THE COMEBACK OF ÉMIGRÉ ART (12 March-15 September 2000)

The exhibition took place in Radvilos Palace (22 Vilniaus  Street, LT-2001  Vilnius)
Information - phone 370 (2) 22 13 46, 22 08 41 fax: 370 (2) 22 08 41. E-mail: galerija@aiva.lt

The Lithuanians who found themselves in emigration did their utmost to preserve Lithuanian identity and searched for their spiritual shelter by way of founding schools, societies and associations. They tried all possible means, which helped them to promote their culture and maintain their traditions. One of such Lithuanian centres was the Painters’ Club of American Lithuanians in Chicago, which in 1957 founded the Ciurlionis Gallery. Its greatest concern and aim was to take care of Lithuanian artists, to organize exhibitions, to write about them, to invite to the events arranged by the gallery not only compatriots, to rally creative people round it as well as to accumulate Lithuanian artists’ works, which upon the restoration of Lithuanian’s independence were intended to be given over to its museums. Such was a written and orally announced promise the words of which and that strong believe in future freedom cannot help shaking one by the depth of their feeling and confidence.
American Lithuanians have kept their word. The first batch of paintings from the Ciurlionis Gallery reached the Lithuanian Art Museum at the end of last year. It was followed by a second in the February of this year. The oldest part of the collection includes the works by Kazys Simonis, Petras Rimsa, Antanas Zmuidzinavicius, who arranged exhibitions during their visits to the USA, the art student Jonas Sileika and Adomas Varnas, who worked much and for a long time in America. The collection also boasts a great number of paintings by the Kaunas and Freiburg Art Schools teachers and pupils. A full collection consisting of several hundreds of works by Mikas Sileikis has been also transferred to Lithuania. Nearly a thousand works came to Lithuania from the Ciurlionis Gallery as gifts. They served as an impulse to open a big and attractive exhibition at the Radvilos Palace during the days of the March 11 holiday.
Lithuania had an opportunity to get acquainted with the oeuvre of émigré artists much better at the exhibition held at the Palace of the Art Exhibitions in 1988 in Vilnius. Later the exhibition was transferred to Klaipeda. In 1993 the museum arranged an exposition under lovely title “The Comeback” at the National Gallery in Vilnius, where it put on view the works from the collection it possessed. The Zamaiciai Art Museum jointly with compatriots-visitors to Lithuania have been arranging similar exhibitions in Plunge for a couple of year now.
The aim of this exhibition is to present more new names - the works by Mikas Sileikis, Zenonas Kolba, Jonas Tricys, Veronika Svabiene, Valdas Meskenas, Vladas Vaitiekunas, Teofilis Petraitis as well as those not yet exhibited in Lithuania by Pranas Domsaitis, Gabrielius Stanulis, Zibuntas Miksys, Magdalena Stankuniene, Vytautas Ignas, Anastazija Tamosaitiene, Vytautas Kasiulis, Povilas Puzinas and by the artists of a less known young generation.
Due to successful efforts of the Lithuanian Foundation Inc. the art heritage of Pranas Domsaitis, word-famous expressionist (1880-1965) reached Lithuania. The painter Domsaitis, who lived and created in Germany, later - in South Africa, was almost unknown in Lithuania for a long time. The museum houses over 400 Domsaitis’ landscapes, still lifes, portraits and figure compositions, which reflect the fate of an artist and man, searching for a point of support in the creation, traditions and faith of his nation.
Mikas Sileikis (1893-1987) arrived in USA in 1913. In 1923 he graduated from the Institute of Art in Chicago. He frequently exhibited his works at the Lithuanian art exhibitions, where he won several prizes and awards. As early as his study years, he was regarded to be a splendid portraitist, however, the major part of his collection in Lithuania includes cheerful landscapes of sunlit dunes and beaches as well as flower gardens and orchards. He was an active member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Union, and in 1957-1962 - director of the Ciurlionis Gallery. Since his youth he collaborated with the editorial board of the Lithuanian Encyclopaedia, contributed to “Aidai” and edited “Meno zinios”.
Gabrielius Stanulis (1915-1999) studied decorative arts in Turin, Italy, later - in the Vilnius Academy of Arts. After World War II he settled in Switzerland and taught painting and sculpture at the art school in Geneva. He arranged 29 solo exhibitions in France, Switzerland, USA and Canada. One fails to find everyday reality in his works. In respect of their philosophical subject matter, they rather greatly differ from the works of other émigré artists. His creative heritage consists of over 450 paintings and wall mosaics. The museum’s collection includes the canvases executed in the style of early Abstract Art.
Thus, this exhibition indeed has some spring freshness and unexpected aspects, which do not overshadow a respect for those without whom one could have hardly imagined the artistic life in Lithuania even in the interwar period. Among them rank Adomas Galdikas, Viktoras Vizgirda, Vytautas Kazimieras Jonynas and Telesforas Valius.
It is not only the number of works but also their artistic value that make this collection so impressive. It augments the fund of national art.

Photos by A. Luksenas

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