Established in Vija Celmina Foundation Scholarship / Day
Vija Celmiņa Fund, created in the United States for cultural promotion (Vija Celmins Foundation Inc.) In cooperation with the Latvian National Museum of Art (LNMM) and Latvian -born American artist Vija Celmiņš, from 2025. Every year, a scholarship will be awarded a scholarship of $ 30,000.00 per Latvian artist. Vija Celmiņa Foundation has been determined to provide the scholarship for ten years – from October 2025 to October 2034.
Vija Celmina Foundation Fellowship logo with Saturn
The aim of the scholarship is to support actively practicing and in the former creative work highly proven Latvian artists or representatives of individual artists’ associations. Vija Celmiņš is always interested in the art environment in Latvia and what happens to Latvian artists, as they can, despite often limited opportunities, can deal with art and be creative free. Vija Celmiņa wants to promote patronage in art in Latvia, believing that it is the responsibility of every wealthy person to donate to an important event in society. « Follow your art and go where it leads you. Creating art means striving for what you can’t say in words, » inspires applicants Vija Celmina.
« Vija Celmiņa has always been an important artist and a work of art she created. However, when it comes to success or failure, Celmina is relatively direct in her ratings, often expressing a critical attitude. At the same time, she understands what the path to go. It seems to have been deeply belonging to Latvia, growing the plans of the Vija Celmina Foundation.
”Ellex Klavins The Office has a real honor to be along with the Latvian National Museum of Art and to support outstanding initiatives that promote the growth of Latvian contemporary art. For more than eight years, our cooperation with the LNMM has been based on common beliefs about the importance of art in the development of society. We believe that companies also play a role in the cultivation of cultural landscapes, and this time the scholarship of Vija Celmiņa Fund is an extremely important step towards sustainable patronage in Latvia. Our office values have always included support for Latvian art and LNMM, and we are happy to continue this tradition, ”emphasizes Raimonds Slaidiņš, Ellex Klavins Senior partner, spokesman for the Vija Celmiņa Foundation scholarship.
The application form with the artist’s CV, portfolio and description (up to 1000 characters) for the scholarship use of the scholarship must be sent to the email address (Email Protected).
Applying for the 2025 scholarship is open from June 1 to July 31.
The scholarship winner will be announced in October.
All current information will be available in the LNMM website section Arsenal Vija Celmiņa Foundation scholarship.
A jury has been established in the composition of five experts to ensure the evaluation of the scholarship applicants and the selection of nominees. The jury members include one representative of the Latvian National Museum of Art and four invited experts in the field of contemporary art processes. 2025-2026 In the year of the scholarship: LNMM in the 20th century. The second half of the 21st century. collections and scientific research departments Arsenal Manager Dr. Art. Elita Ansone, kim? Consultation of the Center for Contemporary Art and Employers Erda founder, Member of the Latvian Academy of Arts Zane Čulkstena, artist, co -founder and curator of gallery 427 Kaspars Groševs, artist, galleries Low and curator of the founder and exhibitions of the Riga Festival, Maija Kurdeva, a lecturer at the Latvian Academy of Arts, and artist Inga Meldere.
After reviewing the scholarship application, the jury selects five applicants, of which Vija Celmiņa Fund selects one scholarship winner.
Two years later, a new LNMM Director will be formed by the composition of the expert group.
Vija Celmiņa is an American artist of Latvian origin. Born in 1938, Celmiņa, in Riga, in 1944, went on refugees, and arrived in the US in 1948 and settled in Indianapolis in 1949. When Vija Celmiņa started her studies at the University of California (Master’s degree in Fine Arts, 1965), she moved to Los Angeles, where she lived and worked until 1981. Then went to New York, confidently strengthened his name in Western art and became one of the most prominent contemporary artists. Her drawings, paintings and graphic works are known for the ocean surfaces, starry sky, spider networks and desert stones.
Vija Celmiņa works are located in important contemporary art collections in the world: the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOMA), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Los Angeles Museum of Art, the San Francisco Modern Art Museum, the Pompidu Art Center in Paris
Vija Celmiņa Foundation Scholarship logo with Saturn created by artist Sarmīte Māliņa, inspired by the LNMM collection of work – lithographic lithography Saturn brands (1995). In the late 1960s, the space conquering the era created Celmina’s interest in the shots of space. She has portrayed Saturn in several jobs but Saturn brands It arose as a conceptual comment on the entry of space theme in pop culture.
The scholarship is supported by SIA Zab Ellex Klavins. The cooperation of the Law Office with the Latvian National Museum of Art dates back to 2017, and since then the patronage of art has become an important part of the cultural identity of the office.
