Professor Maire Gullichsen (née Ahlström) made significant contributions to the promotion of Finnish visual arts, design, and architecture. She was a visionary and a driving force behind several key institutions: the design shop Artek, the Free Art School, the Modern Arts Association, and Galerie Artek. Each of these organizations played a crucial role in the rise of Modernism in Finland.

Artek, established in 1935 by Maire Gullichsen in collaboration with Aino and Alvar Aalto, was created to sell furniture designed by Alvar Aalto. The concept behind Artek was to merge art with technology and science, and it also hosted art exhibitions. The same year, the Free Art School was founded, drawing on international modern art influences. Maire Gullichsen co-founded and studied at this school.

Together with Maire and Harry Gullichsen, Aino and Alvar Aalto designed some of Finland’s most renowned modern architectural and design works. These include Villa Mairea, the Gullichsens’ home in Noormarkku, as well as industrial and residential buildings for Ahlström Ltd in Sunila, Varkaus, and Kauttua. Notable design pieces from this collaboration include the iconic Savoy vase, which remains in production.

The Modern Arts Association was founded in 1939, with Maire Gullichsen organizing contemporary art exhibitions in Helsinki. Noteworthy exhibitions that advanced abstract art and Constructivism included the 1952 Klar Form exhibition and various shows at Galerie Artek, which was established in 1950.

From the 1960s onward, Maire Gullichsen was instrumental in efforts to establish a modern art museum in Pori. The Pori Art Museum, founded in 1981, houses the Finnish art collections of the Maire Gullichsen Art Foundation. In the same year, Maire Gullichsen was awarded the title of professor.