Norkus Vincas

(1925- 2006)

Vincas Norkus was born on December 26, 1925 in Marijampolė rural municipality, in the village of Gustaičiai, which has already disappeared and been plowed up, surviving only in the artist’s canvases. In 1952 he graduated from the Lithuanian State Institute of Arts, and from 1967 to 1996 he taught at the Vilnius Institute of Arts, Vilnius Academy of Arts. Associate Professor of the VDA.

While teaching drawing at Vilnius S.Neries Secondary School, he educated a number of young art lovers over 30 years. For many years he hosted children’s programs “Pencil Wizard”, “My World” on Lithuanian TV. He was appointed chairman of the aesthetic commission of the Lithuanian Artists’ Union.

With a sketchbook and a fishing rod, the artist visited many corners of Lithuania. Having fallen in love with the wonderful nature of the region, he depicts the beauty of forests, lakes, and already disappearing villages and homesteads in his work.
These are cheerful views of Neringa, the Baltic Sea and the seaside, wide panoramas of Aukštaitija, Dzūkija and Vilnius, the streets of old Vilnius, the destroyed and already disappeared courtyards of the capital. The images captured by his brush, which have survived only on the canvases, have a unique value. The artist not only conveyed the beauty of our native land to the canvases with a brush, but was an active member of the artists’ poetry club “Plekšnė”, in 2006 he wrote a book of poetry “Kas drobėse nesudėta”.
He has been participating in exhibitions since 1953, and has organized more than 20 personal exhibitions. The artist’s works have been purchased by the Vilnius and Kaunas Art Museums, art lovers in Lithuania, the USA, Canada, Germany, Israel and other countries.

Personal Exhibitions:

1962 – Union Exhibition of Young Artists. Moscow.

1963, 1990 – Marijampolė.

1977, 1987, 1990 – Vilnius Art Exhibition Hall.
1977 – Vilnius Plastic Products Factory.
1977 – Šalčininkai.
1981 – Union Exhibition “Earth and People”. Moscow.
1984 – Union Art Exhibition. VFR.
1988 – Nemenčinė Republican Children’s Hospital.
1990, 1998 – Klaipėda Art Exhibition Hall.
1991 – Dusetų Art Gallery.
1992 – Druskininkai.
1993, 1996, 1997 – St. Juškus Gallery “Vilnius and Art” in Vilnius.
1996 – Gallery “Akademija” in Vilnius.
1996 – Vilnius Technical Library.
1996,1998 – Gallery “Grigos vartai” in Vilnius.
1994 – “Baltic Club”, Vilnius.
1999 – Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania.
2000 – National Defense Officers’ Hall in Vilnius.
2001 – Lithuanian DS Gallery “Arka”.
2008 – Vilnius Town Hall.
2010 – Magdalena Birutė Stankūnaitė Art Gallery / Marijampolė /