The Magic of Art That Changed My Life

 

By Aldona Grupas

I was eight years old when I stood on the stage of the Riga Opera and Ballet Theatre, reciting a poem by the Latvian poet Rainis in Latvian. That day, I received my very first award – a book of Rainis's poetry.

Could I ever have imagined that, many years later, art would take me all the way to the UK Parliament?

I was born in Riga, Latvia. When I was a little girl, my mother often took me for walks through the Old Town. She would point out beautiful buildings, sculptures decorating their walls, and tell me about architecture. We visited museums and art galleries together.

Perhaps that was where my love of art began.

Later, when I lived in Lithuania, I never missed an opportunity to visit an art gallery. Riga, Klaipėda, Vilnius, St Petersburg – wherever I went, I always looked for art.

For me, art has never been just about paintings. It is also music, dance, literature and theatre. Everything that enriches our lives, touches our hearts and makes us think.

However, my professional life took a very different direction.

I became a nurse.

For more than forty years, I worked in healthcare, including fifteen years in England. My everyday life was filled with patients, their pain, worries, joys and life stories.

But art never disappeared from my life. It was always there, somewhere beside me.

While living in England, I began writing books, presenting them to readers and organising meetings with writers, poets and artists. We met in different towns and cities across the UK and Lithuania, and later our conversations also moved online.

I participated in art and literary festivals and met so many interesting, creative people.

One day, while talking with conductor Margarita Mikhailova, an idea was born – why not establish an art club?

We were both full of creative energy and ideas. We did not hesitate for long.

That was how Albion Art Club came into being – a place where artists, writers, poets and people from different nationalities could come together through their love of art.

And then one particular meeting opened another door.

I met an artist named Rasa Ušackienė. One day, while visiting her home, I noticed the paintings hanging on her walls and listened to her life story.

I cannot explain what kind of magic happened at that moment, but suddenly I wanted to show the world the work of women who had discovered their artistic talent after the age of fifty.

I also knew younger female artists from Latvia and Ukraine. I began thinking about how to bring them together and introduce their work to a wider audience.

Two countries have always been especially close to my heart – Latvia, where I was born, and Lithuania, the land of my parents and my roots.

And so an art project was born:

"Baltic Radiance: The Art of Inspiration."

Then the real work began.

Meetings, conversations, endless emails and exhibition planning. Not everything was easy, but my desire to introduce these talented women and their artwork to the public was stronger than any difficulties.

And our project began its journey.

Our first exhibition took place at Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) in Birmingham.

Then our artists' work was exhibited at the Lithuanian Embassy in London, the Seimas (Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania) , and finally at the UK Parliament, in the House of Commons.

Four exhibitions. Four very special milestones.

Sometimes I think how extraordinary life can be.

A little girl walking through the streets of Riga with her mother, admiring sculptures on old buildings, many years later finds herself standing in the UK Parliament, surrounded by paintings from an art project she had organised.

Could I ever have dreamed of such a thing?

Certainly not.

Over the years, I have met many talented people. Each of them has their own story, their own dreams and their own journey into creativity.

It has brought me enormous joy to help their work reach new audiences.

And yet, sometimes I ask myself: what exactly is the magic of art?

Is it a painting that makes you stop and look, unable to take your eyes away?

Is it music that touches something deep inside your heart?

Or perhaps a poem you learnt as a child and remember throughout your life?

For me, the magic of art is also about people. Their talent, their courage to create, and their willingness to share their world with others.

I am still that same little girl whose mother showed her the beautiful buildings of Riga.

The only difference is that today, I am the one opening the doors to the world of art for others.

And that is my magic of art.