About us
The Lewben Art Foundation was established in 2013 by art patron, collector and chairman of the Board at Lewben Vilius Kavaliauskas and his wife Rita Kavaliauskienė with the aim of making the constantly growing collection of 1,500 pieces of artwork representing more than 300 artists available to the public.
The Lewben Art Foundation is the winner of the contest organized by Vilnius City Municipality for premises at Bernardinų st. 6-12 in Vilnius. In 2024 the Lewben Art Foundation Art Center will open at this address.
The collection of the Foundation includes artwork of various media, starting with painting, sculpture, photography, graphics and also includes video works, installations and documented performances; it covers the period from the 20th century Lithuanian modernism to Lithuanian and international contemporary art.
By creating and initiating various modern and contemporary art projects and by contributing to them, the Lewben Art Foundation promotes interest in visual arts. The Foundation has already held several dozen exhibitions, published a number of art albums and monographs about artists. The Lewben Art Foundation has plans to establish its own exhibition spaces in the future, but for the time being, the Foundation cooperates with professional visual art institutions in Lithuania and abroad.
Past activities
2023
March
Sponsorship. Exhibition of Vilnius-based artists "The Iron Wolf / Le Loup de Fer" (Paris, France)
February
Lending. Kazimieras Brazdžiūnas and Kristijonas Žūngaila's exhibition "Overdrive" at "Meno Parkas" gallery
Project. Conversations with collectors. Interview with Ramutis Petniūnas
January
Event. International performance evening "The Shape of Things to Come"
2022
December
Exhibition. The Homecoming of Gut Feeling by Robertas Narkus
Lending. Exhibition "Patricija Jurkšaitytė. Illusorium" at Vilnius Picture Gallery
Sponsorship. 14th Young Painter’s Prize: What’s on this year?
October
July
Exhibition. "Parallel Projections" at the Lewben Art Foundation
June
Conference. NFT.NYC – the biggest NFT event in the world
Sponsorship. Charity auction during the US Independence Day celebration
Exhibition. Growing Out? Growing Up? Contemporary Art Collecting in the Baltics (Riga, Latvia)
May
Exhibition. The Lewben Art Foundation's exposition at "Vilnius Mama Jazz" festival
Exhibition. "Parallel Time" at Vytautas Kasiulis Museum of Art
April
Membership. The Lewben Art Foundation is the member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM)
Conference. “Leadership in Culture”
March
Sponsorship. Robertas Narkus’ project "Gut Feeling" for the Lithuanian Pavilion at the 59th International Venice Biennale
Exhibition. “Sūduviai in the World: Viktoras Petravičius, Adolfas Valeška, Viktoras Vizgirda” in Marijampolė
2021
December
Publishing. New art album – photography book "Dance With Me" by Vytenis Jankūnas
Project. Conversations with collectors. Interview with Dr Jaunius Gumbis
November
Sponsorship. Jonas Mekas and the New York Avant-Garde at the National Gallery of Art
Sponsorship. XIII Young Painter Prize at MO museum
Lending. Exhibition created by teenagers opens at the National Gallery of Art
October
Exhibition. The Lewben Art Foundation exposition "How Soon is Tomorrow. Collecting NFTs" at the art fair "ArtVilnius"
September
Project. Conversations with collectors. Edgar Aronov: this is a much more positive thing
August
Project. Conversations with collectors. Interview with Žaneta Fomova
Exhibition. The open-air exhibition "Homo Absentia" in Nida
July
Partnership. Exhibition “Re-activate the City” in public spaces in Paupys
June
Project. Conversations with collectors. Interview with Daiva Lialytė
Lending. Exhibition ‘Seas / Les mers' by SetP Stanikas at Klaipėda Culture Communication Center
May
Award. Art album "Art & Us" awarded Gold in "A' Design Award & Competition"
March
Sponsorship. Exhibition “Shaping the Future: Environments by Aleksandra Kasuba” at the National Gallery of Art
Award. Responsible Approach Award
Art Center. The Lewben Art Foundation Art Center will open in Vilnius
February
Exhibition. The open-air exhibition "Homo Absentia" in Šiauliai
Discussion. Creativity during pandemic with curator & artists of exhibition "Homo Absentia"
