The Art School after Virsaladze in Tbilisi

Maro Asatryan

On January 20 I visited Tbilisi Art School 1 after Virsaladze. This is one of the well-known schools in Tbilisi established by Konstantin Kiknadze in 1955. The school doesn’t look like others: it is unique with an original design. The first impression is that the school walls, furniture, small and comfortable classrooms have the touch of art.  I got acquainted with several pupils and had a talk with them. They had an interesting and rich inner world, dreams and goals the realization of which they connected with their education. I also had a talk with Ketevan Barnabishvili, the principal of  the school. Mrs. Barnabishvili spoke about the history of the school, methods of teaching, the school needs, and also about their aims and plans. Every year the students of this school take an active part in different international, republican and city exhibitions and are awarded various prizes, diplomas and medals. As for exhibitions abroad, the school representatives have been to Japan, where they won the contest “War and Peace”. They have also been to Geneva, Iran, South Africa, Egypt and to other countries.

To get to know the Georgian cultural heritage better out-door lectures are held near the historical monuments. Young artists work in Old Tbilisi, Signakhi, Telavi and in other places.         

Well-known artists and sculptors have got their education here, who besides being engaged in art, have also been active social figures, as in addition to learning or teaching art, each student or teacher at this school is also engaged in social activities. The students of this school not only get knowledge in art, but also take part in various activities of social life, for in modern world no exterior environmental or clothing design, no decorations are done without artists’ work.  That is why one of the key objectives of the school is to educate intellectual independent and active individuals with bright imagination and creative skills.

For the sake of learners’ general development, besides compulsory subjects, special courses of further education have been taught at Georgian public schools since 2006: for example, photography, videography, the history of cinematography and theatre, rhetorical art, applied art, metal work, wood carving, embroidery and gobelin tapestry. Once a week the learners visit exhibition halls, museums. They are to see genuine works in order to be inspired and be able to make their own creations.