Do We Need an Art Academy? Clashes of Opinions in Latvia During the 1920s

Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis

Abstract

The article delves into the spectrum of conflicting views surrounding the need for the establishment of an art academy in Latvia. Authors with predominantly modernist attitudes asserted that an independent nation’s cultural objectives should diverge from those of the Russian-German imperial academies, which they believed stifled creativity. Instead, they advocated for training in private or state studios, reminiscent of the “good old times of the Renaissance”. Critical opinions were summarized in an open letter to the government, asserting that true art has always been revolutionary and, therefore, at odds with academic aspirations. However, opposing viewpoints argued that the future academy need not be confined to teaching drab academism. They contended that training under a single individual, without a broader educational foundation, would only produce imitators and dilettantes. While the verbal skirmishes between modernists and traditionalists subsided during the 1920s, the spotlight once again fell on the need for this institution, as the echoes of the Great Depression in the USA brought financial challenges. However, it was widely recognized that no viable alternatives to academic education had emerged, and the withdrawal of state funding would only result in a radical impoverishment of educational options.