Exhibition of paintings by participants of the H. Jordan’s Youth Cultural Centre in Tarnowskie Góry under the direction of Maria Kurtz entitled “Bakcyl”.
AUTHORS
Weronika Bal, Ania Cichoń, Ania Jach, Marta Jach, Amelia Jergla, Laura Jonak, Lena Król, Zosia Mrugała, Zosia Myrda, Julianna Paduch, Marta Pawełek, Natalia Pelikan, Basia Reichel, Zosia Rogozińska, Maja Sędek, Julia Tomaszewska, Zuzia Witczyk
The art studio Bakcyl at the District Youth Cultural Centre offers regular classes for children and young people aged 6 to 19, with occasional intergenerational and adult workshops. In addition, we visit exhibitions and museums, take part in competitions, festivals and open-air workshops, and prepare young people for art schools and art studies. We enable our participants to present their works in Jordan and beyond. We try to learn about themes and styles in art, a variety of painting, graphic design and handicraft techniques, as well as touching on a bit of art history through play.
Some of the groups followed a very inspiring programme this year, in which the starting point was the potential questions about art, about the work, that both children and adults could ask the artist or curator if they had the opportunity. Often these conversations, supported by a variety of experiences, such as making their own egg tempera pigments, slicing and tasting a still life, or trying to distinguish between images generated by artificial intelligence and those created by the artist, gave rise to further, genuine questions.
We work with a variety of methods, painting from both nature and imagination, brainstorming together, sharing and exchanging ideas, using a combination of many sources. Everyone will agree that talents are important. And everyone also has certain starting prerequisites. For one they represent an area of lightness, someone else starts with less potential. But in the atelier we learn to appreciate work, such as systematic sketching, because we know that even great talent without putting in the effort can be buried, while a small spark with regular practice can be ignited.
For a number of years we organised exhibitions in the studio for amateur and professional artists. More than once, the statement “That was my first vernissage” was uttered – and this did not only apply to the exhibitors, but also to the audience.
A very important aspect is the meeting, the good atmosphere, and for many this social side of being in the studio is as important as the artistic one.
We want ‘Bakcyl’ to be a place where we show that art is attractive, where we also tame it, because we don’t accept that it is hermetic. Many people who previously only sketched have fallen in love with colour and painting here. For many, the first plein-air experience took place here, which is always a step out of the comfort zone. Many have bound themselves to an artistic path for good, and although not everyone necessarily chooses one, conscious art consumers are certainly educated here.