Winners of the National Beatričė Kleizaitė‑Vasaris Art Awards Competition

On July 22, at the Angels Museum, the awards ceremony for the National Beatričė Kleizaitė‑Vasaris Art Awards Competition was held, coinciding with the 15th‑anniversary celebration of the Angels Museum.

In the branch of the Anykščiai Arts Centre, a large gathering of artists, art lovers and friends of the museum came together. The concert program featured mezzo‑soprano Judita Leitaitė and pianist Beata Andriuškevičienė, and the event was hosted by actress Virginija Kochanskytė.

From the moment Lithuania regained its independence until her passing, Beatričė Kleizaitė‑Vasaris devoted herself to serving her homeland. She donated collections of works by the most celebrated Lithuanian diaspora artists to national and regional museums, oversaw the construction of the Gediminas Monument, and documented Lithuanian art heritage in 93 North American sanctuaries—creating a uniquely comprehensive archive.

Thanks to her personal collections, two museums were established in her name: the Angels Museum in Anykščiai (2010) and the Beatričė Kleizaitė‑Vasaris Arts Gallery in Marijampolė (2014).

By her will, she bequeathed a targeted legacy of €25,000 to the Anykščiai Arts Centre to fund the national angel‑sculpture competition for the art awards. This initiative unfolds in two phases: the main competition, held in 2025 to mark the 100th anniversary of her birth, and educational angel‑theme contests in 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029.

As the author of the original book Angels, Kleizaitė‑Vasaris intended this sculpture competition to inspire professional artists to explore theological and aesthetic dimensions of the angelic theme—and for the 2025 grand‑prize work to join the Angels Museum’s permanent collection.

A national jury evaluated 28 submissions according to originality, creativity, artistry and the aesthetics of execution.

Chair: Tomas Tuskenis, Director of the Anykščiai Arts Centre

Secretary: Rita Tulušienė, Curator of the Angels Museum

Members:

Dr.  Nijolė Tumėnienė, Art Historian

Nijolė Vilutytė, Painter and Lithuanian Government Art Award Laureate

Prof.  Arūnas Sakalauskas, Sculptor and National Culture & Art Award Laureate

Kęstutis Musteikis, Sculptor and LDS Gold Badge Laureate.

1st place (€7,000): Audrius Liaudanskas, Wing Dryers (bronze, stone).

2nd place (€2,000): Gediminas Endriekus, Bearer of Light (bronze, paint).

3rd place (€1,000): Prof. Romualdas Inčirauskas, Archangel Michael (bronze, feathers).

Audience Choice Award: Kajus Lauciūnas, Blessed Rest (epoxy resin, wood, organic glass, LED).

Participants:

Romualdas Inčirauskas,

Arvydas Ališanka,

Benas Narbutas,

Rytas Jonas Belevičius,

Vytautas Jukna,

Gediminas Endriekus,

Augustinas Milašius,

Laima Mačiulaitytė,

Ramūnas Krupauskas,

Juozas Genevičius,

Virginija Juršienė,

Audrius Liaudanskas,

Tamara Janova,

Kajus Lauciūnas,

Liutauras Griežė,

Aidas Strioga,

Asta Vasiliauskaitė,

Dovilė Bumbulytė,

Mindaugas Jakučionis,

R. Mėnulio katinas,

Vaidas Žvirblis,

Jonas Gelčys,

Ilona Junevičienė,

Robertas Strazdas,

Gvidas Latakas,

Saulius Milašius,

Virginija Ridikaitė Laužadienė,

Algirdas Bosas,

Laima Mačiulaitytė,

Leonas Strioga.