The world has started to open up again after the pandemic. After a long hiatus, VEMU was once again able to welcome guests from Estonia.
Our partners from design agency Velvet, Kristian Kirsfeldt, Anne Määrmann and Kristi Prinzmann, spent a week in Toronto in May with the goal of familiarizing themselves with the local Estonian community, Tartu College, VEMU, and other places that are important to our diaspora group. They visited several museums and surveyed the cityscape to better understand the cultural environment within which VEMU’s future permanent exhibit will exist, for which the preparations have already begun. The team also paid a visit to architect Alar Kongats’ bureau, where the plans for VEMU’s new building were looked over and a discussion regarding how to fit all of the museum’s functions into the space took place. The end of their week-long visit featured participation at VEMU’s annual fundraising evening which was also dedicated to VEMU’s future, the new building, and its interior design this time around.
In May, we also had Krislin Kämärä, a consultant who is involved with VEMU’s future permanent exhibit as a team member, visit VEMU. Krislin has been a longtime employee at the Estonian Maritime Museum which is located partly at the Seaplane Harbour in Tallinn, and currently is a freelance curator who helps create various exhibits both in Estonia and abroad.
The end of May brought long-awaited visitors and helpers from the Estonian National Museum (ENM). ENM’s Deputy Director-Chief Treasurer Riina Reinvelt had already become familiar with VEMU’s collections from various earlier visits; this time her focus is organizing Tommy Tomson’s expansive photo collection. Kadri Vissel, who manages ENM’s collections, is working with VEMU’s artefacts. Both of the aforementioned collections need to be organized so that they can be properly utilized in the creation of the permanent exhibit.