Three weeks, dozens of courses, hundreds of participants, and an unmistakable atmosphere. ArtCamp has been an inseparable part of summer at the Sutnar Faculty for twenty years now. "Much human activity, however fascinating, is essentially no different from the behavior of other living organisms. Art, however, gives life on Earth a different dimension. For twenty years, ArtCamp has offered a way to discover this dimension, or to refine one's understanding and development of it," summarized the faculty's dean, Vojtěch Aubrecht. According to him, the summer school is also an important link between the Sutnar Faculty, the public, and the partner city of Pilsen.
Pilsen City Councilor for Culture and Art Eliška Bartáková shares this view: "Thanks to this event, Pilsen becomes a city where art, as a universal language, connects generations, sparks creativity, and brings together people from all over the world. It brings new artistic impulses to Pilsen and opens up space for dialogue between artists, students, and the wider public. I believe that, thanks in part to the long-term support of the City of Pilsen, ArtCamp will continue to be a place that proves creativity has no limits."
This year's ArtCamp offers 41 week-long art and design courses, with around 430 participants. From Monday, July 13 to Friday, July 31, they can look forward not only to intensive work in the art faculty's environment, but also to an accompanying program, part of which is open to the general public. As in previous years, the core course offering includes figure drawing, illustration, graphic design, and jewelry design. The faculty also adds various new additions every year.
"This year, our participants will get to learn videomapping, try their hand at creative writing, design their own board game, or work on an original photo book. Other new additions include a course in experimental animation, as well as new content for the fashion design course and three courses focused on illustration," explained the summer school's executive director, Lenka Kodýtková. ArtCamp targets people looking for an active summer break and a chance to develop their talent, as well as students and graduates of art schools. For applicants to the faculty, the summer courses can also count toward their preparation for talent exams.
Alongside teachers from the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art, ArtCamp participants will also get to meet guest artists from the Czech Republic and abroad. Lecturers will come from Japan, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Bosnia, and the United Kingdom. Former students will also lead some courses. "The opportunity to learn directly from Sutnarka graduates who already have their own successful artistic careers is a major source of motivation, especially for prospective applicants," explained Kodýtková, adding: "I'm delighted that the artists themselves enjoy coming back, sharing their experience and staying in touch with their faculty."
Three graduates, Veronika Bílková, Kateřina Illnerová, and Tomáš Leba, will also take part in ArtCamp's accompanying program. At the Art Relay (Štafeta umění) exhibition at Galerie Inkubátor, they will present their current artistic projects. According to curator Daniela Kramerová, the exhibition reflects the moment when students become the ones who inspire the next generation: "The exhibition shows their current positions while also giving a wider audience the chance to see how their artistic language continues to evolve - not only in the studios, but also in dialogue with those who follow them."
Alongside exhibitions and openings in the faculty galleries, summer school participants and the public can look forward to further accompanying events. These include Wednesday lecturer presentations as part of ArtCamp Talks at Družba café, Thursday studio tours with information for prospective students, and the now-traditional Friday exhibitions showcasing the summer school participants' work.
ArtCamp at UWB brings together fine art, design, multimedia, architecture, fashion, and other creative disciplines within a single educational platform. Participants can also put together their own program and combine courses. Thanks to its scope, interdisciplinary focus, and flexible study model, this summer art education program is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the Czech Republic.
Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art |
Monika Bechná |
09. 07. 2026 |
ArtCamp 2026 is held with the financial support of the City of Pilsen.