As the holidays approach and the cold deepens into waning light, our neighborhoods begin to radiate a welcome glow each night.

Sara Pajunen

It is, perhaps, the time of year when we think of home the most. With that in mind, the ArtWorks Center will be hosting a special event on Nov. 12, which will not only remind us of home, but also of what happens when we must leave that welcome glow in search of another.

Laatikko/Box is an exploration of the emotional terrain we encounter when we step into unknown worlds. Artist Sara Pajunen combines the reading of Finnish-American archival material, recorded audio interviews with recent immigrants, live violin, voice, and electronic technology to create a poignant “sound piece” that ultimately becomes a search for commonalities: between immigrant stories, and between the immigrant journey and our own journeys of change.

The project itself has become a journey of sorts, literally as well as figuratively. Pajunen has taken her piece on a tour that includes stops at ten cities around Minnesota. And in the process of creating the piece, Pajunen found the immigrant stories mimicked her personal journey of leaving a place of familiarity, a way of being. The work thus evolved as the artist dug deeper into her relationship with this material, and immigration became, for Pajunen, a metaphor of transition into an unknown world: a quest for a new home.

Pajunen, who has been called “an amazingly versatile musician” and “among the most ambitious and notable practitioners of Finnish folk music outside of Finland,” has toured in North America and Europe sharing the music of her heritage since earning her bachelor’s degree in classical violin performance from the University of Minnesota and a Solo Studies degree from Stadia in Helsinki. In addition to her current tour, Pajunen will be performing across the country through 2016 as the Finlandia Foundation National’s Performer of the Year.

So, you may wonder, what does any of this have to do with you? Well, who among us hasn’t left the welcome glow of one “home” for another? Who among us hasn’t ached for a far-gone welcome light at the end of a dark day?

Laatikko/Box is a free event at the ArtWorks Center, although donations are welcome. See and hear this one-of-a-kind work of art on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m., and find out more about Pajunen at sarapajunen.com.