World Art Day 2025

Art is all around us, and comes in many different shapes and forms. It consists of many forms and practices, including painting, geometric abstraction, conceptual, sculptural, baroque, photography, surrealism, and abstract expressionism. It is not always just visual as well: art can take the form of music, theatre, cinematography and architecture to give some examples. All in all, the world would be a very dull and miserable place without it. So every year on the 15th of April, World Art Day acknowledges the profound link between the contributions of artists worldwide and sustainable development within society. It also raises awareness of the diversity within the artistic community and artistic expression overall.

History of World Art Day

World Art Day was first proclaimed in the 40th session of UNESCO’s General Conference, which was held in Paris from the 12th until the 27th of November 2019. Its foundations were initially laid by the International Association of Art (IAA), which was formed in 1954 to collaborate with UNESCO in an official partnership and as an NGO (a non-governmental organisation) to ultimately represent the work and legacies of professional artists. World Art Day is thought to also pay tribute to the work and legacy of world-famous artist Leonardo Da Vinci, whose birthday falls on the same day as World Art Day – the 15th of April.

All in all, Word Art Day not only honour the world of Leonardo Da Vinci himself, but essentially all the contributions which artists across the globe make in moulding our cultural landscape. Their work and role in society is invaluable, as are the contributions that many of our SACI (School of Arts and Creative Industries) students and staff make both within the university and externally.

Our School of Arts and Creative Industries…

One of the fundamental objectives of the School of Arts and Creative Industries at Napier is to encourage innovation and progression within our SACI student community, as well as foster their talents by providing them with opportunities for collaboration and networking within creative industries and communities to eventually go on to develop sustainable careers. Some of our creative courses include Design, Photography and Advertising, Acting, Music, and English. Film, Television and Journalism is another course which we offer as well within SACI.

Employability, all in all, is at the heart of Napier’s core values and all of their programmes and schools, and we aim to ensure that all of our students feel ready and well-equipped for commencing placements and work experience to prepare them for pursuing successful careers once they spread their wings and leave the university. To facilitate these invaluable work experience opportunities, we have built a solid rapport with both UK-based and international employers and industries to allow access to these opportunities as well as networking events. We also allow students to showcase their work and final year projects at our Napier degree show, which will run this year from the 30th of May until the 6th of June at Merchiston campus. The event is open to all as well!

Some fun facts about Art…

  • Thirty-century year old cave paintings have been discovered in Chauvet, France.
  • Leonardo Da Vinci spent 14 years finishing his widely renowned ‘Mona Lisa’ painting despite it being a relatively small portrait. It also did not become well-known within art communities until after it was stolen in 1911, which led to it becoming more famous and widely recognised.
  • Art used to be held as an Olympic event but was stopped in 1954 after concerns were raised about the professional status of participants and competitors. Almost every competitor submitting their work was a professional artist – they were all required to be amateurs according to the rules of the event.
  • The Louvre Art Gallery in Paris is the most popular art gallery in the world, bringing in more visitors than any other art gallery across the globe.

Further Reading for World Art Day

Have we sparked your interest in the world of art and creativity? Here are some recommended titles in our library stock to consult if you would like to read more about this subject area.

 

  • ‘Art: the definitive visual guide’, Graham-Dixon, Andrew Bridgeman Art Library, 2008. Available at Merchiston Campus Library.
  • ‘Light years: conceptual art and the photograph, 1964-1977′, Witkovsky, Matthew S., 1967-; Godfrey, Mark (Mark Benjamin); Art Institute of Chicago. C2011. Available at Merchiston Campus Library.
  • ‘Before photography: painting and the invention of photography’, Galassi, Peter.; Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.), c1981. Available at Merchiston Campus Library.

 

By Rachel Downie

 

Photo credit goes to Matheus at Pexels.

 

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