VDU FEM starts a partnership with the Kaunas branch of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association: art as part of artes liberales and investment thinking
The Faculty of Economics and Management of Vytautas Magnus University (VDU FEM) is starting a partnership with the Kaunas branch of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association (LDS KS) and, from February 1, 2026, is presenting a cycle of exhibitions by Kaunas city artists in the faculty spaces at K. Donelaičio St. 52, 6th floor.
This initiative in the FEM spaces sees art not only as an aesthetic object, but also as part of the artes liberales approach, where art becomes something that is analysed, reflected upon, and understood as an alternative form of value and investment.
THROUGH ART – TO UNDERSTAND VALUE CREATION
For a contemporary representative of business and economics, investing today means more than traditional asset classes – it is the ability to understand value creation, price logic, context, and risks, including those present in the art market.
Such an approach is widely applied in Western academic culture, where art at the university functions as a learning instrument, helping to connect economic thinking with cultural context. The aim of the exhibition cycle is to introduce the FEM community to Lithuanian artists and their work, while at the same time fostering a broader understanding of value, long-term thinking, and the relationship between economics and culture.
To learn more about how art acquires a price, read more here.
THE FIRST EXHIBITION IS PRESENTED BY INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED WATERCOLOUR MASTER DAIVA ŠLAJIENĖ
The first exhibition of this cycle in the FEM spaces presents the work of artist Daiva Šlajienė. The author has participated in more than 30 solo, group, national, and international exhibitions. Her poured watercolours stand out for their rich colours, professional pouring technique, complex compositions, and variety of subjects. In recent years, the artist’s works have received wide recognition both in Lithuania and within the international professional watercolour community.
In 2024, Daiva Šlajienė became the winner of the Best Artwork competition at the international art festival ART KAUNAS 2024 with the watercolour “Hide and Seek. Whim I”. In the same year, she was also awarded a diploma at the 10th International Watercolour Biennial “Baltic Bridges” for a watercolour diptych inspired by Danielius Dolskis’ work “In the Sea of Palanga”. In 2025, at the LDS Kaunas branch exhibition-competition “Kaunas Landscape”, the artist was awarded the Eglė Velaniškytė Prize for a deep and distinctive vision of the world and an authentic creative imprint.
THE EXHIBITED WORKS CAN BE PURCHASED
Award-winning works by the artist are also exhibited in the VDU FEM spaces, and visitors can view them and familiarise themselves with them before purchasing.
We sincerely thank the Kaunas branch of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association and Daiva Šlajienė for their collaboration and trust in jointly creating a living, thought-provoking initiative that enriches the academic space of the faculty.
