Incorporated in the State of Illinois in 2004, the Global Society for Latvian Art is a United States 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, whose stated mission is:

“To promote, preserve, and exhibit works of art created by artists who were exiled from Latvia as a result of the Second World War as well as other artists of Latvian descent; to promote and encourage global communication among persons interested in Latvian art and culture; to establish and operate a museum of Latvian diaspora art dedicated to collecting, studying, exhibiting and preserving such art; and to work with all existing Latvian-American organizations and other organizations in trust and harmony and to develop close ties between Latvian-Americans and others whose goals are to support and promote Latvian art and other Latvian cultural art forms.”

Vision:  To establish a world center/museum for Latvian art in Latvia, the central focus of which will be to collect art representing Latvian artists from the United States, Canada, Australia, Sweden, South America, Europe, and wherever else Latvian artists have lived and worked outside of Latvia. The collection will be created through donations from artists, their families, organizations and private collectors, subject to guidelines developed by the Global Society for Latvian Art (see Donate Artwork). The center will present exhibits from its permanent collection, invitational shows, and the work of local Latvian artists, in order to explore various curatorial themes and to contribute to the artistic education of the public. The center will be a resource for scholarly research about Latvian artists, featuring an electronic database as well as physical documents and other materials pertaining to the collection and to the historical period it represents.

Traveling Exhibition of Latvian Diaspora Art:  Since September 2006, the Global Society has collaborated with the Valmiera regional museum (Valmieras novadpētniecības muzejs) in organizing a large traveling exhibition of Latvian diaspora artworks. After two years of intensive planning and hard work, the long-awaited traveling exhibition of Latvian diaspora artworks opened at Valmiera museum on the afternoon of August 8, 2008, as part of a citywide celebration of Valmiera’s 725th birthday. The opening ceremony included remarks by Valmiera’s Mayor, Inesis Boķis, Valmiera Museum Director Iveta Blūma, and Exhibitions Director Guna Medne.  Global Society for Latvian Art founder and president Lelde Alīda Kalmīte spoke about the organization’s history and future plans. Australian Artists Society president Dagnija Zariņa Greste, American Latvian Association Cultural Foundation director Sarma Muižnieks Liepiņš, Latvian Artists’ Union President Mārtiņš Heimrāts, and others expressed greetings and warm wishes on behalf of their respective organizations.

Among the 200+ attendees at the opening reception were sixteen participating artists, some of whom had traveled to Valmiera from as far away as Sydney Australia. They included Jānis Annus, Voldemārs Avens, Daina Dagnija, Igors Dimits, Dagnija Zariņa Greste, Norvels Hermanovskis, Lelde Kalmīte, Maija Krustāne Šlesere, Andris Leimanis, Dace Marga, Sarma Muižnieks Liepiņš, Guna Mundheim, Haralds Noritis, Jānis Ritums, Gerda Roze, and Benno Tālivalds.
Ārija Pakere, in charge of exhibition installations at the Valmiera museum, had expertly arranged the diverse collection of approximately 100 art works including paintings, graphics, sculpture, textile work, photographs and one multi-media installation, on the two levels of the new Valmiera museum exhibition building. Following the opening ceremony, visitors enjoyed viewing the exhibition, accompanied by live music and refreshments. A number of distinguished visitors from the Riga art establishment were also present.

Since the 2008 opening, the show has been traveling to a number of regional museums throughout Latvia, including Gulbene, Valka, Limbazi, Madona and others. The exhibition is giving the inhabitants of Latvia an opportunity to encounter contemporary art created by artists of Latvian descent living throughout the world (see Exhibition Schedule).

A full-color catalogue documenting all works in the exhibition was designed and printed in Latvia and is available for purchase. Please contact lkalmite@latvianart.org for further information.

Visit the virtual exhibition and opening receptions

Ceļojošās Izstādes Atklāšana Valmierā

Pēc divu gadu plānošanas un intensīva darba Pasaules latviešu mākslas izstādi “Tēvu zemei – Latvijai” atklāja 2008. gada 8. augusta pēcpusdienā Valmieras mūzeja izstāžu zāles pagalmā, Valmieras 725 gadu jubilējas svinību ietvaros, ar Valmieras pilsētas padomes priekšsēdētāja Ineša Boķa apsveikumu. Klātesošos uzrunāja arī Valmieras mūzeja direktore Iveta Blūma un Valmieras mūzeja izstāžu un reklāmas nodaļas vadītāja Guna Medne. Pasaules latviešu mākslas savienības dibinātāja un prezidente Lelde Alīda Kalmīte stāstīja par šīs organizācijas tapšanu un mērķiem, kā arī par nākotnes plāniem. Apsveikumu runas teica arī Austrālijas mākslinieku savienības priekšsēdētāja Dagnija Zariņa Greste un Amerikas latviešu apvienības Kultūras fonda vadītāja Sama Muižniece-Liepiņa, Latvijas Mākslinieku Savienības priekšsēdētājs Mārtiņš Heimrāts, kā arī citi individi un organizāciju pārstāvji.

Starp gandrīz 200 atklāšanas viesiem bija atbraukuši izstādei ziedoto darbu 16 autori no visām pasaules malām, ieskaitot no tālās Austrālijas:  Jānis Annus, Voldemārs Avens, Daina Dagnija, Igors Dimits, Dagnija Zariņa Greste, Norvels Hermanovskis, Lelde Alīda Kalmīte, Maija Krustāne-Šlesere, Andris Leimanis, Dace Marga, Sarma Muižnieks- Liepiņš, Guna Mundheim, Haralds Norītis, Jānis Ritums, Gerda Roze, un Benno Tālivalds.

Izstādes apmēram 100 mākslas darbus mūzeja divās izstāžu telpās bija prasmīgi iekārtojusi mūzeja darbiniece, māksliniece, Ārija Pakere. Daudzpusīgajā ekspozicijā redzami gleznas, grafiski darbi, skulptūras, fotografijas un viena multi-mēdiju instalācija. Pēc atklāšanas runām sekoja izstādes apskate, ciemošanās, mūzika un atspirdzinājumi. Bija atbraukuši arī vairāki Rīgas māklsas pasaules pārstāvji. 

Pēc izstādes slēgšanas Valmierā tā ceļos pa Latvijas novadu mūzejiem un citām izstāžu telpām, iepazīstinot Latvijas iedzīvotājus, ieskaitot rīdziniekus, ar ārpus Latvijas dzīvojošo latviešu mākslinieku mūsdienu mākslas darbiem. Pēc Valmieras, izstāde bija apskatāma Gulbenē, Valkā un Limbažos. Visa izstāde bus apskatāma Madonā, un starp 2009. g. 6. augustu un 7. septembri, Pētera bazinīcā Rīgā. lkalmite@latvianart.org.

Virtuāla izstāde un atklāšanas fotogrāfijas

Exhibition Schedule

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