Artmosfere- a gala for the benefit of arts

TIRANA, March 14- Tomorrow, the 5th Annual Gala Ball, “Aϴmosfere” will be organized by the Board of Development of the National Gallery of Arts to support the National Gallery restoration efforts. The Ball will take place under the Honorary Patronage of Mrs. Laura Bush and with Mrs. Teuta Topi acting as Honorary Chair of the Ball. The first Gala Ball was organized in 2004 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Gallery of Arts, and at this event the Board of Development of the National Gallery of Arts and The Chase Family Foundation of the United States made a donation of Richard Harden’s triptych painting, “Falling-Medals-Falling” to the National Gallery. This marked the first American acquisition to the permanent collection. A short documentary summarizing the initiatives to support the National Gallery during the years 2003 – 2008 will be presented. This year nine works of art by outstanding Albanian artists will be a highlight of the evening. The primary goal of the Gala Ball is to encourage the private sector to support Albania’s heritage and values through the fine arts, and we have had an enthusiastic response since holding the first Ball in 2004. Over the last two years the vast majority of funds raised have been used to restore the permanent collection of the National Gallery. Much help is needed to both restore the artwork itself and the collection’s storage and exhibition space. In 2005, the funds raised from the March Gala made possible the restoration of Albania’s treasured painting, “Motra Tone” painted by Kol Idromeno in the year 1883. This restoration project was initiated by a collaborative plan between the French and Albanian Ministries of Culture, and was financed by grants from the Development Board. The restoration took place at the Louvre in Paris. Since that time, it has become evident that the National Gallery of Arts building itself is in need of restoration, and that present physical conditions are in danger of damaging the art collection. In this regard, the Board of Development plans to on-going collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, to build a policy of public and private support for institutions that we hope will make a significant positive difference in their future.