On 7 April 2018, the exhibition “We Studied in the Hermitage” devoted to the 60th Anniversary of the Art Studio of the State Hermitage’s School Centre opened in the Foyer of the Hermitage Theatre. It presents works by pupils who studied in the Art Studio at various times over its history.
Irina Diubanova, the head of the State Hermitage’s School Centre, and Boris Kravchunas, the head of the Art Studio, welcomed the guests and participants in the opening ceremony and spoke about the display.
The Art Studio was created in 1957 as one of the world’s first studios of fine arts for children attached to a museum. Over the years it was headed by the gifted artists and experienced educators Konstantin Kordobovsky, D.I. Mamonov and Olga Nekrasova-Karateyeva. The museum started to hold New Year carnival celebrations and the annual exhibitions “We Draw and Paint in the Hermitage” appeared. The Art Studio has been run continuously since 1976 by Boris Konstantinovich Kravchunas, a Candidate of Art Studies and member of the Artists’ Union.
The exhibition is retrospective in character and provides the opportunity to view changing trends in the works of the young artists, to see which themes were popular in different times and the manner in which the youngsters made their pictures. The chief source of inspiration for pupils of the Art Studio has always been the Hermitage. The subjects of the works are connected with the history of the museum, its collections and individual exhibits. The pictures tell about events that took place in the Winter Palace and on Palace Square, about the daily life of the museum and its staff.
The exhibition includes urban landscapes depicting various parts of Saint Petersburg, portraits of literary characters and historical figures, as well as genre scenes. The youngsters’ imagination and fantasy invest their works with a special character.
