Marija Anortė Mackelaitė, better known as Anortė Mackelaitė, (born 14 October 1930 in

Kėdainiai Kėdainiai () is one of the oldest List of cities in Lithuania, cities in Lithuania. It is located north of Lithuania's second largest city Kaunas on the banks of the Nevėžis River. Kėdainiai were first mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle ...

) is a

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

artist. Along with stained-glass artists such as

Stasys Ušinskas Stasys Ušinskas (20 July 1905 – 14 June 1974) was a Lithuanian artist of multiple creative fields: modern painting, stained glass, scenography, animation, puppetry and decorative glass artworks. He is widely regarded as the "father of Lithua ...

, Algimantas Stoškus, Kazimieras Morkūnas, Antanas Garbuskas, Filomena Ušinskaitė, Konstantinas Šatūnas and

Bronius Bružas Bronius Bružas (born 25 March 1941 Rokiškis) is a Lithuanian stained glass artist. In 1967, he graduated from the Lithuanian Art Institute (now Vilnius Art Academy). From 1969 to 1985, he worked in the "Art" factory, from 1985 to 1997; he work ...

, she has been cited as one of the leading artists in this field in Lithuania and the

Baltic States The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...

. Her best-known work is the brightly colored stained-glass windows which she contributed to

Anykščiai Church Church of Apostle Evangelist St. Matthew in Anykščiai () is a red brick Neo-Gothic church in Anykščiai, Lithuania. The Church is situated on the right bank of the Šventoji River. The twin spires of the church, each in height, make the church ...

, the tallest church in Lithuania.

Biography

In 1949–1951, Mackelaitė studied at the Kaunas Institute of Applied Decorative Art, and in 1955 at the

Lithuanian Institute of Fine Arts The Vilnius Academy of Arts (, previously ''State Art Institute of Lithuania'') in Vilnius, Lithuania, grants a variety of degrees in the arts. History The Academy traces its roots back to the creation of the Architecture Department at Viln ...

. In 1956–1957, she became a school teacher in Kėdainiai. Since 1957 she has participated in exhibitions and has been the creator of ornamental stained glass. Her works are characterized by a harmonious composition, with ornamental strip line design, often combining bright with contrasting or moderate colors. In 1968 she designed the windows to the Klaipėda Cultural Palace and in the late 1960s also designed windows in the spa town of

Druskininkai Druskininkai (; also see other names) is a spa city on the Nemunas River in southern Lithuania, close to the borders of Belarus and Poland. The city of Druskininkai is known for being a spa resort since the 19th century. Name The exact origi ...

. Between 1970 and 1985, she worked on the

, the tallest church in Lithuania where she designed the brightly colored stained glass windows. She designed the window in the entrance hall of the Čiurlionis School of Art (1962) and the booths in the Aušrinė Cafe (1972).Ramanauskaitė, p. 11 In the Vasara restaurant in

Palanga Palanga (; ; ) is a resort town, resort city in western Lithuania, on the shore of the Baltic Sea. Palanga is the busiest and the largest summer resort in Lithuania and has sand, sandy beaches (18 km, 11 miles long and up to 300 metres, 10 ...

, she innovatively used decorative properties of facet glass by utilizing it to face the walls.

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mackel, Marija Lithuanian artists 1930 births Living people Lithuanian stained glass artists and manufacturers People from Kėdainiai Vilnius Academy of Arts alumni 20th-century Lithuanian women artists 21st-century Lithuanian women artists