Street Art and Cultural projects
“The Small Walls Project. 2017” and “The Small Walls Project. 2016”
Started at the late 2015 as an initiative of the artist Morfai, who painted the huge “folk band” – Lithuanian national ornament – on the cement wall by the river Nemunas in Kaunas city, Lithuania, and the triptych “Life and Death” on the old wooden advertisement boards. Later, these works done in a secret partisan way helped to ground the main ideas for the “Small Walls Project” – the initiative of the Innovative Creative Projects, which started in 2016.
Morfai became the art manager of the project inviting the young artists of Kaunas to create murals on the abandoned places, trying to look deeper into neglected fences, walls, unused advertisement boards and tunnels, which soon became the canvases for the fine art.
By the end of 2017, this project adorned the city of Kaunas with several exclusive works of Street Art, performed by the artists Morfai, Rokas Krilavičius, Tadas Vincaitis Plūgas, Vytenis Jakas, Tomas Dėžutė and others at the public spaces. Such murals as “Peace of the Sky”, “The Ghost-House (Shack)”, “Yard”, “Stark”, “Event at the Skateboard Park” and more have become an integral part of the urban landscape, which represents Kaunas as a modern and open city for the artistic experiments.
The Street art is an art form, which immediately involves the spectator: young and old, an art expert and indifferent, a pedestrian and a driver, rich and pure, a local resident and a guest or a tourist. It changes the very atmosphere of the city making the indifferent observer into the fine art lover.
Emilija Pundziūtė Gallois – the chair person of The Lithuanian Community in France and Lithuanian artist Gediminas Šibonis, who is creating the memorial board.
The project in cooperation with the Lithuanian Community in France. 2017
In memoriam to the Prelate J. Petrošius.
Innovative Creative Projects in cooperation with a Communauté Lithuanienne en France implemented the project In memoriam to the Prelate J. Petrošius. On November 19, 2017, the opening ceremony of the memorial board dedicated to the Prelate Jonas Petrošius took the place in Paris, St. Augustine Parish Church.
The personality of Jonas Petrošius according to the list of “Lithuania’s Significant Cultural Heritage in Alsace (France)” is undoubtedly the most prominent public figure. Lithuanian by identity cared for all Lithuanians living in France, especially in its regions.
The memorial desk to commemorate the prelate was created by the prominent Lithuanian artists and cultural representatives – Gediminas Šibonis, internationally renowned ceramic artist, who exhibited his works in Lithuania, Germany, Sweden and France. The author of the texts on the board – Valdas Papievis, the winner of the Lithuanian National Prize.
At the planned opening ceremony in November, 2017 at the Paris Saint At the Augustine Parish, participated the most prominent representatives of Lithuanian-French culture and diplomacy. More about this event please see on the website: www.lietuviai.fr and www.inoprojektai.lt
„Creative Wednesdays“, 2015
Creative Wednesdays is a socio-cultural educational program for seniors of Kaunas city and district. It is open to people who would like to learn more about contemporary fine art and Lithuanian artists and their works. M.K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum, M. Žilinskas, Kaunas Picture Galleries, Ceramics, A. Žmuidzinavičius Museums, Kaunas Artists’ Union gallery on Wednesdays for visitors are free. A number of private galleries in Kaunas invite visitors as well.
From 2015, Innovative Creative Projects are organizing the educational excursions for seniors to the fine-art exhibitions and held the creative workshops on Wednesdays. The educational program Creative Wednesdays consists of ten themes: painting, sculpture, textiles, graphics, ceramics, photography, architecture, national art, performance and Mural/Street Art. The program encourages participants not to be a passive spectators, but developers who analyze and adapt in practice, what they see in exhibitions, trying to understand the fine art and its social influence.
The cover of the musical CD.
2015-2017. “Songs Based on Lyrics of Arvydas Ambrasas”
This international project “Songs Based on Lyrics of Arvydas Ambrasas”, which started in 2015, is dedicated to reminiscence of the Lithuanian poetry and dramaturgy writer Arvydas Ambrasas (1947-1970).
The purpose of this project is: to unite the musicians of Lithuanian background from Lithuania and Israel and some other Baltic countries into the one creative musical project; honoring the memory of A. Ambrasas to revive the public interest to his work and to make the musical CD.
Presentation of the new album took place at the Santakos slėnis, Kaunas Technology University in Kaunas 14-th of December, 2017.
“Songs Based on Lyrics of Arvydas Ambrasas” is a multi-genre project. Songs are written in a different musical styles like folk, jazz, blues, rock and pop rock. Initiators: rock band “Raganiai”: Dave Svidgal – lead vocal, back vocals; Jasha Jurborsky – lead vocal, back vocals; Jacob Gitkind – guitars, lead vocal, back vocals; Nathan Gitkind – drums. Guest stars: Kęstutis Lušas – keyboards, programming, arrangements; Boris Gammer – saxophones; Edie Rezonov – double bass, electric bass; Tamara – lead vocal; Helena Strazdauskaitė – lead vocal; Henrikas Balčiūnas (Laiptai) – lead vocal. All music by: Jacob Gitkind. English translation and adaptation of original texts for musical performance by: Nathan Gitkind. All songs orchestrated and arrangements by: Kęstutis Lušas. Producers: Kęstutis Lušas ir Nathan Gitkind. Final mixing and mastering – Giedrius Litvinas (MA studios). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zFhsztG8CE
“One Thing Stories” 2014
Seminars of creative memoir writing invited senior people from different parts of Kaunas, Lithuania to write stories about the past. Teachings took place in four different parts and communities of Kaunas city: center and old town, Šilainiai and Panemunė public libraries.
Every participant was writing about one thing that survived in the family from their fathers. Hand made things – linen hand weaved bedspreads, tablecloths, towels, embroidery, diving, wood and ceramic works have been collected and photographed. The creators – our grandmothers, grandfathers, mothers, fathers and relatives have been honored, the beautiful vintage photo-portraits collected to illustrate the stories. Soviet occupation in Lithuania, emigration to Germany, Brazil and USA, deportations of families to Siberia (the Gulags), exile and coming back from the exile, Communism – there are themes for the senior stories written during the project. Story of every family makes the history of Lithuania. Innovative Creative Projects has published all stories in the album “Vieno daikto istorijos”, Kaunas, 2015. http://issuu.com/biguza/docs/vieno_daikto_istorijos