V.Putvinskis street 55, Kaunas
Tel. (8 37) 22 94 75
E-mail mkc.info@ciurlionis.lt
Website www.ciurlionis.lt
M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Arts houses the most of M. K. Čiurlionis creative heritage. Visitors from Lithuania and abroad, tourists and researchers have the opportunity to discover original M. K. Čiurlionis paintings, graphic, photography works, letters, music note manuscripts.
The idea to create an arts museum in Lithuania came about in the beginning of 20th century, together with the first Lithuanian Art Exhibitions (1907) and the activities of Lithuanian Art Society. The Constituent Assembly of Lithuania has passed the law of M. K. Čiurlionis gallery in 1921. In 1922, based on this law, the Ministry of Education has bought 193 M. K. Čiurlionis works of art from his wife Sofija Čiurlionienė.
The temporary M. K. Čiurlionis gallery palace was built according to architect’s Vladimiras Dubeneckis prepared project. The first exhibition was in the Gallery before it was finished – the anniversary M. K. Čiurlionis exhibition in September, 1925. The Gallery was later opened for the public in December. Besided M. K. Čiurlionis works, the Gallery also housed other Lithuanian painters’ art and folk art. In 1930, to commemorate the 500th death anniversary of Lithuania’s Grand Duke Vytautas Magnus, it was decided to build a new museum (architects were V. Dubeneckis, K. Reisonas, K. Kriščiukaitis). The construction was finished in 1936 and the temporary M. K. Čiurlionis gallery was reorganized to Vytautas Magnus Culture Museum. The base for this museum’s collection were the exhibits belonging to M. K. Čiurlionis gallery, Kaunas museum and Republic museum. In 1944, the museum got the name of M. K. Čiurlionis Republic Museum of Arts. In 1969 a new annex was built to house the M. K. Čiurlionis Gallery (architect Feliksas Vitas). In 1997 the museum has received the status of a National museum.
M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Arts currently has 11 branches in Kaunas and Druskininkai. There are over 355 000 exhibits in the museum’s collection. The exhibition collections are made from M. K. Čiurlionis creative heritage, Lithuanian folk art, 15-20th century Lithuanian visual and applied arts, for example paintings of Michael Elviro Andriolli, Jan Rustem, antique art, visual and applied arts from foreign countries, numismatics, archives of folk art and Lithuanian art life.
Visit time: II–VII 10–18 h. , IV 11–19 h.;
M. K. Čiurlionis Art Gallery has audio guides in Lithuanian, English, Russian, Polish, French languages (V. Putvinskio st. 55);
From 1st January, 2019 the visit of the museum on the last Sunday of the month is free (without tours).
M. K. Čiurlionis Art Gallery is adapted for people with disabilities.
Tour registration, information: tel.: +370 684 84388;
The visitor is invited to discover M. K. Čiurlionis biography, take note of the most important chracteristics of his paintings, visits the permanent exhibition. The curator tells the thoughts behind choosing the paintings for the exhibition, discloses the contextual details of M. K. Čiurlionis art.
Price: 50 Eur + museum ticket.
Registration by phone +370 684 84388.
A lot of people have already seen and visited M. K. Čiurlionis home in Druskininkai, but do a lot of people know about his birth in Varėna region? We start at the beginning during this tour. Later, as we step into the area of the resort, we will hear the first musical notes and participate in building the wooden ship. We will listen to stories about the rising storm, as we drift towards fairytales. And finally! We will climb the heavenly hill, from which we will see the sunny and magical valley of Raigardas.
Price: 25 Eur + museum ticket.
Registration by phone +370 684 84388.
You will meet the beloved fiancée of M. K. Čiurlionis – Sofija Kymnataitė during this theme tour and you will dive into M. K. Čiurlionis creative process, filled with love, seashore of the Baltic sea and emotions. Together we will travel to the summer of 1908, which he spent in Palanga (Lithuania’s sea resort), we will talk about M. K. Čiurlionis life with Sofija, we will try to feel the sound of the Sonata of the Sea and find the hidden ocean cities and tales.
Price: 25 Eur + museum ticket.
Registration by phone +370 684 84388.
During this tour, we will travel to 1894-1904, a time when the young artist went to study abroad. It is a colorful period, which helped M. K. Čiurlionis find his creative style, open up his idea filled inner world in painting and music. During the tour we will talk about the paintings created during this time and we will try to find an answer to what inspired creativity more: the endured hardships or the happy moments and light dreams.
Price: 25 Eur + museum ticket.
Registration by phone +370 684 84388.
Čiurlionis’ crowns: we can find many rulers with magnificent crowns in the fairytale M. K. Čiurlionis’ painted worlds. The king is one of the most important symbols that we see in M. K. Čiurlionis art. During this educational program the little visitors of the museum will discover the fairytale world of M. K. Čiurlionis, make their decorative Čiurlionis-esque crowns and become part of those worlds!
Registration by phone +370 684 84388.
“Symbols of light in M. K. Čiurlionis creation“
Čiurlionis’ space: this education program invites to research the Čiurlionis space – the stars, distant planets and other celestial bodies, created by his fantasy. After we discuss the secrets of the Čiurlionis universe, the participants are invited to create their own space application with its planets and inhabitants.
Registration by phone +370 684 84388.
To catch Čiurlionis cloud: during this educational program the participants will travel through the clouds of M. K. Čiurlionis paintings. The clouds get crazy forms, tell secret fairytales, riddles to the people who examine them. During the practical part of the program the pupils will be invited to create their own stories by experimenting, drawing, glueing cloud applications.
Registration by phone +370 684 84388.
Simbolic collage: educational programs invite to improvise with M. K. Čiurlionis: from various colorful, weirdest and most interesting Čiurlionesque details the visitors can create their own painting following the offered, or their own chosen M. K. Čiurlionis quote.
Registration by phone +370 684 84388.
The secret script of Čiurlioniai: special coded inscriptions, that can be found in M. K. Čiurlionis paintings, sketches, letters: some of the biggest secrets in the biography of this artist. Why was the secret script of Čiurlioniai created and what did it mean, no one can fully know. But in one of the M. K. Čiurlionis letters there was an alphabet found with all the coded symbols. After visiting the museum and seeing the secret M. K. Čiurlionis symbols live, each will get this coded alphabet. With it, you will be able to code even the biggest secrets in your letter and the only person who will be able to read it will be the person also knowing this alphabet.
Registration by phone +370 684 84388.
The technique of Čiurlionis: why most of M. K. Čiurlionis paintings now have different colors? Why are they so delicate? After visiting the original paintings and getting to know how they are kept, the participants will find the answers themselves. In the practical part of the program you will be able to try the materials used by Čiurlionis and get to know how this famous artists composed the forms on paper. After getting a random clue each will be able to create a Čiurlionesque storyline.
Registration by phone +370 684 84388.
“M. K. Čiurlionis creative route“ (3-7 classes): Together we will get aboard the virtual bus and drive to Druskininkai and Kaunas. As we visit the artist’s house in Druskininkai, get lost in the story narative, we will get to know Kastukas childhood and home where music was played from dawn till dusk. In the second part we will travel to Kaunas. This is the only place in the world where almost all of most famous Lithuanian painter’s, composer’s, public figure’s M. K. Čiurlionis’ creative heritage is kept in.
Registration by phone +370 684 84388.
All programs need registration in advance by phone: tel. +370 684 84388.
More information on museum’s acitivities: www.ciurlionis.lt , also in official M. K. Čiurlionis Gallery, M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Arts Facebook accounts.
