Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art

We transcend boundaries not only between art forms, between art and technology, between cultures, but also the boundaries of our own limits, our talent, our dreams…

How do we influence the city and the region?

  • We use the local cultural and historical context both in our current work and in the creation of strategic partnerships abroad.
  • We positively shape the socio-cultural environment of the city and the region, bringing visual quality, innovative solutions, opening dialogue and supporting communities.
  • We cooperate with a wide range of entities on real contracts, thus cultivating not only the public but also the private sector.
  • We bring prominent artists and other professionals to the region, as well as promising students from across the country and abroad.

Where are we heading?

  • We are expanding the circle of cooperating personalities from practice and theory, from the country and abroad.
  • We are strengthening our position on the Czech and international scene. We focus on Europe and the global community.
  • We strive for excellence in design comparable internationally.
  • We are building a varied and cultivated environment where aesthetic and moral values form a whole.

What you may not have known about our faculty

Only 10 tram stops separate our Ladislav Sutnar Gallery in the centre of Pilsen and the Incubator Gallery in the Sutnarka building. The GAFA exhibition space in the DEPO2015 creative zone and other venues are used for the presentation of students’ works. In addition, we regularly organize exhibitions in cooperation with other entities.

In 2026, the 20th anniversary edition of the ArtCamp international summer school of art will take place. Every year, courses for the public are attended by interested parties from the Pilsen region, the Czech Republic, and abroad. If we add up all the editions, ArtCamp has lasted 58 weeks so far, offered 572 courses, and hosted 6,148 participants.

Jan Dienstbier

What makes us stand out

  • Profiling creative activities towards interdisciplinary projects that naturally connect with different scientific disciplines, especially in the field of technical, natural and social sciences. Key research topics are mobility and sustainable design.
  • It is a unique concentration of artists from many disciplines and places in the country who shape the young generation in creative dialogue.
  • Artistic outputs that are positively evaluated by experts at home and abroad, and at the same time understandable to the lay public.

Artistic creative activity

Representation on EXPO2025 – HIKOBAE

Audiovisual achievements at na Anifilm

Awards for Fashion Design studio students at STYL a KABO in Brno

Visual identity for the West Bohemian Baroque Festival and logo for the 2027 Winter Olympics for Children and Youth by graphic design students.

Gift items for the Pilsen Region by a design graduate

Illustration graduate’s book nominated for Bologna Ragazzi Award

Photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková inducted into the Czech Design Hall of Fame

Staging Mind Canvas Square

Project Venus Today

Commemoration of 10 years since Plzeň was named European Capital of Culture

Marcela Vostřelová

DOCTORAL RESEARCH

Cultural and historical context

  • The Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art develops the legacy of two important Pilsen natives – Ladislav Sutnar and Jiří Trnka.

LADISLAV SUTNAR PRIZE

WE DEVELOP DIALOGUE WITH THE PUBLIC AND ESTABLISH COOPERATION WITH EXPERTS

  • As is the case for the entire university, communication with the public and cooperation with the professional sphere represent an important area of educational and research activities for our faculty. In line with our focus, we are also committed to cultivating the public space, both in its material form and on a spiritual level.
  • For applicants, we have prepared the Path to Sutnarka, which includes interconnected initiatives such as DEMO entrance exams, Open House, Teendesign, as well as art courses for the public and the international summer art school ArtCamp. We also offer a range of events to a wider audience – in addition to the courses already mentioned, these include exhibitions with guided tours and accompanying programs in our own galleries (Ladislav Sutnar Gallery, Inkubátor Gallery, and GAFA) and other institutions.
  • We are continuously involved in joint international and domestic projects. At the level of the Czech Republic, we cooperate with organizations established by the statutory city of Pilsen, its municipal districts, the Pilsen and Karlovy Vary regions, as well as with entities in their territories or in other regions whose activities exceed the local framework and develop at the national and transnational levels. The faculty also acts as a host entity, providing venues for cultural and social events such as screenings of the One World International Film Festival or the final concert of the Pilsen Student Symphony Orchestra. These activities reflect the faculty’s extensive international cooperation, thanks to which it is now perceived as a respected academic institution both abroad and at home, enriched by leading designers, artists, and theorists from around the world.

We are expanding the circle of cooperating personalities

The teaching is complemented by lectures and workshops given by prominent figures from the Czech Republic, Europe, and overseas, who also attend the annual Ladislav Sutnar Award ceremony and participate in three international symposia held at various intervals, as well as the aforementioned ArtCamp international summer school of art.

Ladislav Sutnar Prize

  • Awards for distinguished Czech and foreign artists, educators, and institutions for outstanding achievements, particularly in the field of applied arts and design

Boundaries

  • Photographic and Time-Based Media Symposium

jIŘÍ TRNKA INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM

  • Symposium focused on illustration and animation

Livingstone

  • Symposium on large-format lithography

International Summer School of Art