The Art Academy of Latvia () is an art school located in Riga, Latvia. It was founded in 1919 by Vilhelms Purvītis and began accepting students in 1921. The neo-Gothic brick building is located on Krišjānis Valdemārs Street, next to the National Museum of Art.
History
Foundation and Early Years (1919–1940) The Art Academy of Latvia was designed by architect and art historian Wilhelm Bockslaff. Another prominent Latvian architect, August Volz, designed the building's sandstone column headings and other sculptural elements. The building was established in 1902 and finished in 1905 . One of the Academy's most prominent architectural features is its stained glass windows, designed with Art Nouveau motifs and provided by E. Tode.
The building was originally named the Commercial School of the Stock Exchange; it functioned as a business school .
The Art Academy was founded in 1919 by the world-renowned Latvian painter Vilhelms Purvītis (1872-1945). On May 4, 1919, the Soviet Latvian government published a report regarding the opening of a "proletarian art workshop." The term "academy" was initially avoided as it was seen as a symbol of the old, conservative regime. However, following the fall of the Soviet government, the Provisional Government of Latvia formally decided to establish the Art Academy of Latvia on August 20, 1919.
The founding faculty included prominent Latvian artists, such as Vilhelms Purvītis, Teodors Zaļkalns, Rihards Zariņš, and Jānis Kuga. The academy was officially inaugurated on October 12, 1921. After initially operating on Kronvalda Boulevard, it moved to Gogoļa Street 3 in 1922. The first constitution (Satversme) was adopted by the Saeima on February 7, 1924, and proclaimed by President Jānis Čakste. Between 1921 and 1940, the Art Academy of Latvia produced 229 graduates.
Soviet and Occupation Periods (1940–1988) Following the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940, the institution was renamed the State Art Academy. In 1944, it became the State Art Academy of the Latvian SSR. During the Soviet era, the academy's administrative oversight shifted frequently between the Ministry of Culture and various state committees for higher education.
From 1973 to 1988, the institution was named the Teodors Zaļkalns State Art Academy of the Latvian SSR in honor of the sculptor and former faculty member.
Organization Faculties The Academy has 5 faculties: Faculty of Visual Arts (2D) Department of Painting Department of Graphic Art Department of Textile Art Department of Drawing Faculty of Visual Plastic Arts (3D) Department of Sculpture Department of Ceramics Department of Glass Art Faculty of Design Department of Functional Design Department of Environmental Art Department of Metal Design Department of Fashion Design Faculty of Audio-Visual Media Art Department of Visual Communication Department of Motion, Image, and Sound Department of Stage Design Faculty of Art History Department of Art History and Theory Department of Restoration Department of Humanities
Latgale Branch The academy has a branch in Latgale located in Rēzekne.
Notable alumni Arturs Akopjans – figurative and abstract artist Ansis Artums – landscape painter Lidija Auza – assemblage and abstract artist Biruta Baumane – 2002 winner of the Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature, the Arts and Science Anšlavs Eglītis – novelist and author of short stories Sandra Kalniete – Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Commissioner and Member of the European Parliament Gunārs Lūsis – graphic designer who, along with Jānis Strupulis, designed the post-Soviet lat coin Ludmilla Meilerts – landscape painter Kārlis Padegs – expressionist painter Ināra Tetereva – philanthropist behind the Boris and Ināra Teterev fund, a Latvian patron of the arts Ēvī Upeniece – sculptor
Gallery
References
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