Prague, The New Paris

Word had it that Prague, CZ, was the new Paris, France, and that the arts were once again flourishing after decades under communist rule. In June 2006, we decided to find out if that was really true and enrolled in a new and unique vacation experience that was a week long venture into Prague’s art world.
Coming from Czechoslovakian heritage we were especially intrigued by the opportunity to experience Prague from an artists perspective rather than a tourists. We were not disappointed.
Our weeklong art intensive (ArtbreakTM) was shared with Miguel, a Spaniard from Madrid and hosted by the owners of ArtbreakTM, Doug and Richard. Doug, a transplant from the US, teaches in Prague and has been there 10 years. Richard is a native czecksolovakian. They provided a view of Prague that a visitor could not possibly experience unless he or she had a relative or friend living there. We could not have had better tour guides.
Over the week, we visited numerous art museums that specialized in Czech artists, from the 1500s through modern day. We particularly enjoyed the Manes Gallery that included a great many paintings by Vaclav Kiml, whose bold use of color and symbolism so aptly depicted the religious heritage of Prague. We also liked the works of Jiri Kolar, an international collage artist.
Czechoslovakia is steeped in religious history and has numerous exquisite churches and synagogues. Each in its own way tells the story of religious oppression that has become part of Czechoslovakia’s history speaking to the decades of foreign occupation. Czechoslovakia, one way or another, has remained under foreign rule until very recently.
While the afternoons were packed full of museums, touring, local pubs and shopping, the evenings were filled with cultural events – a night at a local jazz club, Zelezna 16; a performance of Othello at the outdoor Shakespearian theatre; the opera, The Magic Flute; performances from the dance troupes associated with the Modern Dance Festival; and the ballet, Raymondo.
And to round out the day, each morning we joined local art students at the art school, Muddum, where we spent our time painting, throwing pottery, papermaking, and experimenting with collage.
Over lunch we talked with local artists and writers, including Gerald Turner, a translator for modern and Solvak writing, which include the works by Ivan Kilma, the premier contemporary Czech novelist. For dinner, we dined on local cuisine, ordering dishes that we enjoyed while growing up.
ArtbreakTM was a wonderful experience. We left feeling that we had a glimmer of the Prague that our grandparents knew and hundreds of ideas for art projects memorializing our experiences while there.
See our Prague Travel Journals in our gallery.