Iš meilės menui ir Lietuvai. Amerikos lietuvių dailininkių draugijos veiklos bruožai

LTStraipsnis skirtas gilesniam Amerikos lietuvių dailininkių draugijos, įkurtos 1971 m. Čikagoje, veiklos pažinimui. Apibrėžti organizacijos vietą ir reikšmę bendrame išeivijos dailės kontekste bandoma išryškinant pozityvius lietuvių dailės reprezentacijos, integracijos j vietinę kultūrą aspektus, atkreipiant dėmesį į skirtingus asmeninius, lietuviškos auditorijos bei daugiakultūrės aplinkos lūkesčius. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Išeivijos dailė; Amerikos lietuvių dailininkių draugija; Čikaga; Lietuvių dailės reprezentacija; Meninė integracija; Art in emigration; Chicago; Representation of Lithuanian art; Artistic integration.

ENTo better establish themselves as artists in the American art after World War II, it was important for Lithuanian artists to form various groups and organisations. One of them was Lithuanian American Women Artists Association (LAWAA) established under initiative of Vanda Balukienė in 1971. This organisation was very active for 15 years under leadership of three chairpersons (V. Balukas 1971-1977, Donna Rhae Marder 1978-1984, Diana Kizlauskas 1985- 1986) and held a number of well-known exhibitions. Works by Lithuanian artists, which were exhibited in Beverly Arts Centre, Barat College, John H. Vanderpoel Gallery, Hyde Park Art Centre, Gary Arts League, University Club of Chicago Gallery, M. K. Čiurlionis Gallery, were noticed and highly evaluated not only by Lithuanian but also by American art critics. The group united about 30 female artists, who graduated from accredited art studies and represented various spheres and generations. The Association also tutored and invited female artists, who were still studying or who lived further away from Chicago. From the one side, this circumstance had a positive effect on the growth of artists' professionalism and Lithuanian cultural life in general; from the other side it contradicted the main goal established by the Association to organise exhibitions of high level. Despite complicated twists and turns on the way to better visible artistic spaces, Lithuanian American Women Artists Association has to be included into all the Lithuanian encyclopaedias and reference books as an organisation, which significantly contributed to improvement of Lithuanian cultural life in emigration, to formation of image of Lithuanian exodus and representation of national fine art.After a 12 year break, the Association renewed its activity in 1998 (chairwoman Marija Aldona Meškauskas). However, its activity in artistic life lacks vitality due to changing circumstances of the epoch and artistic ambitions; therefore, it can only partially be regarded as continuation of its previous movement. [From the publication]