Creating associations with sustainable environmental development and the growing role of the forest in Latvia, the “Latvijas valsts meži Art Scholarship” competition is being held for the ninth year running. This year the 1500 euro scholarship for the further development of artistic talent goes to Iveta Šmita, a second-year student of the Painting specialisation on the master's programme at the Art Academy of Latvia (LMA), for "A Forest of Genetically Healthy Spruces with Potential", a work executed in a technique of her own devising.

Scholarship winner Iveta Šmita says:

“I love art in all its forms and I have always felt a need to express myself creatively. While studying textile art for my bachelor's degree, I arrived at a technique of my own. My work consists of several layers of silk, each painted with ink, which creates a 3D effect. The work is dedicated to the forest environment as a habitat, inviting the viewer to think about considered and responsible management. Winning the main prize in this year's scholarship competition was a pleasant surprise. My main goal now is to finish my studies and prepare for my forthcoming solo exhibition, which will be on view next year in Cēsis.”

The 15 works by the finalists of the art scholarship competition are interesting in their variety: from painting to printmaking and sculpture. There are no limits to what young artists do creatively in visual language. Works made in the artists' own techniques display a unique execution and signature style peculiar to their maker alone. The competition theme, “How can a work of art create associations with sustainable environmental development and the growing role of the forest in Latvia?”, was addressed through individual experience, attitudes, observations, personal feelings and sensations.

This year also saw the continuation of a tradition established last year: the award of the “Latvijas valsts meži Art Scholarship” audience favourite prize. It went this year to Linda Jākobsone-Viškere, a second-year student of the Drawing specialisation on the academy's master's programme, for her work “A Forest Is Born in the Mist”. As the artist herself notes, the work is dedicated to Latvian nature and to the awareness that every tree, every breath is part of the country we build together.

During the event the finalists were congratulated by Tomass Kotovičs, Head of the Communications Department at “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM), who expressed the hope that taking part in the LVM scholarship competition had given the students a broader understanding of forestry matters and of the role of forests in mitigating climate change. Andris Vītoliņš, Vice-Rector for Administrative and Creative Work at the Art Academy of Latvia, shared his thoughts on the ever-increasing urbanisation of society, acknowledging that artists are becoming a bridge by which we can draw closer to nature.

The finalists' works from the “Latvijas valsts meži Art Scholarship 2025” can be seen in an exhibition at the LVM customer centre in Riga until 12 December.

Since 2017 the “Latvijas valsts meži Art Scholarship” competition has been organised by AS “Latvijas valsts meži” in cooperation with the Art Academy of Latvia, in order to foster among students an understanding of the forest as Latvia's largest renewable resource, one that is constantly growing. Entrants were required to create associations in a painting between art and sustainable environmental development. As part of the competition, students had to link their creative work to the growing role of the forest in the Latvian economy.