History

The history of both the collection as well as the building is linked with the Association of Moravian Visual Artists (SVUM), who occupied the building between 1907 and 1959. The movement, whose philosophy was formulated by the Association artists was the peak of the Moravian national awakening. It grew on the support of accomplished personalities of cultural life ranging form ethnographers, writers and harmonists to painters ( to name just a few : Alois and Vilém Mrštík, Vítězslav Novák, Zdenka Braunerová, František Kretz, Scot Viator).

The Association´s predecessor was a Club of Friends of Art from Brno, whose establishment in 1900 was linked with such names as Leoš Janáček, Dušan Jurkovič and Joža Uprka. These gentlemen were later followed by Jan Štursa, Max Švabinský, Franta Úprka, Stanislav Lolek, Alois Kalvoda and Adolf Kašpar - well known illustrator of Němcová´s Grandmother. In 1902, Hodonín hosted a memorable exhibition of Slovak art, which featured Joža Uprka, but also some other artists that were either an influence to Uprka or somehow linked with his work (brother Franta Uprka, painters Cyril Mandel and Antoš Frolka, but also some Slovak painters). It was this link with Slovakia and other Slavic artists that created a substiantial element of the movement.

The year 1907 saw the establishment of the Association of Moravian Visual Artists, who decided to have their very own association with a seat in Hodonín after falling out with the Brno based Club of Friends of Art. The leading personalities of the Association were Joža and Franta Úprka, brothers Alois and Bohumír Jaroňka, Alois Kalvoda, Stanislav Lolek, Adolf Kašpar, Cyril Mandel, Antoš Frolka, Roman Havelka and Jano Köhler. Some previous members such as Max Švabinsky and Jan Štursa left the Association very soon after it had been established, others, on the contrary, joined it ( Alfons Mucha). Jakub Obrovský, Oldřich Blažíček and the Slovak painter Martin Benka joined the portfolio of constituent members later.

The Association built its own House of Art and this is undoubtedly considered one of their most significant deeds. The reason why they decided to build a new house sounds a bit anectodical: The constituent members were allegedly to listen to Masaryk, who reputedly advised them „ not to remain in a pub!" The design competition was held in 1910 and the jury, composed of Joža Uprka, Jano Köhler, Vladimír Fischer, Dušan Jurkovič recommended the design of Antonín Blažek (1874 - 1944) The building was inaugurated with a vernissage on the 4th of May 1913.

The main purpose of the building of the Association was to present art. However, what needs to be pointed out is a wide range of the association´s activities, not always linked only with organisation of exhibitions. Alongside presenting their own art, the Association opened its building for works of other associations, including those from abroad. The Association had some tutorial classes too. In its premises, the Association organised pottery and weaving classes, where experienced craftsmen tutored folk weavers and potters, with many of the members participating in the classes.

The Association soon managed to gain a lot of supporters, i.e. paying supporters, for whom the Association used to publish so called members´bonuses, which were small works of art, such as art prints, medals, ceramic statuettes or booklets. Its activities were presented in their own magazine, called the Artistic Gazette and in an almanac, called the SVUM Almanac. Both these printed media were instrumental in distributing information and ideas formulated in the Association as well as for presenting members´ art.

At the end of the Second World War, which weighed in the Association activities with its negative impact , Hodonín was bombarded and the building of the Association was seriously damaged. Fortunately, all its collections were spared and after it had been restored, they re-opened it on the 8 th of June 1947.

The activities of the Association of Moravian Visual Art Artists halted in 1959. The building was handed over to the State administration in 1960 and the Hodonin Gallery of Visual Arts was born. This Gallery still resides in the original building of the Association. The original works of art from the property of the members of the Association create the base of an unceasingly enriched collection. At the moment the Gallery is run by the South Moravian Region, based in Brno.