Academy of Fine Arts Collection

The collection is exhibited on the premises of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design. Following the example of academies of art elsewhere which have associated galleries exhibiting important works of art, the Academy gradually started to purchase works, obtain donations, and purchase students’ works which received awards as well as current work by its own professors. The first purchase of 15 art prints by various authors and two drawings by Hinko Smrekar had already taken place by 1948. Major acquisitions of high-quality work date from the 1960s; purchases of selected work by artists who were not members of the Academy staff set off a series of donations from the ranks of the professors. The collection today consists of 32 paintings, 16 sculptures, eight works on paper and 38 prints by important Slovene artists, together with 200 paintings and sculptures and 17,000 prints made by students. A selection of works from the Academy collection was first presented to the public in Mikl House in Ribnica and later in the Union of Slovene Fine Arts Associations (ZDSLU) Gallery in Ljubljana. At the end of 1999 the collection was given a permanent place on the premises of the Academy. Projects for expansion of the Academy envisage spacious exhibition rooms for the gallery.

Among the selected artists are Matej Šteren, Miha Maleš, Karel Putrih, Jakob Savinšek, Marko Šuštaršič, Gregorio Sciltian and some eminent Academy teachers: Anton Gojmir Kos, Marij Pregelj, Janez Bernik, Gustav Gnamuš, Boris and Zdenko Kalin, Slavko Tihec, Drago and Dušan Tršar. Graphic artists featured include the founders of the Ljubljana Graphics School: Božidar Jakac, France Mihelič, Maksim Sedej, Riko Debenjak, Bogdan Pogačnik and Vladimir Makuc.

Academy of Fine Arts Collection

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