Liberal arts studio ATKALNIS

In autumn of 2020 – the Liberal arts studio “Atkalnis” will celebrate its 40^th anniversary.

Within the studio you can learn various knitting and crochet techniques. These techniques are used for creating apparels and clothing units. Exhibitions take place, personal exhibitions and clothing demonstrations. Until the year of 2018 the artistic director of the studio was Baiba Balode, but nowadays it is managed by Ineta Krastiņa.

Atkalnis in Selonian (historical region of Latvia) city of Aknīste, means – a left-handed knitted stitch.

In the beginning – the handicraft club “Atkalnis” started their work in Riga Electromechanics house of Culture. In 1986 it gained the Folk liberal arts studio title. And starting 1990, when the factory was closed until the May of 2014, the studio “Atkalnis” worked from the culture center “Iļģuciems”. Nowadays it has found home at VEF Culture palace.

The studio in past has had many successful publications in magazines and their attachments. They are active participants in costume presentations in exhibitions and demonstrations organized by the Nationwide Song and Dance Celebrations.

Since establishing the studio, they have hosted many exhibitions, including Tablecloth exhibitions, Apron exhibitions, Pillow collections, linen apparels, coat collections, alongside with professional photographer Ilona Vilka created item’s series Jūra (Sea), Song Festival collection with knitted in pearls.

The studio continues collaboration with Ķekavas (a region in Latvia) handcraft group “Labietes”, which results in annual collaborative handcraft exhibition, that way enriching their already impressive artistic portfolio.

The main task of the studio is the preservation of the Latvian folk heritage, development, popularization, fulfilment and development taking into account modern day expectations.