2020
December
Exhibition. “Homo Absentia” – the Lewben Art Foundation exhibition in the squares of Vilnius
November
Lending. Zuza Golińska's solo show “Red Giant” at Wrocław Contemporary Museum
October
Lending. Exhibition "The Painter of Pagan Lithuania: Kazimierz Alchimowicz"
Donation. Donation to Juozas Kavaliauskas Memorial Charitable Foundation
Performance. "Tristan & Isolde" by Dr.GoraParasit at art fair ArtVilnius'20
September
Sponsorship. “TikTok Shakespeare” by Dr.GoraParasit premier in Vilnius
Project. Lithuanian artists living and working abroad. Pakui Hardware
August
Sponsorship. Dr. GoraParasit's performance “Tristan and Isolde" in Berlin
Project. Lithuanian artists living and working abroad. Rūta Jusionytė
July
Project. Lithuanian artists living and working abroad. SetP Stanikas
June
Donation. From Lithuanian Expatriate Art Foundation to Lithuanian National Museum of Art
Project. Lithuanian artists living and working abroad. Vytenis Jankūnas
May
Project. Lithuanian artists living and working abroad. Kęstutis Zapkus
April
Project. New project "Coffee with Monika & Art" together with "15min.lt"
Project. #lewbenartchallenge for the colleagues
March
Project. Lithuanian artists living and working abroad. Žilvinas Kempinas
Lending. Red Becomes White Whilst Falling. Linas Leonas Katinas
February
Lending. Exhibition "Head With Many Thoughts" at Contemporary Art Centre
Lending. Exhibition "Beyond the Black Atlantic" at Kunstverein Hannover (Germany)
January
Publishing. "Art & Us" is among the most beautiful books published in Lithuania in 2019
Lending. Exhibition "Expulsions of Eve" by Ieva Martinaitytė-Mediodia in Klaipėda
2019
December
Publishing. Art album "Art & Us"
Lending. Contemporary art show in Paris celebrates centenary of Franco-Lithuanian ties
November
Lending. Exhibition "The Study. Genesis of Artwork. Augustinas Savickas" at the National Gallery of Art
Discussion. Italian artist Nico Vascellari comes to Vilnius
October
Charity auction. First charity event of Juozas Kavaliauskas Memorial Charitable Foundation: 56 thousand euros were donated to children with oncological diseases
Sponsorship. Young Painter Prize 2019
September
Training. Course at Sotheby's Institute of Art in London
Project. Art collector Vilius Kavaliauskas – among the jury members of Young Painter Prize
August
Training. Trip to San Francisco International Arts Festival
Exhibition. "Our selfie" at MO Museum
July
Exhibition. Celebration of the year of Lithuanians in the world at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Lending. Exhibition "The Sweet Sweat of the Future" at the National Gallery of Art
Lending. New display of Lithuanian art at the National Gallery of Art
June
Exhibition. Exposition "In Art We Trust" during art fair ArtVilnius'19
Discussion. "Creative Dilemma: Art, Christianity, Today"
May
Sponsorship. Lewben Art Foundation is one of the main sponsors of the Lithuanian pavilion in the Venice Biennial
April
Lending. Exhibition „Guten Morgen Europa!” in (Rotterdam, Netherlands)
Lending. Exhibition “Animal – Human – Robot” at MO Museum
March
Lending. Linas Jusionis' exhibition at Zebrastaat gallery (Ghent, Belgium)
Lending. Exhibition "Vilnius in Art. 1939–1956"
February
Discussion. "What Took You So Long? Women's Affairs"
Publishing. "Lewben Art Foundation" at the Vilnius Book Fair 2019
Exhibition. "Parade Extract" at the Artists’ Association gallery in Vilnius
2018
December
Publishing. Art album "What Took You So Long"
November
Project. "Sheep Got Waxed" concert at the personal exhibition of A. Sutkus at the National Gallery of Art
Lending. Exhibition "Rare visitor: Artwork by Max Band in Marijampolė"
Lending. Exhibition "Vilmantas Marcinkevičius. Cross The Line"
Sponsorship. Young Painter Prize Awards 2018
Lending. Personal exhibition by Eglė Karpavičiūtė „Making Myself“
October
Project. "Lewben Art Foundation Playlist" for MO museum
Lending. Exhibition “Wild Souls. Symbolism in the Art of the Baltic States” at KUMU (Tallinn, Estonia)
July
Lending. Exhibition by Claire Tabouret at Festival d'Avignon (France)
June
Lending. Permanent exhibition at the Vytautas Kasiulis Art Museum
Exhibition. "Fairytales? Sounds good" at the contemporary art fair ArtVilnius'18
