The Malta Society of Arts’ summer courses will start in a couple of weeks, promising to introduce its students to fantastic worlds and creatures
The Malta Society of Arts (MSA), Malta’s oldest institution for the promotion of the arts and crafts, has been offering summer courses for a few years, and this year’s classes in visual, applied and performing arts will start in the first week of July.
All 21 courses will be held at Valletta’s Palazzo de La Salle between July and September. Some of the classes, like those in pianoforte, guitar, violin and voice, are a continuation of their winter courses, and the ever-popular Drama for Fun (seven to 15 years) will be available once more. There are also art courses for children of different age groups. Some courses are tailor-made for mature students (50+ years). Manga art and human figure art classes, where live models pose every week, are also on offer.
Among the applied arts are the more traditional ones like filigree, crochet and lacemaking, while courses in dressmaking and tailoring have gained popularity in recent years, reflecting an increased interest in local fashion.
Although MSA’s course catalogue was already quite extensive, it now also includes two new classes this summer: curtains and soft furnishings, as well as the more unusual character design and fantasy art. The latter, which will be taught by fantasy artist Joseph Bugeja, will be offered at beginner and intermediate levels.
Fantasy art depicts anything that is imagined and does not exist in real life. While we might associate the term with gaming and illustration, this kind of art has been produced for millennia.
The artist considered to have been the first to include fantasy in his art is Hieronymus Bosch (1450–1516). Although not all his work was in this style, he is best known for his triptych entitled The Garden of Earthly Delights, which is full of fantastic and other-worldly creatures.
The three panels represent, respectively, the Garden of Eden, a garden which gives the triptych its name, and a hellscape where various forms of punishment are inflicted upon humans condemned to eternal damnation.
Although the surreal kept featuring in art throughout the following 500 years, the term fantasy or fantastic art was rarely used. All this started changing in the late 1950s, when paperbacks and comics took the publishing industry by storm and science fiction literature became very popular.
Bugeja’s lessons would be a great start for anyone wishing to work in the worlds of gaming and illustration, both of which offer job opportunities that were unavailable until recently.
The beginner course is meant for those just starting in this genre, while the intermediate classes are intended for artists who already have some experience in drawing and a basic understanding of fantasy art.
All courses will be taking place in full respect of all necessary COVID-19 safety measures, including social distancing and the use of masks and hand sanitisers.
For more information and a detailed schedule of the Malta Society of Arts’ summer courses, visit www.artsmalta.org/courses or www.facebook.com/maltasocietyofarts.