ABOUT

 

ŠUMATOVAČKA – CENTER OF FINE ARTS AND EDUCATION

Šumatovačka Street is in Vračar. In that street is located and recognized the Center of Fine Arts & Education, one of the oldest cultural institutions in Belgrade. It originates from period after Second World War, in year 1948., initiated by visual artists and managed by Department for Culture and Art of City of Belgrade. It was situated in former School on Air, designed in 1931. by Ignjat Popović, renowned architect and  distinguished representative of early Moderna art movement. Today, it’s a full responsibility institution with a socio-legal status in which are practiced activities related to culture and education, of a great significance to the Belgrade and broader cultural scene.

 Since the foundation, this institution resembled independent art schools which acted in Munich, Paris and Vienna. Notion of Šumatovačka also implies numerous established contemporary visual artists, architects, theoreticians, critics and lecturers. The fact that more than ten thousand students gained their first knowledge in art here since 1948, so as its tradition and a range of respectable artists tied to it, make it special and substantiate its significance. It has an important role in both visual and fine arts, and art pedagogy of the region.

Activities of the Center are primarily oriented to studying and promoting fine and applied arts, as well as other art forms including architecture, literature, video, acting, performing arts, music…

Through creative workshops, Šumatovačka is increasingly engaging in upbringing and education of youth. Aim of this engagement is to create a platform for developing interests, creative exploring and breaking in to world of new ideas and concepts which would enrich experience of a child and expand its comprehension abilities.

Those who built and worked in Šumatovačka, created an environment for discovering new artistic means and tendencies in our art community, opened space for artists-explorers to step outside the traditional bounderies of artistic expression. They introduced possibilities for developping a different art scene in our town, as well as in the domain of fine arts and creation outside the dominant cultural matrix in all of ex-Yugoslav territories. 

As a lasting contribution to the community and with the help of artist who recognized the importance of this kind of heritage, Šumatovačka Art Collection – Work in Progress has been founded. To the present moment, these artists contributed to the collection by donating their works: Antić Dunja, Arnautović Snežana, Bogdanović Kosta (1930-2012), Bunuševac Kosta, Čekić Jovan, Ćirić Rastko,  Damnjanović Jelena, Dragojlović Marija, Đekić Marta, Đurić Uroš, Glid Gabrijel, Jeremić Moca, Komad Vladimir, Komatina Ana, Conti Picamus Fererico, Konjikušić Marija, Kovač Žolt, Lapčević Milica, Marinković Milan-Cile, Marković Jelena, Milunović Mihael, Miljuš Branko (19636-2012), Nikitović Nenad, Ognjanović Koča, Opavsky Vesna, Otašević Dušan, Pantić Aleksandar, Petrović Ivan, Petrović Jelena, Pleskonja Ivona, Popović Zoran,  Prodanović Mileta, Radoman Caranović Dina, Radovanović Ana, Rajčević Balša, Rakočević-Cvijanov Maja, Savić Slaviša, Srb Aleksandar, Stajčić Milorad, Stanković Miodrag, Stanković Nina, Stanojević Jovanka, Stojanović Jelena, Stojanović Slobodan Dane, Stojković Milica, Tepavac-Tarin Milan, Tepavac Milorad, Terzić Predrag-Peđa, Todorović Aleksandar, Todorović Nina, Todosijević Marko Mrvax,Todosijević Raša, Trnavac Filip, Vasiljev Asja, Vasiljev Marija, Vicković Selena, Vitale Morassutti Marie and Vlahović Jugoslav.

As one of the primary goals of contemporary cultural politics refers to audience expansion and growth of culture market, Šumatovačka will make an effort in the future to increase the culture availability and to involve a broader public in cultural and artistic activities.

The mission of Šumatovačka in general is to contribute to development of art scene in the city, to explore and act in domain of active reflections, both in traditional art and current visual trends.

Since the beginning, Šumatovačka supports all kinds of artistic concepts with an aspiration to develop entirely new and different Belgrade art scene which interacts with current European and world art actions, different art practices and interpretations.

Šumatovačka vision is to become a leading institution of culture in the field of advanced art education and meeting point for artist create and exploring material, spiritual or intellectual art.

