Anniina Toiviainen

Dr. Anniina Toivainen (former surname Suominen) works as a Professor of Art Pedagogy at Aalto university’s School of Art, Design and Architecture (ARTS) at the Department of Art and Media, where she also serves as a Vice-Head of the Department, and previously, as the Head of Education. She earned her BA/MA from the University of Arts and Design Helsinki (1999) and her Ph.D. in Art Education from The Ohio State University (2003). Dr. Toiviainen has lived and worked in higher education in the United States and in Finland. Her attachment to both of these places has shaped her work. Her long-term research and pedagogical interests relate to artistic ways and modes of knowing and being, particularly in research and education. Issues related of equity and ethics of education and fair labour (particularly creative labour) are central themes in her work. Her research and teaching focus on advancing equity and social justice through the arts as well as sensuous epistemologies and pedagogies. The themes she works with are knowing/learning in relation to place and others (including diverse environments and & animals), democracy and diversity in education, curricula and pedagogy that are sensitive to gender diversity, immigrant rights and human rights, and visual/artistic knowing, learning, and research.

She leads the artpreneurship research group. She is currently leading (2026-2029) a research and innovation project "Virtual world opera for participation, unity, and social cohesion" (VOPUS, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-05) with partner institutions from the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Bulgaria. She also co-leads an Artpreneurship research and collaboration project with Professor of Practice, Ia Adlercreutz (2026-2028).

Previous project by the research group were Luova Lämpiö, 2024-2025 funded by Business Finland/Next GenrationEU. https://www.aalto.fi/fi/taiteen-ja-median-laitos/artpreneurship-tutkimusryhma & www.artpreneurship.fi) and has been involved in interdisciplinary development projects, such as Future Artpreneurship (2021-2022) and National Visions for Arts Education 2030. Some of her leadership and professional roles include serving in a World Council for InSEA as a councillor for Europe (2023-2025 & 2025-2027) and in the Research Council of Finland’s Scientific Council for Social Sciences and Humanities, Subcommittee for International Research Cooperation and as a representative in Norface network (www.norface.net) 2025-2027. She represents Aalto ARTS the Observatory for Arts and Cultural Education and serves as the coordinating and adminitrative part for the network (https://www.aalto.fi/fi/taiteen-ja-median-laitos/suomen-taide-ja-kulttuurikasvatuksen-observatorio) that is a member of the European Network of Observatories in the Field of Arts and Cultural Education (https://www.eno-net.phil.fau.eu/) with official partnership with Unesco.