YEREVAN–The Cafesjian Center for the Arts (CCA) in Yerevan on Monday began offering special creativity and art workshops for children aged 6-12 as part of a unique cast and melted glass exhibition on display at the museum by Czech glass artist Ivana Šrámková.
The program, called “Creativity and Imagination,” will offer is based on Šrámková’s “Geometric Forms and Images” exhibition, which will be on display at the CCA’s Sasuntsi Davit Garden Gallery until March 2011.
According to the CCA website, the “overall purpose of the program is to contribute to the art education of children in Armenia,” while also bringing “the Cafesjian Center for the Arts closer to children, schools and families.”
“Our trainers will encourage children to think about art, to use their imagination and be creative,” said CCA Programming and Education Director Astghik Marabyan. “They will no longer visit the Center as pure spectators; instead, they will be offered a rewarding and interactive experience with art.”
The first workshop was held on November 9 for the students of Zatik orphanage. Similar workshops will also be offered on Saturdays for families starting November 13.
“I am very happy to have this program in the frameworks of my exhibition. The child’s mind is very pure, and I am looking forward to seeing their spontaneous reaction and how they will respond to the artworks, what will come out of their interaction with art,” said Šrámková, who was present during the inaugural workshop.
Šrámková was born in the Czech Republic in 1960. She studied at the Applied Arts College in Zelezný Brod, Czech Republic, from 1976 to 1980. She continued her education at the Academy of Applied Arts, in Prague, headed by Stanislav Libenský. Šrámková graduated from the Academy in 1987.
Her specialty is cast and melted glass sculptures of people, animals and still life. Ivana’s unique style lies in stacking pieces of glass to create monumental sculptures and often using paint to add a touch of humor. Her work is light-hearted and fun.
“My favorite things to sculpt are people and animals,” she said. “Animals are beautiful, wild or faithful. They live with people on one planet. We often imitate and observe their behavior and abilities.”
Šrámková’s works are part of public collections of many museums, including the National Gallery in Prague, Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the US Corning Museum of Glass, Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Aperto Vetro, Museo Correr in Venice, Heller Gallery in New York.
The exhibition “Geometric Shapes and Images” is the artist’s first exhibition in Armenia