Having the Texas Eclectics Art Exhibit at the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art in Thessaloniki has been a dream of mine cultivated over the last couple of years.

​

I was born and raised in the mountainous town of Naoussa, an hour and a half northwest of Thessaloniki.  When I was five years old I accompanied my father to the city to visit his sister who lived in the Agios Demetrios neighborhood.  I was completely overwhelmed by the city’s size, streets, people and buildings.  Later, as a teenager I visited the city with my school where the highlight of our trip was climbing the White Tower, the main landmark of the city.  From there we walked into the International Trade Fair grounds (ITF) where a youth concert was held.  The museum is located inside the ITF, a very beautiful museum for an exceptional city that is beloved by friends of modern art.

​

Two years ago, while visiting Thessaloniki, I contacted the mayor’s office and was eventually introduced to Mrs. Theodora Kanakidou, the events manager for HELEXPO.  She informed me that the museum would be available to us from September 1-16, 2018.  During the same time the “American Dream” will come to life at the 83rd Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) where the US will be the honored country.  Upon my return to the US, I approached Gus Kopriva, who has been an integral part of the Houston and Texas art community to help me curate this amazing exhibit.  I had previously shared my dream of the Thessaloniki exhibit with Gus and he was very enthusiastic.  Suddenly, the dream began to take shape and became an unfolding reality.

​

The name of the exhibit originally came to me in Greek with the word ἐκλεκτικός (eklektikos), literally “choosing the best”, because it expresses powerful meaning particularly regarding art. Gus and I invited an amazing list of artists to participate and after meticulously reviewing the submissions we received composed our final selections that we feel viewers will find exceptional.

​

The initial Preview will be on September 1st, 2018 with the Grand Opening on September 9th, along with the opening of the TIF.  The US Ambassador in Greece will initiate the Grand Opening of our exhibit which will be open for public view from September 1st through September 16th.

​

I have many people to thank for their resilience, determination and patience in working with me to make the relentless pursuit of my dream a reality.

​

Gus Kopriva has been a great friend and supporter for many years and his Imagineering thought process compliments my determination. Thank you Gus.

​

Thank you Lynet McDonald for always working on something, and always being polite and patient with my requests, no matter how tedious.  Excellent job Lynet.

​

Thank you Mrs. Siroglou and Mrs. Misirloglou for your work at the museum and for guiding us through the logistics of setting up our exhibit.

​

To all who have helped make this dream a reality, Ευχαριστώ!

​

Best Regards,

​

Demetre P. Grivas

​

Co-Curator

FegariArt