IRMT: ROERICH INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE
OF FINE ARTS (RICFA)
Concept of the College
Roerich’s philosophy on art and life:
“When we proclaim Love, Beauty, Action we know verily, that we pronounce the formula of the international language and this formula must enter everyday life. The sign of Beauty will open all sacred gates, beneath the sign of Beauty we walk joyfully, with Beauty we conquer, through Beauty we pray, in Beauty we are united and now we affirm these words not on the snowy heights, but amidst the turmoil of the city, and realizing the path of true reality, we greet with a happy smile the future.”
Nicholas Roerich
“Art and devotion to beauty are true expressions of the human spirit.
A school uniting all arts, has before it the ideal at once to fortify each student with a technical mastery in his /her own field, and to forge those precepts of spirit and creation which will be guiding principles in his/her art and life.
“Simplicity, Beauty and Fearlessness” – in this formulae of attainment, Nicholas Roerich crystallizes a principle applicable to all creative work. It is with such spirit that the RICFA aims to imbue its students, that they may strive to attain the joy of creation, which is immutable, however the expression of their work may vary.
“Uniting the arts, provides an opportunity for the students to have intercourse with other arts and creators in other fields, thereby encouraging in them the spirit of reverence for all creation as well as stimulating a selfless dedication to art.”
(From “Master Institute of Roerich Museum, New York, 1931-32)
Evolution of an artistic - spiritual community:
“…Life has confirmed that all unity is useful: confirmed that it is practical (we do not fear this word) to have various branches of art under one roof, having one common library, a common office, a common artistic activity and the closest intercourse between the separate branches. It is practical to afford the students the opportunity of trying their forces in various branches until they finally make their choice. It is practical that there be interchange of thought among musicians, artists and designers. It is practical to show full trust in the teacher, letting him manifest his methods in life. The results will indicate whether he is right, because – as in one’s entire life – we must judge by results. It is practical to give possibility to students to try their forces in life as soon as possible, teaching them courage and safe-guarding them from vulgarity. It is practical to have music during the work in art classes and to give lectures which, by their artistic and philosophic content, may raise and unite the spirit of the entire artistic working guild.
It is practical to give examples from the history of art; thus we will once more learn to what extent art was the creative, peaceful basis in the entire life of the State…
…So many schools and useful disseminators of knowledge can be organized in our societies. To all of them the same advice can be given – each tree can be planted only as a small sapling. Only gradually it will become tried and find steady roots. Therefore, if there is heartfelt desire to help the dissemination of knowledge and beauty, let it be fulfilled without delay. Let it not be handicapped by small possibilities. Practicality is not in the measure, but in the inner substance of the seed. ”
“ROOTS OF CULTURE”
By Nicholas Roerich (Himalayas, 1931)
How it started in America...
MASTER INSTITUTE OF UNITED ARTS
Founded in New York, November 17, 1921
“Art and the devotion to beauty are true expressions of the human spirit. A school uniting all arts, as does the Master Institute of United Arts, has before it the ideal at once to fortify each student with a technical mastery in his own field, and to forge those precepts of spirits and creation which will be guiding principles in his art and life. Nicholas Roerich, leader of contemporary art and true apostle of beauty, founder of the Master Institute of United Arts, pronounces as one of the formulae of attainment: “Simplicity, Beauty and Fearlessness.” In this, he crystallizes a principle applicable to all creative work. And it is with such spirit that the Master Institute aims to imbue its students, in order that they may strive to attain the joy of creation which is immutable, however the expression of their work may vary….”
“The season of 1929-30 has marked the establishment of the Master Institute of United Arts in its new and permanent quarters in the 24 story Master Building at 310 Riverside Drive. This building, erected by the Roerich Museum, has been planned as a monument to Art — to those ideals of creative work for which the Roerich Museum and its affiliated institutions stand. As a great international center of art the Master Building unites all features of cultural and educational life. Here students of the school are encouraged to creative endeavor under teachers of distinguished reputation…”
“ Through varying art symbols, the student of the Master Institute sees a world armented in many-veiled beauty. A world “where music and silence and dreaming are one.” He learns to seek the goal in creative labor-in striving to become, in the words of Dante, the “Scribe of the Eternal Love.” Through this service he develops enlarged capacities of perception and containment. He finds that the home of the true artist is thus “bounded by the mother-skies”; that “his race is Man; his banner — Love the Conqueror.”
