Helsinki in 1988. Pyle was visiting Finland as a presidentially appointed member of the National Council on Vocational Education.

Visuri would later visit Pyle and her husband, Jack, at their home in Mississippi. During his visit, the artist and the couple attempted to find a place to exhibit his paintings. After an unsuccessful effort during his month-long stay, Visuri left his paintings with Pyle, where they remained until 2017. The pieces have been previously been displayed at William Carey College’s Tradition Campus and the Mary O’Keefe Cultural Center in Ocean Springs.

A painter, photographer, filmmaker, author, professor and world traveler, Visuri travelled extensively in the Middle East and published several books on Israel when the state was being established after WWII. He is recognized as a television pioneer in Finland, serving as Head of Documentary Programs for Finnish National Television and as the Head of the Department of Television and Film at the University of Helsinki.

Visuri was also known in Italy, where he operated a watercolor studio, and in Israel, where he authored several books about the Biblical Parables. After retirement, Visuri continued teaching at his studio until his death in 2013. A respected citizen of Finland, Visuir received the Knight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the distinguished Kalevala cultural medal.

For more information, contact Betty Shaw the Gulf Coast Library at 228.214.3456 or email .