A new digital initiative is empowering student artists in the Czech Republic

As galleries and exhibition spaces across the globe have closed due to the pandemic, the experience of art is increasingly moving online. Anglo-American University (AAU) in Prague has responded to this rapidly-changing environment by helping its arts students create online presence before they complete their studies.

The .ART Schools Programme, available to students of AAU’s Visual Arts Studies and Journalism and Communication courses, gives students a .ART domain, a website builder, and practical advice and assistance on the mechanics of website building – vital tools for success in the digital age.

The programme is led by AAU alumna, Aleksandra Artamonovskaja who graduated in 2013 with a BA in International Relations and Economics, before moving to London where she took a Master’s degree in Art Business. As a part of the team that set up the .ART registry in 2016, she now coordinates the .ART Schools initiative.

“It is great to see AAU alumna be so successful in the London art scene and at the same time extend her support to current AAU students with such projects",” says AAU Vice President of Student Affairs, Jeta Sahatqija.

The visual arts have been one of the hardest hit during the pandemic, and the closure of galleries has created uncertainty in the global art community. In this uncertain landscape, the .ART website offers students not only a platform to display their work but an online space that allows them to develop professionally.

The platform will be integrated into the AAU Visual Arts Studies curriculum, where students will create online portfolios and track the progress of their artistic development through their three-year degree program. AAU’s teaching staff are also very excited by the new collaboration:

"This partnership is extremely exciting as it gives students the building blocks to create a truly professional digital presence right from their very first day at AAU,” says AAU Assistant Dean, Alžběta Klatová.

She adds, "By allowing the students to establish a unique domain that they can customize and make their own, they not only have a place to display their work and track their progress but also a head start on their journey as professional artists and journalists.”

The School of Visual Arts has its own .ART site www.aauvisual.art. The site showcases select works made by students within the art department, and will surely be the first of many exciting .ART sites to emerge from AAU during the months and years ahead.

This article was written in association with Anglo-American University. To read more about our partner content policies see here.