SAC + SAI + SUA = 75
Ľubica Pavlovičová
This year the well-known Bratislava Secondary Art School celebrated and reminisced. It presented a huge public exhibition on its own campus which focuses on its significant place in the context of Slovak art. Bratislava schools SAC, SAI and SUA are not only different with their names or place but also with the era of their existence. Every period in their development and the “spirit” of each school brought something new to its period. The legendary SAC (School of Art and Craft) which has become a synonym for progress and the new young power of Slovak art in 1928-1939, can give thanks for its inerasable message to the personality of Jozef Vydra, founder and main organizer and significant professors (Ľ. Fulla, M. Galanda, A. Hořejš, F. Malý, F. Reichentál, F. Tröster, Z. Rossmann or J. Horová, J. Funke, K. Plicka and others). It was also the ability of lecturers and the school to accept new ideas from the other countries of Europe. SAC was established to help the development of domestic industry. The lecturers, apart from teaching art crafts, considered it natural to support and develop the creativity of their students in the most progressive way. Despite the great endeavour of all the participants (under the leadership of Jozef Vydra), the school did not get the opportunity to develop their aims and programme fully. Bratislava’s SAC school had great interest in and appreciation of the message of famous Bauhaus style. It ceased to exist on 1 October 1939. In 1945, the School of Artistic Industry started. Gradually various departments were created and established (starting with ceramic, photographic, carving, textile and stone sculptural, graphic and promotional art) which still function within the School of Utilitarian Art of Jozef Vydra. Currently, students can study in 8 departments: promotional graphics, utilitarian photography, design and wood shaping, stone sculpture, artistic ceramic and porcelain processing, conserving and restoring, promotional exhibition and the artistic hand-processing of textiles.