Archives of the Collection of the Strzemiński Academy of Art

Archives of the Collection of the Strzemiński Academy of Art
ul. Wojska Polskiego 121
91-726 Łódź
Tel. (42) 254 74 75
lkuk@asp.lodz.pl
www.cnis.asp.lodz.pl/archiwum-zbiorów
Curator: Lidia Kuk MA

When the academy was established in 1945, it became necessary to build up a collection of the students’ work as well as diploma work which would show how the education process progressed over the years. The archives contain materials related to the activities of the State Higher School of Fine Arts in Łódź (1949–1996) and the Strzemiński Academy of Art in Łódź (since 1996). At rst the academy educated mainly designers for the textile industry, but it also taught art. As new trends emerged, the collections expanded their thematic scope to include objects from various fields. The archives’ resources include students’ projects, and work carried out during specialist workshops at the academy (dressmaking and tailoring, weaving, shoemaking, fabric printing, etc.), prototypes, paintings, objects made using various graphic techniques, models, sculptures, design work – courses, diplomas and the research of students and teachers, as well as a collection of objects donated by artists who have exhibited their work in the academy’s galleries. The archives contain a fine collection of artistic fabrics (including woven, printed and unique fabrics), paintings, graphics (printing techniques and applied graphics), sculpting, posters, photography, collections of clothing, footwear and accessories, a jewellery collection and documentation of the teaching process and of art exhibitions. Moreover, the archives contain a collection of the research work of teachers, the legacy of the staff, students and people associated with the Strzemiński Academy of Art in Łódź, documentation, including photographs and video recordings, and archives related to academy life. An important collection comprises work donated by Gallery 261. The archives are still being supplemented with work by artists – teachers associated with the academy. The archives maintain documentation and records of the collections and supervise the inventories for all the existing departments. In addition an electronic database of the archives is being created alongside work on digitization to better manage the collections and archives and the gathering of documentation in digital form. The oldest exhibits dating back to 1950 consist primarily of unique textiles made using jacquard hand looms and harness looms, such as the decorative fabrics made under the supervision of Prof. Regina Kańska- Piotrowska, Prof. Lucjan Kintopf, Prof. Maria Borowska, Prof. Antoni Starczewski and Prof. Bolesław Tomaszkiewicz. The oldest printed fabrics also date back to 1950 and were made under the supervision of Prof. Maria Stieber, Prof. Teresa Tyszkiewicz, Prof. Anna Orzechowska, and Prof. Lech Kunk. The collections of clothing, footwear and accessories comprise objects made from 1957 onwards. The first exhibit in the clothing department was a nightgown and bed jacket designed in the studio of Prof. Wanda Borowska. The oldest painting collections date back to the years 1956–1960 and include works by students who are currently university teachers, as well as outstanding present-day students; they represent various trends in Polish painting over the years.
Lidia Kuk MA