In memory of artist Taida Balčiūnienė
In 2025, we commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of architect and book designer Taida Musteikytė-Balčiūnienė (1925–2018) — an artist who found creative joy and fulfillment in creating for children.
Several generations grew up with the carefree, smiling, and worry-free round-faced little ones from Taida Balčiūnienė’s illustrated textbooks. Her book characters were created for an audience with rural roots — for those whose childhood summers were spent in the countryside at their grandmother’s home. Alongside the lively schoolchildren in her illustrations stand a variety of living creatures — from forest animals to domestic birds — who often seem just as eager to dive into learning.
“The Young Pianist,” “The Illustrated Alphabet,” the “Vyturiukas” Alphabet series, and Lithuanian language, mathematics, and music textbooks for young learners have been published and republished many times over the years.
Commemorating the jubilee anniversary of this talented artist, Taida Balčiūnienė, we present several reproductions of her textbook illustrations from the museum’s Publications Collection.
Information prepared by Gabija Mackevičiūtė, Curator of the Collection at the Lithuanian Education Museum.
