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.
CHILDREN ART STUDIO BITOLA
The Children Art Studio St. Cyril and Methody - Bitola is found on 6th October 1981, on the initiative of the former Republic Committee of Culture and Education. The essential goal of the Studio was and remain to be gathering of the young art talents of Bitola's elementary schools and kindergarten facilities. The membership is free of charge, the entry is by the competition that is announced at the beginning of the school year. At the average the Studio counts 50 children each year between 5 and 14 years old.
The very beginning of the Studio work was very humble. At that time the Studio neither possed appropriate facilities nor necessary funds for tool and equipment acquisition. Those problems were resolve thanks to the great enthusiasm. Studio crucial year was 1987, when the special building was appointed to be the permanent seat of the Studio. This building was quite neglected, but nowadays it is a true beauty that adorns the Old Bitola Bazaar. This facility is a three-storey building possessing children art gallery and two exhibition halls, one of it used for children work. There are two permanent exhibition accommodated in those halls with quite wealthy collection of the Studio named as The Old Macedonian architecture. Those halls also served as an accommodation for other cultural manifestation such as: literal meetings, music manifestation, and children art exhibitions, exhibitions of famous art artists.
Famous successes of the Studio
The children art studio from year to year enlarges its work thus accomplishing greater successes in its noble work. The greatest success of the Studio is the organizing of the international festival The Small Montmartre of Bitola with its additional manifestations: international exhibition of children paintings Bitola, art caravans, summer art schools etc.
The members of this Studio very successfully take participation at almost every important international art manifestations. Valuable awards and notes (golden, silver, bronze medals, special awards, diplomas etc). The Studio was granted with following awards: Tokyo (Japan) 87 medals; China 6 medals, Taiwan 35 awards, Evora (Portugal) 30 awards, Zagreb (Croatia) 3 medals, Golemcow (Poland) 7 medals, Teheran (Iran) 20 awards, Troy (France), Chehochinek (Poland), Zanka (Hungary)15 medals, Moscow (Russia) 13 awards, Harkov (Ukraina) 20 medals...
During those 30 years of existence 1700 children were members of this art school of the Studio. To some of them art became to be their life profession, they became 17 academic artists, among them there are a large number of graduated engineers, doctors, professors, architects…