In order to offer opportunities for the comprehensive growth of an individal, St. Stanislav’s Institution turns special attention to cultural activities. Some permanent as well as temporary exhibitions are housed in the institution. The impressive collections of Kregar’s works, which represent the majority of the permanent collection, not only encourage an attitude of deep respect for artistic cultural heritage, but also encourage students to develop their own artistc talents.
Stane Kregar Gallery
The gallery was founded on 13th November 1993 with a special decree by the Archbishop of Ljubljana, dr. Alojzij Šuštar. It is named after Stane Kregar, an art teacher at the Diocesan Classical Gymnasium, priest and painter. In 1935 he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and afterwards greatly influenced contemporary church art in Slovenia. He adorned Slovenian churches with numerous stained-glass windows, frescoes, mosaics, altarpieces and liturgical vestments.
The gallery houses a permanent collection of art works over 350 m2, which was donated to the Institution by the painter’s heirs. The collection highlights the typical stages of Kregar’s work, from new reality, poetic realism to abstract painting and new figures of the 1960s.
In November 2005 the Institution honoured the 100th anniversary of the artist’s birth with the presentation of the monograph Kregar’s Gaze to the Invisible Shores – Sacred Paintings of Stane Kregar. In the first half of 2013 an extensive commemorative exhibition of Kregar’s work entitled “A Pilgrim to Beauty” was held in the National Gallery in Ljubljana to honour the 40th anniversary of the painter’s death. The exhibit included 17 canvases and many stained glass studies loaned from our gallery. In 2014 the Kregar Gallery was entirely renewed and in five gallery rooms Kregar’s rich sacral opus was added. Among others, the original sketches for stained glass windows and book illustrations are on display. The informative posters in all exhibition rooms guide the visitors and offer supplementary data.
Virtual tour of the Stane Kregar Gallery
Virtual tour and presentation of gallery room no.1 – SURREALISM and POETIC COLOUR REALISM
Virtual tour and presentation of gallery room no.2 – A PATH TO ABSTRACT PAINTING
Virtual tour and presentation of gallery rooms no.3 and 4 – GEOMETRIC ABSTRACT PAINTING
Virtual tour and presentation of gallery rooms no.5 and 6 – LYRICAL ABSTRACTION
Virtual tour and presentation of gallery room no.7 – NEW FIGURATION
Other permanent collections
On the initiative of Slovene intellectuals from Trieste, Italy, the painter Marijan Tršar donated his paintings from Slovene and Italian concentration camps in Teharje and Gonars to St. Stanislav’s Institution. This precious collection of 53 drawings and watercolours is a telling document of time, exhibited in a room commemorating the artist. The collection is complemented by Tršar’s paintings from his Holocaust cycle which are exhibited in the institution.
The Dr. Anton Breznik library houses the exhibition of wooden sculptures by sculptor Lojze Čampa.
Since 2007 two collections of paintings have enriched St. Stanisalv’s Institution: the first are the paintings of Bible scenes by Lojze Čemažar that also decorate the hallway between the Gymnasium and the Student Home; the second is the collection of 40 canvases by Slovene women painters, sculptors and illustrators donated by Irina Rahovsky Kralj.
In 2013, the permanent collection was enriched by a donation of Jože and Marija Bernik, which contains paintings and sculptures from the family collection. The most prominent items are paintings by Bara Remec and Ive Šubic and sculptures by France Gorše.
In 2015, the gallery received a collection of drawings, water paintings and prints by Stane Jarm.
In 2019, Ljudmila Mrzlikar, the sister of painter Janez Bernik, donated three of the artist’s paintings.
Temporary exhibitions
In the years after its foundation, the Institution became well known for its diverse and superior exhibitions. The Slovene Home carefully plans and oversees the highest standards in preparation, presentation and even publicising of its art exhibitions. Over 180 exhibitions of Slovene and foreign artists have been organised in the last few years in both atriums at the main entrance of the Institution – the Kregar and the Meršol atriums – which are designated for this sort of activity. These exhibitions have displayed many different art genres: paintings, sculptures, sketches, graphics, illustrations, photography, design and arts and crafts. Besides artist from all over Slovenia, neighbouring countries and abroad, students of the DCG (both current and former) have presented their work at many exhibitions. We want to expose our students to be open and receptive to different artistic expressions. Working with mentors during the school year, either for project-based assignments or within the School of Fine Arts, our students create art reflecting their creativity, joy, and youthful aspirations as well as critical world view. In the jubilee year 2013– the 20th anniversary of the reopening of DCG – two exhibitions presented the work of alumni, who are established artists. The opening of each exhibition is a small cultural event usually accompanied and enhanced by performances of students of the Music School as well as literary contributions of students of the DCG and Alojzij Šuštar Primary School.