Founded in 1953, the Gallery of West Bohemia houses one of the Czech Republic's most important collections of visual art - 10,000 graphic, painted and sculptural works, with an emphasis on Czech art of the late 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries. The collection includes works by the great figures of Czech modernism, Bohumil Kubista, Emil Filla, Otto Gutfreund, Toyen and Josef Sima. Director Roman Musil's personal selection of highlights has been made as the Gallery looks forward to a move into new, state-of-the-art premises that will allow the collection to expand further and cement Plzen's reputation as one of the Czech Republic's most attractive and exciting cultural destinations. AUTHOR: Roman Musil has been the Director of the Gallery of West Bohemia in Plzen since December 2007. He previously worked in the Ministry of Culture and in the National Gallery in Prague. He specialises in the art and cultural history of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. SELLING POINTS: . Second Czech institution to join Scala's popular Director's Choice series, along side The Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, ISBN 9781785511202 . One of the country's most important collections outside Prague . The Gallery is central to Plzen's rise as an increasingly important destination for cultural tourism 45 colour images