Yesterday (May 29, 2017) the National Academy of Arts presented the two anniversary editions on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the establishment of the State Drawing School.
The bilingual edition "The National Academy of Arts 1896-2016", which finalizes a multi-year project led by Prof. Viktor Paunov, was presented to the public at the Academy Gallery. The book consists of two parts - historical and contemporary. Work on the first part begins with the collection of new documentary material, research in libraries and archives. This is followed by the study of the main periods in the history of the Academy by Dr. Milena Balcheva, Prof. Dr. Chavdar Popov, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Boyka Donevska and Prof. Dr. Biserka Penkova, who work with the help of their students from the "Art Studies" specialty. The second part presents the history and current state of all departments and the two master's programs. The work on this part of the volume was handed over to each department. It was for this edition that a study of the history of the specialty that prepares students in illustration - "Book and Printed Graphics" was conducted for the first time, and the author of the text is Milena Radeva. The entire publication is richly illustrated with archival materials and photographs, some of which are previously unknown to the general public, as well as with works by professors and students from recent years. The book design was the work of Prof. Kiril Gogov, a long-time lecturer in "Book Layout and Design" in the specialty "Book and Printed Graphics". The anniversary book was presented by art historian and cultural scientist Prof. Elka Bakalova, who emphasized in her speech that "to this day, a significant number of the Institute's collaborators (III at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - author's note) are graduates of the Academy of Arts. There are many professors at the Academy throughout its 120-year history who, like Ivan Lazarov, can boast not only of their high creative achievements in their art and their dedication to the students and their own to the students, but also of principled positions on a number of issues affecting art and their public engagement and activity."
The tenth issue of the magazine "Art and Criticism" was also presented yesterday by Prof. Dr. Biserka Penkova. It collects the studies of art historians and artists dedicated to various problems from the history of the National Academy of Arts, as well as Bulgarian fine arts in the past and today. The articles are from the scientific conference dedicated to the anniversary of the National Academy of Arts at the end of last year and are by Prof. Milena Georgieva, Dr. Milena Balcheva, Senior Assistant Dr. Maria Andirkova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zarko Zhdrakov, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Boyka Donevska, Ekaterina Mihaylova, Prof. Dr. Chavdar Popov, Prof. Dr. Svilen Stefanov and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dobrevski, and the design of the magazine is by Dr. Milena Radeva.
The publication "National Academy of Arts 1896-2016" was funded by the Sofia Municipality's Culture Program for 2016, under the 2016 Scientific and Artistic-Creative Activity Program of the National Academy of Arts, and by Societe Generale Expressbank. Prof. Viktor Paunov expressed special gratitude on behalf of the National Academy of Arts to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the State Archives Agency, the Regional History Museum Sofia, and the National Library "St. St. Cyril and Methodius", who provided their databases and archives for the collection of the materials.
Photos: Milena Radeva
Add comment