THE BEGINNING. 130 YEARS. TO THIS DAY
2026.10.26
Exhibition of artworks by faculty at the National Academy of Art and artworks from the Academy’s Museum Collection
3 November – 2 December 2026
Exhibition opening: 3 November 2026 (Tuesday), 5:30 pm
2019 Exhibition Hall, Plovdiv City Art Gallery, Plovdiv
The exhibition THE BEGINNING. 130 YEARS. TO THE THIS DAY is presenting works from the Museum Collection of the National Academy of Art alongside artworks by current faculty members. It is organised in two modules and bridges the Academy’s heritage with contemporary artistic life. It is just another one among the events marking the 130th anniversary of the National Academy of Art, originally established in 1896 as State School of Drawing. The Academy has consistently played a pivotal role in the development of Bulgarian artistic culture, the establishment of the artist’s status within society, and the integration of Bulgarian art into the broader European art landscape.
The formation of the Academy’s Museum Collection—one of the oldest collections of Bulgarian art—began with the establishment of the school itself. Amassed over the decades, the collection preserves artworks and pedagogical examples that document the evolution of art education in Bulgaria, teaching methodologies, and the creative development of generations of artists.
The exhibition features 29 paintings and 13 ceramic works. The artists featured include Georgi Mitov, Dimitar Gyudzhenov, Nikola Petrov, Vladimir Dimitrov-Maistora, Nikola Kozhuharov, Konstantin Shtarkelov, Stefan Ivanov, Ivan Milev, Vassil Stoilov, Iliya Petrov, Ivan Vukadinov, Toma Varbanov, Dimitar (Didi) Arnaudov, Yasharali Tahirov, and others.
The exhibited artworks illustrate the connection between art education and the development of Bulgarian art—from the establishment of Academicism in the late 19th and the first half of the 20th century to the explorations undertaken by various generations of artists in the decades that followed. The paintings reveal a striving for freer expression–a characteristic trait among many young artists during the 1920s and 1930s. Academic education tasks from the second half of the 20th century offer insight into diverse formal approaches and the development of an individual artistic language within the framework of academic training. This particular selection from the Museum’s holdings gives the public a chance to view artworks from a collection that is not otherwise on permanent display. Brought together to mark the anniversary, those pieces of art reveal the Academy's history through the tangible work in the ateliers and the interaction between teachers and students.
The second exhibition module featuring current faculty members, continues this dialogue into the present day; it explores contemporary trends and practices across visual and plastic arts, including painting, printmaking, sculpture, poster design, book design and illustration, as well as objects crafted from ceramics, glass, and metal. For 130 years, the Academy has preserved and developed its teaching traditions and values, while simultaneously incorporating contemporary approaches into its educational and creative endeavours. The presented artworks showcase a diverse range of methods, media, technologies, and experiments with form, concept, and material—all of which reveal an academic tradition that has evolved into a distinct, individual artistic language.
Continuity is the connection between the two exhibition modules; it encompasses the preservation and critical re-evaluation of experience, and the pursuit of an individual artistic path. It is this capacity—to pass on knowledge while fostering an environment for new exploration—that defines the enduring significance of the National Academy of Art throughout its 130-year history. Through its faculty, the Academy remains a key driver of cultural processes in Bulgaria, embodying the spirit of a modern European higher education institution that teaches the art of creating future.
Exhibition team
Prof. Zdravka Vassileva, PhD
Milena Balcheva-Bozhkova, PhD
Assoc. Prof. Svetlin Balezdrov, PhD
Assoc. Prof. Vassil Kolev, PhD
Asst. Prof. Stefka Momchilova, PhD
This project is realised within the framework of the 2026 Competition for Funding Projects on rScientific Research and Artistic Activities at the National Academy of Art.