Jekabs Springis (1907-2004)

(1907– 2004) Painter, Latvia.
1924 – 1927th he learned at Aizpute Secondary School
1927-1930 - learning at Liepaja Art Craft School, department of decorative painting.
1930-1936 – studies at Academy of Art in Latvia, figurative master class of G. Eliass (diploma work “At the kitchen”).
1933-1940- fonder and member of the artist’s society “Green Country”, participates in the society’s exhibitions.
1936-1944 – teaches drawing, draughtmanship and art history at the Talsi State Grammarschool, the district and Jewish schools.
1946-1969 – drawing teacher and librarian at the Talsi 2nd Primary School and Talsi Secondary School. He runs a drawing club whose members’ works have been exhibited in India, Japan and other countries.
Two pupils (Maris Springis and Janis Andris Osis) were awarded the Silver Medal at the World Exhibition in Riga.
1964 – Accepted into the Artist’s Union of the Latvian SSR.
1980 – He lived and worked to Riga and at summertime painted at Talsi.
Solo exhibitions:
1942 – at Kuldiga’s Museum
1979 – Riga, Latvia at Artist House (aquarelles)
1982 – The 75 Anniversary exhibition at Talsu Museum (aquarelles)
1987 – The 80 Anniversary exhibition at Talsu Museum (aquarelles)
1992 – The 85 Anniversary exhibition at Talsu Museum (oil paintings)
1997 – Solo exhibition “The reflections and shades”, gallery “Riga”, Latvia
2002 – The 95 Anniversary exhibition at Talsu museum (aquarelles)
Group exhibitions:
1939 – 2001 – took part at all exhibitions of Talsu district
1958 – Took part at 1st republican aquarelles exhibition in Riga, Latvia
Since 1995 artist took part at Talsu Artist group exhibitions in Riga, Latvia and foreign (Denmark, Sweden and Estonia)
Honors:
1992 – Receives prize for best work of visual art at the 42nd Latvian Culture Days in Sydney, Australia
Since 1998 – life stipendiary of the Latvian Culture Capital Foundation
2001 – The diploma at International aquarelles exhibition, Klaipeda (Lithuania)
His works are in the collections of the:
State Art Museum, exhibition hall “Arsenals”, Latvia’s Artist Unity collection, Talsu museum, Cesu Museum, Tukuma Museum, Bauskas Museum, State Russian Art Museum St. Petersburg, Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, the Khirghizia Museum of Art
In Private collections- Finland, Germany, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Australia, Mongolia, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Estonia, Russia.