EXHIBITIONS OF CLASS OF 2026 ALUMNI FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ART
2026.06.17
130 Years of National Academy of Art – The Art of Creating Future!
17 June – 30 July 2026
Sofia and Burgas
The National Academy of Art is presenting the project "Exhibitions of the Class of 2026 alumni from the National Academy of Art"–a series of exhibitions in various galleries and cultural spaces in Sofia and Burgas in the period 17 June – 30 July 2026. The initiative for presenting exhibitions of graduating students, which has been implemented since 2023, assists them to establish themselves as young contemporary artists with own ideas and artistic positions by getting the audiences acquainted with their achievements.
The project is based on the idea and striving for the works created in the process of learning to reach their natural environment–the exhibition space and the viewer. Thus, graduation becomes not just the end of an educational stage, but first professional appearance of young artists on the art scene.
The BA and MA graduates show their projects, which have been created by applying classical and innovative approaches, cover a wide range of directions in visual and plastic arts–from painting, sculpture, printmaking and murals, through posters, books, scenography, textiles and design, to woodcarving, metal, ceramics, restoration, digital arts and photography. The diverse exhibitions reveal the wealth of creative pursuits at the National Academy of Art and the individual style of each artist.
With “Exhibitions of the Alumni from the National Academy of Art – Class of 2026”, the National Academy of Art supports its graduates in the transition from the academic environment to the professional art scene. The project presents the results of art education, but also shows something more important–the emergence of a new generation of artists who already claim their place in contemporary visual art.
The fourth edition of the project is part of the events programme to mark the 130th anniversary of the National Academy of Art, founded as State School of Drawing in 1896.
Media partners
Bulgarian News Agency
Bulgarian National Radio
Project partners
Academia Gallery, Shipka 6 Gallery at Union of Bulgarian Artists, San Stefano Gallery, Serdika Gallery, HG Gallery at Iliya Petrov National High School of Fine Arts, Crystal Garden Open-Air Gallery, Serdika Triangular Tower at Regional History Museum – Sofia, Cube Gallery at Toplocentrala – Center for Contemporary Arts, AUTOMATIC Gallery, nOva art space Gallery, ONE Gallery, GrafikArt Gallery, UniCredit Studio, Art Center Bankya, Atelier Gallery at National Academy of Art – Burgas Branch, Sea Casino Cultural Center – Burgas
The project is implemented with the financial support of Sofia City Municipality – Calendar of Cultural Events, with the assistance of Burgas Municipality and within the framework of 2026 Competition for Funding Projects on the Scientific Research and Artistic Activities at the National Academy of Art.
P R O G R A M M E
17 June – 5 July
ATELIER Gallery at the Burgas Branch and SEA CASINO Cultural Centre – Burgas will present the exhibitions of the alumni from the departments of Painting; Printmaking; Book, Illustration, Printed Graphics; Poster and Visual Communication; Fashion Design, and the Master's degree programme in Photography at the Burgas Branch.
17–30 June
Exhibition of the alumni from the Department of Restoration and the Master's degree programme in Woodcarving will be arranged at ART CENTER BANKYA.
19 June – 10 July
Exhibition of the Department of Textile – Art and Design and the Master's degree programmes in Textile Art and in Textile Design will be presented in the gallery space of the TRIANGULAR TOWER OF SERDIKA.
22 June
AUTOMATIC Gallery will host a 24-hour performance of the Master's degree programme in Digital Arts, starting at 12:00 pm.
SAN STEFANO Gallery will present 3 expositions:
23 June – 4 July
Graduation projects of BA and MA alumni from the Department of Design for Children's Environment and from the Sub-Department of Ceramics
7–18 July
Master's degree programmes in Poster, in Visual Communication, in Calligraphy and in Photography
22–30 July
Master's degree programmes in Illustration, in Book Art and in Graphic Design
23–24 June
CUBE Gallery at TOPLOCENTRALA Regional Centre for Contemporary Arts will present the performance "Journey" of alumni from the Department of Fashion Design.
29 June – 12 July
Projects of the Department of Scenography and the Master's degree programmes in Scenography for Drama Theatre, in Costume Design, and in Design of Authorship Visual Performance will be located on the expo panels in the open-air gallery CRYSTAL GARDEN.
ACADEMIA Gallery will host 3 exhibitions:
25 June – 5 July
Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes in Printmaking and in Metal
8–19 July
Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes in Design in Advertising
21–30 July
Department of Book, Illustration, Printed Graphics
30 June – 12 July
UNICREDIT STUDIO will present the solo exhibition by Stefan Domuzov, Master's degree programme in Sculpture.
1–15 July
ONE Gallery will open its doors to present the projects by alumni from the Department of Fashion Design.
6–16 July
NOVA ART SPACE will present the works of alumni from the Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes in Painting, in Sculpture and in Sculpture – Form and Motion.
7–25 July
Graduation projects of Master's degree programme in Fashion Design will be exhibited at SERDIKA Gallery.
10–24 July
GRAPHICART Gallery will present an exhibition selection by alumni from the Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes in Printmaking.
15–30 July
Shipka 6 Gallery of the Union of Bulgarian Artists will present 2 exhibitions:
Hall 1B – Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes in Mural Painting and in Woodcarving
Hall 1C – Bachelor's degree programme in Industrial Design and Master's degree programmes in Automotive and Mechanical Design and in Interior and Exterior Design
17–30 July
HG Gallery at Iliya Petrov National High School of Fine Arts will present projects of the alumni from the Department of Poster and Visual Communication and the Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes in Porcelain and Glass Design.