VA Classes and Workshops

In the first year of their studies, master's degree students are expected to attend 1) consultations in the studio they were accepted to, 2) VA meetings with the VA tutor, 3) mandaory theoretical lectures on theory and history of art and design, and a few elective classes. 

1. Consultations in your studio

Work and presence in the studio you were accepted to (e.g. Fine Arts I, Illustration and Graphics, Product Design, etc.) is the most important part of your VA curricula. Your studio is the place where you should spend most of your time, discuss with your fellow Czech or international students, consult your work in progress with the head of the studio and the assistant during regular consultations, and work on semestral assignments (if there are any).

Last but not least, your studio is the place where you install your final projects in both winter and summer semesters (January, June) and present them to a summoned jury.

In the second year of their studies, master's degree students can focus on writing their diploma thesis and working on their diploma project. They also attend diploma seminars with their diploma project heads, thesis consultants, and they present their diploma work in progress twice an academic year.

They install and present their diploma project at the end for the academic year, i.e. mid-June.   

2. VA meetings 

Group VA meetings are an open space for VA students to generate new opportunities through collaboration and sharing of experiences, ideas and knowledge. They are designed for all first-year and second-year (or third-year) Visual Arts students from all studios and cultural backgrounds to come, share and learn together. Thanks to the vibrant environment and communication during these group meetings, all VA students can test their own critical thinking, opinions and views, find different perspectives about their own work, and with the help of others, shape and pursue their projects in new and interesting ways. The meetings, group activities and exhibitions are organized by a VA tutor who provides students with both theoretical and practical assistance. All VA tutors offer students a broad variety of topics and forms of engagement: the meetings usually involve group discussions on various topics (brought by the tutor or the students), student presentations, screenings, skill-share workshops, tours, guest visits, visits to various Prague museums, galleries, and institutions, and last but not least, one-day or two-day field trips outside of Prague.

Since October 2019, the position of the VA tutor has been held by Conrad Eric Armstrong. Conrad is an American artist and teacher who has lived and worked in Prague since 2004. Having initially studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, Conrad earned his MFA degree from the UMPRUM studio of Intermedia Confrontation in 2010. In his professional teaching life, he has worked with a range of ages and abilities, which included functioning as the VA assistant to Milena Dopitová from 2011 to 2014. His artistic pursuits in painting, drawing, sculpture, and performance involve elements of storytelling, exploration of the possibilities of association, and often aim to engage viewers on a playful and inquisitive level. 

3. Lectures and Seminars on Theory and History of Art and Elective Workshops

Visual Arts students can choose from a number of obligatory and elective classes and workshops. During the two-year program, they have to gain credits for at least 8 obligatory classes on theory and history of art and design and around 3 elective workshops; some of the classes are mandatory only for students from specific departments, i.e. Chapters from the History of Graphic Design for students from the Department of Graphics, History of Design of 20th Century for students from Applied Arts and Design Department, etc. Attending these mandatory courses also helps them prepare for the Final State Exams which the post-graduate students take in the fourth (sixth in case of architecture) semester of their studies.