Šumatovačka cherishes its “tradition”, but not to keep it just for itself. From one of the oldest city institutions of culture and perhaps one of the most beautiful gardens of Čubura, Šumatovačka wishes to get involved in everyday life. With the slogan Art on every table, Šumatovačka would like to invite and initiate an examination, interpretation and reception of presence, involvement and role of visual arts in lives of each and every one of us.

General manager 

MA Vesna Bogunović

Theoretician of Art and Media


 

CURRICULUM

Šumatovačka – Center of Fine Arts & Education is a well known and respected art school in our country, ex-Yugoslav region, as well as outside these territories. Numerous renowned artists, pedagogues, critics, theoreticians and many others speak of Šumatovačka with great respect and about the time spent there as students.

Curriculum activities are constituted by Founding Statute of this institution with aim for the Center to be actively involved in Belgrade cultural and art life. Other goals include contributing to exchange, presentation, promotion and connecting cultural and artistic contents which would  provide a better quality of cultural life, cooperation and networking with other cultural and educational institutions, as well as working on visibility of the Center.

Educational art programs take from one to six semesters depending on the nature of each program. They consist of lectures, lab work, practice and specialized presentations in regular group sessions with individual consultations included for each student. In addition to regular classes, group and individual/author exhibitions are held in Šumatovačka, as well as seminars and guest lectures. From the very beginning in 1948, teachers were artists, pedagogues and associates with certified artistic, scientific and professional qualifications. Depending on knowledge/skills accomplished at the course/ workshop, students become eligible for receiving a certificate of attending art educational program within a certain period of time.

Šumatovačka – Center of Fine Arts & Education provides equal possibilities for studying to both Serbian and foreign citizens. Official language of communication and classes for foreign students is English.

By contributing to development and exploration of art scene in our city, Šumatovačka as an institution of culture is committing itself to exploring and acting in domain of active reflections, both in traditional art and current visual trends, also to taking part in art education by wide range of activities in the Center and outside of it- with guest programs held in elementary and high schools.

Curriculums in Šumatovačka are not exclusively designed for future students of art schools and colleges. They are rather meant for all of those interested in exploring new ways of creative thinking and production, as well as in applying innovative solutions and critical praxis to their work.

All educational activities and art workshops taking place in Šumatovačka are accessible and with  equal opportunities to people with disabilities, both children and adults, with the aim of supporting and encouraging their socialization, creativity and motivation to participate in cultural life.

There is also an university/ working practices program in Šumatovačka, open for students attending final years in majority of high education institutions and all college faculties of art universities.



CURRICULUMS IN ŠUMATOVAČKA

  • EDUCATIONAL ART PROGRAMS

  • ART WORKSHOPS

  • ART CRAFTS

  • PROJECTS

  • DOCUMENTARY ART ARCHIVE:

    • Šumatovačka Art Collection – Work in Progress

    • Virtual Museum

  • GALLERY- EXHIBITIONS:

    • Stepenište (Stairway) Gallery

    • Vračarska bašta (Vračar Garden) Gallery

  • AIR ŠUMATOVAČKA (ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM)

  • EXPANSION OF CULTURE THROUGH VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND INTERFUSION OF ARTS

ŠUMATOVAČKA PROPERTY is made of two units: two building facilities of total size =364 square meters (315m2 and 49m2) and 25 acres and 32 m2 garden.

ŠUMATOVAČKA WORKING SPACE includes:

  • Two ground floor ateliers

  • First floor studio

  • Studio-Library

  • Stairways (Stepenište) Gallery

  • Outdoor gallery – Vračar Garden (Vračarska bašta)

  • Artist in Residence/Residential studio

  • Photo lab

  • Ancillary studio

  • Specialized ateliers located outside the Center area (art crafts)

Beside general manager MA Vesna Bogunović, Theoretician of Art and Media, program editor Ksenija Marinković, art historian, Creative Communications and Marketing Specialist and program coordinator Danijela Rančić, Professor of Serbian Language and Literature, there are over forty associates and over twenty trainees (collaboration with the University of Belgrade Centre for Career Development and City of Belgrade) working here in Šumatovačka.

Mira Adanja Polak visiting Šumatovačka