Nis Art Foundation is a non – profitable organization which aims to stimulate and affirm young authors from Serbia, as well as to initiate cultural and events, both in Nis and our country. The founders and members of NAF are our personages: Radovan Lale Djuric, Olja Ivanjicki, Neda Arneric, Gordana Susa, Radmila Djuricin, Tihomir Trivunac, Ph.D.Djordje Lalosevic, Ph.D. Dragos Stojanovic, Mihailo Spasovic and Borislav Gvozdenovic. The first significant project of the Foundation is the open competition “The young in XXI century” opened for the artists up to the age of 35. The competition covers three disciplines: painting, graphics and drawing. During the period of three years, several thousand young artists from Serbia have competed with their work. Three prizes were donated. The program is motivated by the need to give young authors financial support in their further work and to enable the presentation of their art at the exhibitions in Nis, Belgrade and all around the world. “ The exhibition of the Young, 2008” is the third project in line. Nis Art Foundation built two galleries – “Serbia” in the center of Nis and one in Belgrade (Street Tosin bunar), as the parts of the DIN Tobacco Factory complex. The best students of Musical school in Nis were given scholarships and Musical high school in Nis was donated with necessary material and requisites. The latest initiative of the Foundation was to open competition for one-act play dealing with past, present and future of Nis. The competition was opened for the artist up to age of 35. Three writers were given prizes for their plays: Ivan Jovanovic from Belgrade, Marjana Todorovic and Dejan Petkovic, both from Nis. The opening night of the play OdabraNI i uNISteni (Chosen and Destroyed Ones ; the title represents a pun, considering NI is the abbreviation of the city of Nis) was in February 2008 and it was a huge success. The director was Kokan Mladenovic and it was realized in cooperation with the National Theatre in Nis. In future, Nis Art Foundation plans to expand its initiatives in other fields of art creation, such as, music, literature, film art and others. Furthermore, the NAF will work on the preservation of old crafts which are on the verge of distinction. The plan is to teach young people the secrecy of a craft applicable in the modern design.
First Award – Tara Rodić
