Description
The history of the Dusetos Art Gallery began in 1972. That year, through the efforts of the teacher and artist Raimondas Gapšys, later deputy head and principal of the school, enhanced art education was introduced at the Dusetos Kazimieras Būga Secondary School (now the Dusetos Kazimieras Būga Gymnasium). A core group of talented art teachers, devoted not only to teaching but also to their own creative work, gathered in the town. On the initiative of the artist-teachers Romualdas Pučekas, Eugenijus Raugas and Alvydas Stauskas, with the support of the then mayor of the Zarasai district Benjaminas Sakalauskas and the town elder Stanislovas Vėgneris, on 6 July 1995 what was perhaps the first professional art gallery in a small Lithuanian town was opened in the eldership premises, and the first exhibition of works by artists from the Dusetos area was held. The gallery's main aim is to bring together artists and photographers born, living and working in the Dusetos area and to present their work through exhibitions not only in Dusetos but also in other Lithuanian cities and abroad. The gallery displays the latest works by artists and photographers from the Dusetos area and hosts the traditional miniature exhibitions of artists from the Sėla region, with participants from both Lithuania and Latvia, as well as the exhibitions “The Horse in Art” or “The Horse in Photography”, organised on the occasion of the traditional Sartai horse races. The gallery also hosts classical music and poetry evenings, lectures on art and photography, presentations of books and clothing collections, educational activities, and exhibitions of pupils' work followed by discussions. The gallery's artists organise plein-air workshops and actively take part in plein-airs and symposia held by others in Lithuania and abroad.
