News

        This year on April 25 the group of teachers of the Alūksne Art School went to visit their colleagues in Gulbene, get know their experience in Gulbene Art School and submit creative works of the students of Alūksne Art School for taking part in the International Visual Art Competition “Klusā daba ar zilo šķīvi” (Still Life with Blue Plate).
        Sandra Dikmane, directress of Gulbene Art School, and Mairita Ķuze, deputy directress in methodological work, kindly introduced to the rooms and workshops of the school and learning process of their education institution. We got know the experience of our colleagues from Gulbene by developing final works of Professional Introduction Educational Programme “Visual-plastic Art” for the school's graduates. Also we were introduced to the specifics of the works of neighbour school by working with different projects (calendars of the school) and acquiring new techniques (aerography). During common conversations we agreed on creative future plans — common courses.
         Visit of the Gulbene Art School was finished in the museum where we had opportunity to get know the room of the artists from Gulbene region where works of artists-people of the district Jūlijs Madernieks, Leo Svemps, Jānis Brekte a.o. were exposed. Also the pedagogues of our school had an opportunity to watch animation films about artists of their region Voldemārs Irbe, Jūlijs Madernieks and Gulbene town made by students of the Gulbene Art School.

             On Saturday, April 8, was opened joint exhibition “Acumirklis” (A Moment) by artists of the region of Vidzeme including creative works by 92 authors. The exhibition was opened in 3 places: In the Culture Centre of Alūksne, in Alūksne Museum and in Alūksne Art School.
You can visit the exhibition until May 21!

       In the evening of March 22, 2017 there was atmosphere of some excitement in the Art School. Students of form 5 welcomed their parents, teachers and schoolmates to their first serious test — presentation for projects of school's ending creative works, the same time also exam of composition.
         They were carefully preparing their presentations to tell their audience about their creative idea for school's ending works as attestation to acquired skills of independent creative work finishing septennial Professional Introduction Educational Programme “Visual-plastic Art”.
       Gustavs Stradiņš will realise his interest in life of aborigines, their understanding of the world and Art in his painting “Rītausma” (Dayspring).
         Kristiāna Freimane will show the phenomena of time irreversibility in graphical composition “Kaleidoskops” (Kaleidoscope) because time is like fragments of kaleidoscope that cannot be brought back to their initial state. Work will be made during process of understanding optical effects and composition structure of graphical work by Dutch artist Maurits Cornelis Escher and getting under their influence .
         Egils Veinbergs presented idea of learning about himself by choosing genre of self-portrait.
       Agata Rāga in her diploma work will paint her feelings about the years spent in Alūksne Art School using works of artist Boriss Bērziņš as impulse source.
Anastasija Gaile will make a painting “Klusā daba” (Still Life) by studying and interpreting set-up and image of corporeity in still life paintings by Dutch old masters.
       Nikolajs Rakovs will paint composition “Pamests, bet ne aizmirsts” (Abandoned, but not forgotten) getting know bright works by painter Aleksejs Naumovs.
       Artūrs Krajevičs has chosen to show his attitude to beloved pet in painting “Klusā daba ar kaķi” (Still Life with a Cat) getting inspiration from creative works by Henri Matisse.
        After presentation prospective graduates were assessed by their pedagogues and got a plantlet of spring flower which they have to care until splendid blossoms, similarly to their creative idea they will have to care from idea to realisation in material.

         On March 17, 2017, the group of students and pedagogues went to Rīga to visit Open Day events and creative workshops in PIKC NMV Jānis Rozentāls Art School.
         We were kindly greeted by guides-students of the school and they were introducing us to the facilities and learning process of the school and answering to our questions about requirements of entrance examinations and others questions of interest. We could see displayed art works, observe drawing process of plaster head, works in the painting workshop and multi-media works created by students of the school as well as get know information about participation of Jānis Rozentāls School in Erasmus + learning mobility programme allowing students to get know art schools of other countries and gain new experience.
        Students of our school had an opportunity to try different techniques of graphics, screen printing, plaster casting, plotting and animation in creative workshops.
        Out next destination was the exhibition hall ”Arsenāls” (Arsenal) and its exhibition
“Hiperreālisms. Virziena variācijas Latvijā” (Hyperrealism. The variations of direction in Latvia). This project serves as opening for the programme devoted to the century of Republic of Latvia and it is organised by Latvian National Art Museum. In the exhibition are displayed works where coming in and development of hyperrealism in Latvian art for half a century (from 1967 to 2017) is revealed. Especially valuable was attending of the exhibition for the students of the 7th grade as they are going to get know the art directions of the 20th century art during their studies of art language.
        Then we went to the Latvian National Museum of Art. There we got know the constant exhibition and also the exhibition of the works by candidates to the Purvītis Prize 2017. This last exhibition consists of bright painting, graphics, sculptural, installations and video art works created by eight artists and collectives of authors proposed by independent experts to the fifth Purvītis Prize for the greatest performance in visual art in 2015 and 2016.
         At the end of the tour we visited the exhibition “Zīmējumi steigā” (Drawings in haste) by students of E. Geperts Academy of Art and Design (Wroclaw) in the exhibition hall of Art Academy of Latvia.

         Every year National Competition with one certain theme is organised by National Centre of Culture for students of Professional Introduction Art and Design Education Programmes in the educational institutions of Latvia. In school year 2016/2017 it is graphics design.
The aim of the competition is to evaluate learning results for students of Professional Introduction Art and Design Education Programmes in the educational institutions of Latvia and to recognise needs of culture education development, promoting studies of interdisciplinary themes by creative learning process.
        The task of the competition is to develop comprehension of students in graphics design by understanding importance of typeface, text, means of expression and composition in design; to stimulate understanding of students about design as process, about consecutive development of design idea, its compliance to particular function and target audience and develop ability of students to work in the group.
Participants of the competition are involved in different age groups: 7-10 years, 11–13 years and 14–16 years.
           The competition is organised in several rounds. Round I was school stage where each age group had to accomplish different task. Younger group had to develop graphical design for candy, middle group - for smoothie, but older group - for healthy goody (dried fruits, candied fruits).
           After evaluating the works in the school stage the works of 6 students (2 in each age group) were sent to Riga to take part in round II.
In March 13 we received information that to the stage III of the National Competition organised on March 31 in Valmiera were invited:
o Marta Aire, Jānis Bindemanis from younger group (teacher Elita Salaka)
o Amanda Nikola Cēsniece, Sabīne Līdaciņa from intermediate group (teacher Elita Salaka)
o Kristiāna Freimane, Gustavs Stradiņš from older group (teacher Rita Balane)
Let's keep fingers crossed!