Lending. Exhibition “Lithuania in Litvak Arts" at the Tolerance Centre of Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum
May
April
Lending. Permanent exhibition at the National Gallery of Art
Lending. Exhibition "Wild Souls. Symbolism in the Baltic States" at the Musee d'Orsay (Paris, France)
March
Exhibition. “In the Time of Coil Spring” at the Mykolas Žilinskas Art Gallery
Sponsorship. Contribution to the project "Lithuanian Artists in South America"
2017
December
November
October
Lending. Personal exhibition by Kristina Ališauskaitė "Realities in the Making“
September
Exhibition. "Hello, Paris! The Path of Litvak Artists“ (Brussels, Belgium)
Lending. Académie de Vilna – Vilnius Drawing School (1866–1915) at the National Gallery of Art
Exhibition. Paintings from the collection of the Lewben Art Foundation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania
June
Publishing. Catalogue of the exposition “All These Beautiful Ladies”
Exhibition. "All These Beautiful Ladies" at the contemporary art fair "ArtVilnius'17"
Sponsorship. Performance '"No one can take me away from me" by Monika Dirsytė
Lending. Solo exhibition by Tschabalala Self at "Tramway" (Glasgow, Scotland)
May
Sponsorship. Lithuanian Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale
Sponsorship. Book "Public Space? Lost and Found" (MIT Press, 2017)
April
March
Publishing. Art albums published by the Lewben Art Foundation at the Leipzig Book Fair 2017
Sponsorship. Exhibition „Lithuanian Art – Destination London“ (London, UK)
February
Exhibition. One-day exhibition "Abstraction from the collections of the Lewben Art Foundation and Valiunas Ellex"
January
Lending. Solo exhibition by Tschabalala Self at Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art (London, UK)
2016
December
Publishing. Art album “Readdressed 1. Lithuanian and Litvak Painting in the Lithuanian Expatriate Art Foundation”
Sponsorship. Solo show by Žilvinas Kempinas at "Vartai" gallery
November
Lending. / Sponsorship. 16th International Vilnius Painting Triennial “Nomadic Images”
Sponsorship. Solo exhibition “Decadence” by Linas Jusionis at "Vartai" gallery
October
Sponsorship. Young Painter Prize 2016
Sponsorship. Random Rapid Heartbeats. Selected projects from the CAC Vilnius programme (Tallinn, Estonia)
Lending. Exhibition "Life in Sculpture. Jacques Lipchitz – 125" at the M. Žilinskas Art Gallery
Lending. Exhibition "Algis Skačkauskas (1955-2009). Paintings" at the National Gallery of Art
September
Sponsorship. Exhibition “Cumspin” by Julijonas Urbonas at "Vartai" gallery
Sponsorship. Exhibition "Poems and things" by Krišs Salmanis at "Vartai" gallery
July
June
Sponsorship. Heimo Zobernig and Julia Haller at "Vartai" gallery
Publishing. Catalogue of the exhibition “Shaping Ideas: Sculptures” at ArtVilnius’16
Exhibition. “Shaping Ideas: Sculptures” at the international contemporary art fair ArtVilnius’16
Exhibition. "Shapes and Forms". A Satellite Exhibition of ArtVilnius’16 from the Lewben Art Foundation
May
Lending. Simon Denny: Business Insider at WIELS Contemporary Art Centre (Brussels, Belgium)
Donation. In celebration of Internation Museum Day – gift to Lithuanian Museums
Lending. Exhibition "Viktoras Petravičius. Creation Coordinates" at the Vytautas Kasiulis Art Museum
April
Sponsorship. Exhibition "Skateboard Prayer, or Head Below the Heart" by Eglė Budvytytė at the Contemporary Art Centre
Sponsorship. Exhibition "Ligaments" by Andrius Zakarauskas at Vartai Gallery
March
Sponsorship. Exhibition "Enigma of Beginnings" at Yuz Museum Shanghai (Shanghai, China)
January
Sponsorship. Exhibition "Žilvitis" ("Willow") at Vartai Gallery
Lending. “The Man with Sauka's Face. Paintings by Šarūnas Sauka. 1978−2015” at the National Gallery of Art
2015
December
Publishing. Book "Litvak Art in Private Lithuanian Collections"
Lending. Exhibition "Shalom, Israel! The Paths of Litvak Artists"
Sponsorship. Ray Bartkus’ "The Globe" in the headquarters of the UN (New York, USA)
Lending. Exhibition “Paraphrases” at “Galerija Vartai”
Lending. The personal exhibition “Accidious” by Aidas Bareikis at the Šiauliai Art Gallery
November
Project. Virtual museum of the Lewben Art Foundation
October
