The Meeting of Centenarians in the Perspective of Historical Time: The Kaunas School of Art and the M. K. Čiurlionis Gallery

Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis

Abstract

The article presents a concise overview of the interaction between two art institutions during the interwar period – the Kaunas School of Art and the M. K. Čiurlionis Gallery. In 2022, the Kaunas School of Art celebrated its 100th anniversary. Founded in 1920 by the artist Justinas Vienožinskis as the Higher Drawing Courses, on his initiative, the institution underwent reorganisation into the Kaunas School of Art in 1922. The roots of the M. K. Čiurlionis Gallery can be traced back to December 14, 1921, when the President of the Lithuanian Constituent Assembly and the Republic, Aleksandras Stulginskis, promulgated the “Law on the M.K. Čiurlionis Gallery.” Initially conceived as a temporary gallery, it opened its doors in 1924, situated in proximity to the Art School. Although both institutions operated in different capacities during the periods of German occupation and Soviet rule, and continue their original activities into the present day, the scope of this study focuses primarily on the interwar period due to the abundance of iconographic material available from that era.

The buildings of the Kaunas School of Art and the M. K. Čiurlionis Gallery were designed by architect Vladimiras Dubeneckis. He was also the author of the new Vytautas the Great Museum building, where M. K. Čiurlionis’ artistic legacy, the col- lections of ancient artworks and folk-art treasures were transferred in 1936. In the ensuing century, the Museum has undergone significant growth, now encompassing five branches and thirteen departments. Among these, the Photography, Documentation, and Publications Department stands out, housing a vast array of documentary and iconographic materials (photographs, prints, manuscripts, maps and land plans, drawings, archives of artists and organisations, publications), which illustrate the relationship between the Kaunas School of Art and the Čiurlionis Gallery, the history of the two institutions, and the connections with various personalities who contributed to the work of both establishments.

The photographs cover a wide range of subjects: the architecture of the School of Art and the Gallery, their interiors, the collaborative spirit among students and teachers, the cooperation with the Gallery’s staff, and the school’s everyday life – the learning process, the reviews of students’ work, and the leisure time and social activities of the school’s community. Complementing the article are valuable exhibits from other departments of the Museum: The Adelė and Paulius Galaunė House-Museum, the Juozas Zikaras House-Museum, and the Antanas Žmuidzinavičius Museum of Works and Collections. Iconographic material on the presented theme can also be encountered at the Liudas Truikys and Marijona Rakauskaitė House-Museum, as well as the Folk Art Department.