IDEOLOGISTS & CREATORS
Mr. Kosta Hadzi Antonovski
The ideological creator of "The Small Montmartre of Bitola", Mr. Kosta Hadzi Antonovski this year marks his two important jubilees: 76 year of his life and 55 years career as a painting artist and art pedagogue educator.
Born in Bitola on 22. 05. 1935, he graduated at School of Applied Arts in a class of the most famous Macedonian fine arts artists Borko Lazeski and Lazar Lichenoski. Since 1981 he is the manager of the Children Art Studio St. Cyril and Methody - Bitola. Although since 2001 Mr. Kosta went on a deserved rest, the retirement, he continue to work with the members of the Studio and at the same time he continue to organize the festival The Small Montmartre of Bitola. These and many more obligations after his retirement he performed voluntary.
Kosta Hadzi Antonovski has given a precious contribution in the field of children education and artistic creation of Macedonian culture. He is an exceptional and very genuine person, a great enthusiast of the art, idealist but also a practitioner. At the same time he is a born pedagogue, someone with untold love for the children.
For his lasting and fruitful wirk, Kosta Hadzi Antonovski has been awarded with great number of domestic and international appreciation. He is a winner of the Ministry of Education of R. Macedonia "St.Climent award", twice he is awarded by the highest recognition of the city of Bitola, the award of "4th of November" (once for the art education and the second time for a life achivment award). For his exceptional training work he has been procalimed as a "distinguished pedagogue of Yugoslavia"…He was granted with the highest recognition - Medal of Honor of the City of Paris (France) as well as the award of the Festival Montmartre of Europe - Paris for the great contribution given by The Small Monmartre of Bitola for the multimedia festival Montmartre of Europe held in Paris. Order of Republic of France for culture,Nehru Award for culture and award by Television “Orbis” - Bitola for lifetime achievment.
For the restless art pedagogue - educator Kosta Hadzi Antonovski it is of great success that "The Small Montmartre of Bitola" exists for 30 years.
UNFORGETABLE TOUR IN SLOVENIA
At the beginning of month of March 2001 "The Small Montmartre of Bitola" visit Republic of Slovenia for the first time. The tour was on an invitation of the Republic Institute for Scholarship of Republic of Slovenia, and by this actually started the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Bitola's Montmartre.
During this tour "The Small Montmartre of Bitola" was represented by an impressive exhibition with more than 1500 paintings from the international competition "Bitola".
The exhibition was accommodated into the magnificent city-mayor festive hall of Municipality of Kranj. This exhibition was a great event for the citizens of Kranj and surrounding towns. Among numerous devotees of children art creation on the opening ceremony attend a great number of popular guests: Mr. Mohor Bogataj the mayor of Kranj with his wife, M.D. Shtefan Kadic deputy-mayor of Kranj, Mrs. Jozica Puhar former ambassador of Slovenia in RM, Mrs. Olivera Causevska-Dimovska First Secretary of Maceodnina Embassy in Slovenia and others.
Delighted from what she saw the President of Republic Institute for Scholarship of Republic of Slovenia Mrs. Metka Zevnik on the opening ceremony said: "This is the most magnificent exhibition I have ever saw".
The celebration mood from the city-mayor hall of Kranj was transferred to the Education Institute "Franjo Milcinski" in Smeldnik (the kids from this institution took part in "The Small Montmartre of Bitola" many times and win many awards). There was a true cordial reception for the Studio delegation. On the celebration table there was a birthday cake with a trade mark of Bitola's Montmartre and inscription: "Happy 20th Anniversary jubilee"
After the opening celebration in Kranj, this exhibition visited Ljubljana, Piran and Maribor.