The academy of John is an informal group of young, amateur artists who formed in Gorzów Wielkopolski under the supervision of Jan Korcza. It was founded in 1972 and in the 1970s it experienced a period of greatest prosperity.
The Academy of John, among others. They composed of:
Andrzej Biały, Mirosław Macieżek, Jerzy Michalski, Jan Pastwa, Juliusz Piechocki, Marek Pilarski, Sergiusz Borysewicz, Krzysztof Czerko, Wiktor Czyżewski, Stanisław Fisher, Jerzy Klincewicz, Roman Picinski.
The artists formed at the Kultura House of Culture. Classes were mainly held outdoors, for a period of time also in the Capitol cinema, to eventually remain in the studio of Jan Korcza, where he asked drawing exercises. Jan Korcz ran his school without taking any money for his work. He shared a sensitive view of the world and always a sincere opinion. Its pattern was dominated by the ideas of the rapists and the colorists, and the decline of the impressionists. He taught looking at the world, stopping with a brush of falling light, shading, repeatedly taking the same subject, and framing - using the mirror method - stood back to the selected view with the mirror held in front of him, drawing images. Sketches made color. He opposed the parents' excessive ambition. The priority for him was the "feeling" of color and form by those under his care.
The group's debut was in 1972 at the State Museum in Gorzow Wielkopolski (now the Lubuskie Museum).
The students of Jan Korcz
Jerzy Michalski - born 28.09.1949r. in Gorzów Wielkopolski. Artist of the painter, graphic artist, illustrator, co-founder of the Art Gallery (Swing Bridges Art Gallery), Dunalley art studio and owner and director of Dunalley's private art school.
He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznań.
On his return to Gorzow, he met Jan Korcz on his way - "a painter with incredible talents to teach." Together they organized a group of amateur painters.
Korcz showed them how to interpret nature, see color, light, form. He often quoted a funny anecdote: A painter paints a landscape in the field, and paints this landscape very carefully, every leaf of every pebble, etc. The peasant who works in this field approaches and watches it for a while, finally touches his shoulder and says: he paints, how is it already? Well, that includes the whole meaning of painting! "Remembers Michalski. [Grażyna Banaszkiewicz, 2017]
Julisz Piechocki - born 10.04.1948r. in Zielona Góra. Artist, painter, specialist in landscape, portrait, still life, genre scenes, laureate of the annual Gorzów Society of Culture Award (1991), teacher of drawing and painting at the Art High School in Gorzów Wlkp
He graduated from the State College of Fine Arts in Poznań.
He belonged to the famous Academy of Jan Jan, led by Jan Korcz, at the end of his life he looked after his Master.
Grzegorz Romanczenko - Ur. November 6, 1940 - New York (near Nowogrodek, today Belarus). Artist painter, art teacher. Student of the Academy of John. A graduate of the State School of Fine Arts in Poznań. Member of the Wena School Teachers Group.
He exhibited among others. in Hamburg, Katowice, Szczecin, and Poznan.
Also a singer. He was the first Polish musician to become the vocalist of the famous Gypsy band Terno.
Wiktor Czyżewski - born on 12.04.1909r. in Vilnius, on April 15, 2011. in Gorzów Wlkp. An amateur painter, art lover, the active participant in cultural life and a student of the Jan's Academy.
His last exhibition was presented on 18.04.2009 in Grodzki Dom Kultury on the occasion of the 100th birthday anniversary and 51 years of creativity.
Krzysztof Czerko - former weaver master in "Silwan" and union activist, the amateur painter, and spelunker, winner of "Hades" in Austria, the deepest well in the world (1981).
Roman Piciński - a culturally active Gorzów artist and illustrator. Author of the famous "Old Gorzów tenement houses". He used old postcards, photographs or archival documents, he paid attention to architectural details, thanks to which his drawings let you feel the charm of the old Landsberg.
Wacław Piciński - well-known Gorzów photographer, owner of the now-defunct Foto-Art at Hawelańska Street. Also the head of the Office of Guild of Various Crafts.