(Excerpts from the brochure: Master Institute of the Roerich Museum 1929-1930, New York)
Site of the former Osborn Estate,
where the College is to be constructed
Osborn Estate land, which is adjacent to our Estate, is altogether approximately 38 bighas. Whole surrounding area is rather delicate. Required construction is quite extensive – it will be concern number one, that during the work, surrounding nature would not suffer harm.
There are several buildings at this site. The main one, Osborn House, has been recently reconstructed by the IRMT. Small building near this house is under the reconstruction now.
There are 3 more buildings below the Osborn Estate, which are in absolutely dilapidated condition – they should be demolished and College departments will be constructed there.
Some additional activities to be conducted by RICFA
1) Summer and Winter workshops
Meritorious students from different schools from India (and occasionally from abroad) could be given a possibility to visit this place and participate in different workshops organized by the RICFA, interact with its regular students, who, in fact, should themselves be the most active participants of such workshops, trying their own skills and knowledge in teaching and guiding visiting students during such workshops.
Joint programs with the Mountaineering Institute (Manali) are possible, thus enriching the workshops with local sightseeing and related activities.
2) Interaction between Helena Roerich Art College and RICFA
Local students of Helena Roerich Art College should also actively interact with RICFA, taking part in its programs, functions, workshops, etc. Those students, who will be interested to participate in some classes organized by the RICFA, should be allowed to do so (as external students).
A special course can be given by the teachers of the RICFA in Art and Ethics for these children based on a study of the myths, legends and heroes of all nations.
Meritorious students of Helena Roerich Art College who would be interested to pursue further their art education, can be given special benefit to become students of the RICFA (after successful entry exams).
3) Retreat for eminent artists
To keep the level of the RICFA of the international standard, eminent artists from India and abroad should be invited to come and stay for a month or so at the IRMT. They will be provided boarding facilities by the IRMT. Artists will have their exhibition organized in the IRMT, they will conduct master classes, participate in the workshops, and pursue their own creative activity.
For this purpose, IRMT acquired a small house ‘Blue House’, adjacent to the IRMT. This house is situated below the road, in a beautiful, quiet enclosure, separated from other places, thus offering a perfect spot for retreat. Several artists can stay in the house simultaneously, after reconstruction work undertaken currently by the IRMT.
4) Distance learning program for artists in Himachal Pradesh
One of the goals of the IRMT and RICFA will be to locate talented artists from the HP (who are mainly self-taught artists) and give them opportunity to raise their creative level and acquire necessary theoretical knowledge in art. They should be allowed to attend the lectures and participate in the programs, workshops and other activities of the RICFA according to their own convenience and time availability.
RICFA should establish proper correspondence with such artists, and inform them of its current activities, so that they can plan their visits to Naggar.
5) Any other feasible program that may be suggested by collaborating organizations.
Will be worked out once the RICFA starts functioning.
6) Programs organized by the IRMT
Temporary exhibitions of local, eminent Indian and foreign artists, organized by the IRMT,
conference halls and auditoriums in which will be held important concerts, lectures and dramatic performances, will add their cultural benefits to the training of the students.
It should be the goal of the teachers, that the students gain in addition to the finest training also the cultural understanding and appreciation afforded by contact with the works of art.
7) Scholarship and Prizes
Provision can be made with the help of sponsors for the granting of a number of scholarships in the RICFA. These should be awarded competitively, upon merit of the students.
‘Nicholas Roerich Scholarship’ an annual award, can be given to the best student, providing a year’s tuition in any chosen department.
8) Contests
RICFA will plan to conduct contests in art for the encouragement of individual creation.
These contests would be based on cultures of all nations, and should encourage an appreciation and use of rarely exploited sources.
