The U.S Ambassador to Finland made his way to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery for a tour of its renowned collection this weekend and to visit with an old friend Janne Siren, the gallery's new director.
According to Ambassador Bruce Oreck, Siren possesses an important presence in his native Finland as an administrator and teacher.
Oreck tells WBFO News he encourages other Finns to follow Siren's example and seek out the arts in the United States.
Oreck said it's very significant that Siren has come to a well-known art center in the U.S.
"It's also important. First of all this is a great museum. Yes, it is a lesser-known museum which is something that Janne may well change, I promise. But, it's certainly one of the great art institutions. And, the Finns pride themselves on their cultural knowledge and their focus on that. It's a small country but they have a huge footprint in the world, culturally," said Oreck.
Oreck said he still meets Finnish students who want to come to the U.S. to study in the arts.
Siren is expected to begin his post late spring or early summer. He will come to Buffalo with his wife and three young children.
