About Academy

About Academy

Founded in 1919, the Art Academy of Latvia (Latvijas Mākslas akadēmija, or LMA) is recognized for its modern approach to academic education, openness to topical art processes and activities, cooperation between students and professors, and the high-level performance of its students. 

The academy enrolls nearly 700 national and international students each year, providing them with all the needed equipment and facilities for their educational process. A modernized tradition of academic education, openness to topical art processes and activities, the contribution of the pedagogues in preparing young artists, and the high-level performance of the students have ensured and preserved the Academy’s authority till nowadays.

The Academy’s strategic aim is to study, interpret and promote the phenomena of Latvian and European visual art, using both traditional forms of publications (collected articles, magazines, dissertations, and reports in scientific conferences) and possibilities opened up by the latest technologies (the Internet, digital resources); results of the research are used for study programs at the Art Academy of Latvia and collaboration with other institutions of research and education in Latvia and abroad.

Faculties

BA and MA degrees in faculties and departments:

• Visual Arts (Painting, Graphic Art, Textile Art, Drawing)
• Visual Plastic Arts (Sculpture, Ceramics, Glass Art)
• Design (Functional Design, Environment Art, Fashion Design, Metal Design)
• Audio-visual Media Art (Visual Communication, Stage design, Motion, Image & Sound)
• History and Theory of Art (Restoration, History, and Theory of Art and Culture)

International Cooperation

International competitiveness is facilitated by the participation in exchange programs such as KUNO, CIRRUS, European and International Erasmus+, which has established a close network of cooperation with a lot of the leading art and design universities in Europe and also in non-European countries: we have cooperation agreements with more than 140 partner institutions.

Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility is a program within the Erasmus+ framework promoting the exchange of students, academics, and non-academic staff with partner countries of the Erasmus+ program. Every student or member of the academic staff has a unique opportunity to take part in such an exchange program. The main aim is to boost their knowledge and skills, by receiving completely new experiences concerning their field of study, and methods of studying, developing creative skills with the use of modern media, and gaining experience in implementing art projects.