THE MALTA SOCIETY OF ARTS CELEBRATES 100 YEARS AT PALAZZO DE LA SALLE

THIS YEAR, MALTA’S OLDEST ARTS INSTITUTION, THE MALTA SOCIETY OF ARTS (MSA), IS CELEBRATING THE 100th ANNIVERSARY SINCE THE MOVE TO ITS PRESTIGIOUS SEAT AT THE 400-YEAR-OLD PALAZZO DE LA SALLE, IN VALLETTA. A SERIES OF EVENTS IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY TO COMMEMORATE THIS INCREDIBLE MILESTONE.

The Malta Soc iety of Arts was formed in 1852, in response to the birth of the Royal Academy of Arts in London and the initiatives organised by the latter. The MSA’s founder, Sir William Reid, was the British Governor for Malta at the time and saw the potential for having a Society focu sed on the empowerment of the arts in Malta.

Early on, the MSA was a nomadic institution which survived 42 years without fixed premises. In 1894 it was entrusted with the stewardship of Palazzo Xara, which was situated across the road from St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. The first exhibition hosted at these ‘new’ MSA premises was the Industrial Exhibition, which attracted a record number of visitors for the time. For various reasons, the Society moved several times again after its stay at Palazzo Xara, and only settled in Palazzo de La Salle, its current home, in 1923 - exactly 100 years ago.

The richly decorated and opulent Palazzo de La Salle was built around 1600, after the Great Siege of Malta, and it is one of Valletta’s earliest buildings. In the 300 or so years before it became the seat of the MSA, the palace was home to a colourful group of individuals, which includes Knights from the Order of St John, British merchants, and Maltese families. It derives its name from the De La Salle brothers, two French noblemen appointed as bailiffs by the Order of St John, who were conferred the building around 1730.

From 1923 onwards, as soon as it settled into the Palazzo, the MSA began to expand its activities and scope. It had already established itself as a leader in the fields of art and technical education, and now that it had its own premises, it consolidated its activities in these areas. At the sam e time, it began to support Maltese Modern artists in their studies abroad, and in fact the

So ciety has been historically associated with some of the biggest names in Maltese Modern art, including Anton Inglott, Esprit Barthet and Antonio Sciortino.

The Society’s activities slowed down during World War II but picked up again soon afterwards. The MSA became a powerhouse for change and for bringing new ideas, new voices and a new kind of art into the Maltese artistic scene. Pioneering British abstract artist Victor Pasmore, for instance, organised his first solo exhibition in Malta at Palazzo de La Salle in 1970.

Throughout the year 2023, the Society has organised a series of events and activities to celebrate this rich and textured history. These consist of an exhibition by the Society’s members, and a series of musical performances which take the MSA archives as their starting point. The MSA has also curated a historical exhibition which tracks the MSA’s influence in the arts over the past 100 years, featuring masterworks of Modern and Contemporary art. Supplementing all this is a soon-to-be published book of essays that portrays the Palazzo from every angle – historical, artistic, and even philosophical. These initiatives offer a cross-section of the MSA over the years, as well as a glimpse into the rich history of the Palazzo itself, revealing hitherto unknown information about the past; while at the same time keeping an eye on the future and steering the Society into a contemporary direction.

“The Malta Society of Arts has been at the forefront of promoting culture, arts and crafts in Malta for over 100 years,” states Arch. Adrian Mamo, MSA’s President. “As we celebrate the MSA’s centenary in this prestigious building, we augur that the Society will continue fulfilling its important mission in the coming years.”

For more details about the Malta Society of Arts and its 100 years at Palazzo de La Salle celebrations, please visit www.artsmalta.org or www.facebook.com/maltasocietyofarts