Oulu, Wisconsin, is a small town originally settled by Finnish immigrants in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. A group of residents formed The Oulu Cultural and Heritage Center in 2014 to preserve and share Oulu’s history and culture through museum exhibits, demonstrations, and programming. This film tells the story of one community’s unique response to economic changes and shifts that are happening in rural towns across the country; it focuses on the work the Center’s volunteers have done to preserve and restore area buildings and create a new gathering place for the community where people can come together and celebrate their heritage.
This film was produced by Mirva Johnson (one of the 2017 documenters) in collaboration with the Oulu Cultural and Heritage Center and the Oulu Historical Society.
Special thanks to Sustaining Scandinavian Folk Arts in the Upper Midwest, the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures, the Wisconsin Arts Board, and the Wisconsin Historical Society for their support.