A new type of art college

These are exciting times for education in Cyprus. The establishment of the new Technical University in Limassol and three independent universities on the island has the potential to make Cyprus an important centre for higher education

Art education in Cyprus is also set to change with important new plans for the development of the Cyprus College of Art.

At its Central Committee meeting last week it was agreed that the College would reorganise its programmes. As well as submitting an application for a licence to operate in Larnaca, the College will create a new three-year undergraduate course in Fine Art that will be different to anything currently offered in Europe.

"Our model is the Art Students League of New York’" says Michael Paraskos, the Director of Programmes at the College.

"Despite being one of the world most important colleges of art, the Art Students’ League does not offer degrees or accredited programmes. Instead it is a place where creative people can come together, learn about art from artists and have time and space to develop their work. It is one of the most respected art colleges in the world".

In some ways the idea is to return art education o its origins. When the first art schools were established in the 16th century they were places where art students could learn from successful artists.

"We will bring to Cyprus some of the most important painters and sculptors from around the world," says Paraskos. But we also want to me use of the successful Cypriot artists here on the island".

The focus of the new course will be painting and sculpture, and it is likely to be one of the most demanding education programmes on the island. According to Paraskos: "This will be one of the most difficult courses to get a place on in the world. We will not be looking for students with good school grades, but people with artistic talent. That is a much rarer thing."

Paraskos acknowledges there are dangers in abandoning degree courses, but he says the benefits are enormous.

"In Cyprus most people think having a degree is a mark of quality. But in art that is not true. None of the world’s best drama schools or music conservatoires offers degrees. Instead they offer a serious training alongside professional actors and musicians. If we want the best art school in Cyprus we need to adopt the same system".

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Sacred icons and mosaics at Gallery Toufexis

Pancyprian exhibition icons and mosaics

Gallery Toufexis opened this week with a special exhibition of sacred icons and mosaics at Lord Byron Street, Palliouriotissa. It will continue until Saturday, April 26.

For the first time, more than 35 artists join forces in presenting a unique collection on Byzantine art, covering several areas and techniques ranging from egg tempera to frescoes, mosaics etc.

Some of the artists showing include George Pol Georgiou, Father Kallinikos, Georgios Kepolas, Lazaris Argyrou, Elena Philaniotou, Georgos Petrou, Costas Yerasimou, Christos Kartis, Costas Constantinou-Mavrou, Mathios Mattheou, Nicos Nicolaou and Evanthea Kouma.

Poison Cherry

Yiorgos Erotokritos at Gloria Gallery

This exhibition will be opened tonight (Friday) by journalist Elita Michaelidou and will continue until May 5.

"When every brush-stroke imprints desire, passion and love, when colours imprint bitter experiences of overwhelming pain, this is when life is born again and I taste the black poisonous cherry. I feel crushed by its taste and I transform pain into a craving and a nerve for life. This is what I offer you with my new work."

Yiorgos Erotokritos was born in 1948 in Lambousa, near Kyrenia. He studied in Athens and London. When he finished his education, he returned to Athens to work and at the same time to study restoration and woodcarving.

During the course of his artistic career, the well-known Faberge jewellery selected him to design a collection of Faberge eggs.

Joyful Imagination

Sylvia Woodcock at Apocalypse Gallery

Here is one of our very best painters. Sylvia’s exhibition will continue until April 30.

Her work is so full of lyrical imagination with canvases expressing joy and humour. However, Sylvia is also a very gifted person and her paintings are also strong on technique, imagination and, of course, humour.

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Christopher Papachristou at Gallery Argo

Dr Vassos Lyssarides opened this prestigious exhibition last week and it will continue until the 19th of the month. Review later.

Famagusta Gate (Nicosia) later at Limassol and Larnaca

A calm well chosen number of paintings of a very high standard from the Alpha Bank Collection of Greek Art from 1950 until today. There are some exceptionally beautiful paintings by Condopoulos, Kessanlis, Tetsis and Stamos.

This appreciation of a generation I am more familiar with (pure abstracts) reminded me of the Savva period in Cyprus. Quite moving, actually. Included in the exhibition in the first room at Famagusta Gate is a collection of etchings by our own Kanthos. Wonderful.

The dimensions of beauty

Leonidas Papasavva at Kypriaki Gonia Larnaca.

Kypriaki Gonia presents a new series of watercolours and oils by Leonidas Papasavvas, titled "The dimensions of beauty". The exhibition opened on April 9 with an introduction by the artist Photos Demetriou.

The artist was bon in Pano Amiantos in 1947. He studied at the National Metsovion Polytechnic in Athens and got a diploma in 1972.

He studied painting at the King Richard School of Art in Dhekelia with the remarkable English artist Michael Wastal (1987-1990) and with well-known Greek Cypriot artists such as Lefteris Economou, Kaiti Stefanidou, Elli Mitzi and Panayiotis Larkos.

His work has been exhibited in six solo shows and in many group shows mainly in Pancyprian art exhibitions of EKATE (Cyprus) and is a part of private and public collections here and abroad

This new series of water colours and oils is inspired by the beautiful landscapes of Cyprus and Greece, as well as by other subjects or scenes of beauty taken from everyday life. The artist’s friendly subjects are panted with a sure technique and fluidly applied local colours.

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Musts

Remember

The Susan Kerr exhibition (Magical Space) continues until April 23 at Opus 39 Gallery.

That great blockbuster at the Powerhouse. The Marfin Laiki Bank Collection continues until April 20. Strong, brilliantly selected work.

Snezana Nena Bujosevic continues at the Martinis Club (1 Giodiou St) Nicosia until April 26.

"Spring Breeze" the beautiful exhibition by Olivera Smiljkovic which will be opened by Dr Nadia Anaxagorou tonight at 19.30 continues at Theomaria Art Gallery Limassol until April 19.

Kyklos Gallery (Paphos) continues its "Light Water" exhibition with Keith Walker, Mary-Lyne Stradler, Elizabeth Walker and Raymond Wilson until April 18.

Also: Don’t forget those figures at Artspace Studios at Heroes Square (Rialto) in Limassol.

Gallery K with Symeon Voltchkov, of course.