Establishing yourself as an artist nowadays is harder than ever. You have to create a public image and promote your personal brand, by balancing social media and networking; it’s easy to understand why so many talented young artists remain unknown. In a country that’s in need of new, talented artists, Marily Konstantinopoulou (P’99) and ARTWORKS attempt to build a solid platform for artists to grow and flourish from.
ARTWORKS is a newly established nonprofit organization that aims to monetarily support artists between 25 and 35 years old, to encourage them to grow professionally. It is solely supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, under the auspices of the “Recharging the Youth Initiative.” Through the “SNF Artist Fellowship Program”, ARTWORKS aims to morally and materially support artists as well as to recognize and celebrate their personal work. This in turn, will encourage artists to persevere in creating impactful art.
Marily Konstantinopoulou, cofounder and director of ARTWORKS, studied both in Athens and New York. Influenced by both perspectives and having benefited from supportive programs abroad, she recognizes the paramount importance and difference such programs can make in Greece.
ARTWORKS aims to help bridge the gap between the artists’ financial rewards and professional activity, with a potential to greatly and positively impact the production of art in Greece, despite the difficult times.
The program offers participants, apart from monetary support, opportunities to meet professionals from the art world and attend lectures by distinguished artists. Seminars and workshops on professional development will also take place.
The end goal is to provide the participants with the tools to improve the way they communicate their work and encourage them to persevere in their efforts. Furthermore, the digital platform of ARTWORKS will act as another medium for artists to upload and showcase their work.
ARTWORKS is still in its infancy, but the team behind it is dedicated to building solid foundations. In the future, it wishes to establish partnerships with other cultural foundations, both in Greece and abroad, allowing participants to interact with their peers, sharing their ideas and concerns, forging relations of mutual support and long-lasting ties. For now, the pilot program will only accept artists from the Fine Arts and Moving Images disciplines.
On a more personal note, Marily, being a Pierce alumna, found that her time at Pierce equipped her with the confidence and curiosity to explore life outside the narrow Greek borders, eventually leading her to New York where she studied photography and worked at the Museum of Modern Art.
Her familiarity with the English language and American culture through school, allowed her to quickly adjust to the hectic life of New York, accumulating knowledge and experience which she is keen to utilize for the success of ARTWORKS.
We wish Marily and the ARTWORKS team the best of luck!
