G & A Mamidakis Foundation Brings Crete’s Students Closer to Art

“Wind Stories” program, G & A Mamidakis Foundation.

As part of its efforts to support Crete’s local community, the G & A Mamidakis Foundation recently held two educational events for students of Agios Nikolaos’ lyceums at the Minos Beach art hotel.

For a second year, during November 2-3, the foundation invited 70 lyceum students and 9 teachers from Agios Nikolaos to participate in its “Art by our side”program.

“This is one more initiative aiming to support society and art,” the foundation said in an announcement.

Artist Theodoros Zafeiropoulos and architect Giorgos Rimenidis present the “Come with the Wind” project.

This year’s educational program was designed based on research and the production process of “Come with the wind”, an art installation currently on display at the Minos Beach art hotel.

Titled “Wind Stories”, the program was curated by artist Theodoros Zafeiropoulos and architect Giorgos Rimenidis, also winners of the G & A Mamidakis Foundation Art Prize.

The two artists presented their personal work and thoughts behind the production of “Come with the Wind”, while the students had the opportunity to see the installation and participate in an art workshop.

“They collaborated, exchanged experiences and experimented with the concepts of space, sound, proportion, and composition of the landscape,” the foundation said.

Minos Beach art hotel’s open-air gallery.

Moreover, on November 4, Minos Beach welcomed the students of the Agios Nikolaos Special Vocational Education and Training Laboratory and offered them the chance to see its valuable art collection which is currently on show at its premises.

Also, on October 22, Minos Beach hosted the students of the third grade of the 1^st Vocational Lyceum (EPAL) of Heraklio. The students toured the hotel’s premises, while bluegr Hotels & Resorts executives offered information on the group ‘s policy for the support of local communities, as well as on the foundation’s artistic activities.

The history of the G & A. Mamidakis Foundation began in 1988, when the 1st Art Symposium was held at the Minos Beach art hotel, featuring works of 32 renowned sculptors that transformed the hotel’s gardens into an open-air museum.

Minos Beach art hotel

After the Art Symposiums of 1990 and 1993, the foundation managed to create a valuable art collection, which now includes works of Nikos Alexiou, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Kostas Varotsos, Takis and Costas Tsoclis among many other artists.

In 1993, Tzina Mamidakis established the G & A Mamidakis Foundation to honor her parents Georgios and Aristea.