Donation. Gift from the Lithuanian Expatriate Art Foundation to the Lithuanian Art Museum
September
Publishing. Exhibition catalogue of the “Networked Encounters Offline”
Exhibition. “Networked Encounters Offline” at the M. Žilinskas Art Gallery as part of the Kaunas Biennial
Sponsorship. Young Painter Prize
July
Publishing. Catalogue of the Lewben Art Foundation
Sponsorship. The exhibition "Laure Prouvost: Burrow Me" at Rupert
Exhibition. “Vytautas Kašuba (1915-1997). Unseen Drawings“ at the Vytautas Kasiulis Art Museum
June
Exhibition. Contemporary international artists at the art fair ArtVilnius’15
Publishing. Exhibition catalogue of the Lewben Art Foundation at ArtVilnius’15
Exhibition. Pranas Domšaitis “Always on the Road. Paintings from Private Collections” at M. Žilinskas Art Gallery
Sponsorship. Erwin Wurm's "Narrow House" at the Contemporary Art Centre
May
Lending. The exhibition of works by Alfonsas Dargis at the Vytautas Kasiulis Art Museum
Sponsorship. The exhibition "Edge of Chaos" (Venice, Italy)
February
Publishing. "Jonas Rimša. Returning Home". A comprehensive overview of the creative life of the painter
Exhibition. "Jonas Rimša (1903–1978). The Magic of Fire and Jungle" at Vytautas Kasiulis Art Museum
2014
December
Project. Works from the collection of the Lewben Art Foundation in Google Art Institute
Publishing. Exhibition catalogue “Inversion. Evil Goods”
Exhibition. “Hello, Paris! The Path of Litvak Artists” at the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in London
November
Exhibition. “Hello, Paris! The Path of Litvak Artists” in "12 Star Gallery" (London, UK)
Lending. Quadrennial 2014
September
Lending. "Fountain" by Žilvinas Kempinas in Műcsarnok (Budapest, Hungary)
Sponsorship. Young Painter Prize
Sponsorship. Solo exhibition of Deimantas Narkevičius "Sounds Like the XX Century"
August
Exhibition. "Colours and Forms of France" at the Tolerance Center of the Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum
July
Lending. "Fountain" by Žilvinas Kempinas in the festival "Les échappées belles" (Alençon, France)
June
Exhibition. Contemporary art fair ArtVilnius‘14
May
Sponsorship. SCARECROW by Žilvinas Kempinas in Socrates Sculpture Park (New York, USA)
Exhibition. “Inversion. Evil Goods” in Jonas Mekas Visual Arts Center
April
Publishing. The monograph “Kęstutis Zapkus”
Exhibition. "Kęstutis Zapkus. A Retrospective of Painting" at the National Gallery of Art
Exhibition. "The Shine" at the National Gallery of Art
January
Exhibition. "Hello, Paris! The Path of Litvak Artists" at M. Žilinskas Art Gallery
Exhibition. Exhibition of contemporary art "3" in Anykščiai
2013
November
Lending. Exhibition "Mindwalk" in art gallery Vartai
Lending. Kazimieras Žoromskis "From Realism to Optical Art" in the Museum of Applied Arts
September
Exhibition. Jonas Rimša “Life in wanderings” in Anykščiai chapel
Exhibition. Jonas Rimša “Bronze People. Indian Spirit Revealed“ at M. Žilinskas Art Gallery
Press about us
- Echo Gone Wrong > Lewben Art Foundation presents exposition “Shaping Ideas: Sculptures” at the international contemporary art fair ArtVilnius’16
- 15min.lt > New players in Lithuania's art market – private collectors
- 15min.lt > The Lewben Art Foundation at the 10th Kaunas Biennial
- Echo Gone Wrong > Exhibition review. #Networked Encounters Online#
- IQ The Economist > Interview with the Lewben Art Foundation contemporary art curator Francesca Ferrarini
- IQ The Economist > Exhibition review. Pranas Domšaitis “Always on the Road. Paintings from Private Collections” by Rasa Žukienė
- Artnews.lt > Exhibition review. #Networked Encounters Online# by Paulius Andriuškevičius
- Arterritory.com > The Lewben Art Foundation Collection. From the Lithuanian Diaspora to Luminaries of International Biennales
- LRT Radio > Is interest in art collecting based on passion or investment? (Interview with Vilius Kavaliauskas (Chairman of the Lewben Art Foundation) from 76:07)
- LRT Television > About the exhibition "Hello, Paris! The Path of Litvak Artists" (from 15:28)
- LRT Television > About the exhibition "Mindwalk" (from 19:54)
Management Board and Administration
Chairman
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Director
Project Manager