Staff
This if the most challenging part of the Project, because to find proper teachers means to ensure the success of the College. The aim, while searching for such teachers should be not only finest professionalism, but also high human nature, dedication, benevolence, broadness of vision and ideals, and true love for the ideals of teaching.
“ …Chiefly, one must reject less, remembering that the majority of denials have ignorance as their basis; thus the teachers turn into guides, transmitting to the students not only the technique, but also life’s experience, sharing with them the valuable acquisitions which will prove a strong shield for the new generation.
… The Teacher is He who reveals, enlightens and encourages; He who will say, “Blessed are the obstacles, through them we grow”; He who recalls the beautiful Golgothas of knowledge and art, because therein lies the creative achievement…”
(Nicholas Roerich,
‘Roots of Culture’)
Principal of the College should be an artist himself, whose personality would command high respect and attraction of the students.
Teachers – there should be 4-5 permanent teachers, residing in the premises of the RICFA. They should be highly qualified, and preferably being able to teach more than just one subject.
Administration staff – skilled 1-2 people should be enough (can be recruited from retired administrative service workers.)
Residential facilities
All students and teachers will be provided full boarding facilities by RICFA.
Collaboration with Art institutions in India
1) Shantiniketan, West Bengal
2) Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad, Bangalore, Karnataka
3) University of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
4) JNU, Delhi
5) National Museum, Deemed University, Delhi
International collaborations
1) International Children’s Academy for Art, St.Petersburg, Russia
(ICAA was founded on the initiative of two St Petersburg artists - Natalia Gulyaeva and Sergei Katin. It is the first institution of its type in Russia to be self-supporting, operating without the aid of any State funding whatsoever. It is housed in a fine early Nineteenth Century building, which is gradually being restored to its former magnificence.
The Academy’s founders are the International League for the Protection of Culture and the Saint Petersburg branch of the International Centre of the Roerich’s. Also ICAA is the organizing member of the International Society for Education through Art, which includes the members from 88 countries.
International junior artists' camps are organized together with the International Center for Citizen’s Initiatives. The first of these camps was held in St Petersburg in 1989 and the second in Los Angeles in 1990. They were based on the theories of the Russian artist Nicholas Roerich.)
2) Sound and Color workshop, St. Petersburg, Russia
“Pedagogic of the future: synthesizing the arts”
Fundamental to the workshop is the idea that Sound and Color are the meeting point between Nature, physical space and human rationality. Sound and Color are keys to the universe, ways of bringing out our feelings and responses.
Workshop involves creative experiments for teachers and pupils alike; a search for the common laws of Harmony uniting various artistic disciplines – music, painting, sculpture, architecture, poetry, literature; practical experiments – improvisation on musical instruments, dancing, pantomime, drawing, modeling, composition of poetry, short stories and fairy tales; knowledge of the history of world culture and of some basic principles of philosophy (separate lessons are devoted to the art of reasoning, with emphasis placed on quality and freedom of thought).
“The happiness of the Teacher is in spurring his pupils to dare to aim for the Beautiful. He will not achieve this merely by listing events, which are already dull and dead. The Teacher must himself be ablaze, so that his mere approach should be felt as the approach of fire.”
Helena Roerich
3) Roerich Centres in Russia, USA and elsewhere
4) Art School in Italy
Urusvati, Center for the New Education, a school and vacation center for children and youth in the Comunità di Etica Vivente (Community of Living Ethics) at Città della Pieve, Italy
5) Art school in Slovakia
(“Vysoka Skola Vytvarnych Umeni”, Bratislava, the most acclaimed Art Institute in Slovakia)
RICFA should be materialized as an Institute for the development of art in Himachal and artistic relationship internationally. It is unfortunate of Himachal, which has inspired many over the ages with its breathtaking landscapes, temples carvings, indigenous art & craft does not have a single professional art college to protect and inspire creativity, artistic values and understanding of Contemporary Art amongst our youngsters.
With the available building space, RICFA will start the following departments:
1. Painting
2. Printmaking
3. Sculpture
4. Ceramics
5. Design
6. Art History
(These are only excerpts from the full version of the Project. If you are interested to know more or join the project, please write to the Director, IRMT at our email address or postal address)
PHOTOGALLERY:
