Moravian Gallery celebrates its 50th anniversary with the opening of Jurkovič's villa

Brno - The Moravian Gallery in Brno is today celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding. For supporters, it has prepared free entry to the permanent exhibitions and temporary exhibitions over the weekend. As the highlight of the celebrations, the renovated Jurkovič Villa in Žabovřesky opened to its first visitors today. However, free entry does not apply to this location. People must book visits online.
    "The first weekend at the Jurkovič Villa is fully booked well in advance," said gallery spokesperson Martina Vašková to ČTK today. Free slots are still available for weekdays and next weekend.
    On Saturday and Sunday, interested parties can visit the Governor's Palace, the Pražák Palace, and the Museum of Applied Arts in the center of Brno for free. The gallery has prepared curated tours in the permanent exhibitions, an art workshop, and a fair of art publications for them. Every hundredth visitor will receive free membership in the Society of Friends of the Moravian Gallery.
    The largest art museum in Moravia was established in its current form on April 1, 1961, through the merger of the former Francis Museum's gallery with the Brno Museum of Applied Arts. Since then, the Moravian Gallery has organized around 1000 exhibitions of old, modern, and contemporary art, photography, artistic crafts, and graphic design. The gallery prides itself on the breadth of its scope.
    "From one building that we previously had, our facilities have expanded to include two other palaces in the city center, a modern depository, the Museum of Josef Hoffmann in Brtnice, and our own villa by Dušan Jurkovič," stated gallery director Marek Pokorný.
    The gallery purchased the Jurkovič Villa in Brno-Žabovřesky from private owners. The renovation cost approximately 35 million CZK from the so-called Norwegian funds. In addition to the exhibition dedicated to the architect and the villa's first owner Jurkovič, the building also houses a research room and a documentation center for Jurkovič's work.
    The building, constructed in 1906, is one of the prime examples of modernist architecture inspired by contemporary British and Viennese creations. Jurkovič employed his distinctive handwriting with elements of folk art. The reconstruction included the repair of the roof, facade, wooden structures, and windows. Wood is one of the main building materials of the villa. The garden was also revitalized and adjusted. The villa's façade was adorned with a new glass painting featuring a fairy-tale motif crafted by Josef Bolf.

> www.moravska-galerie.cz/jurkovicova-vila