site.btaExhibition Honouring Founder of Sofia's First Private Art Gallery to Open Wednesday

An exhibition dedicated to Kamelia Chekarlieva-Mincheva (1936-2020) and the work of Art 36 Gallery opens on Wednesday at the Sofia Arsenal - Museum of Contemporary Art. Mincheva founded Art 36, Sofia's first private gallery, in 1990.

The exhibition features photographs by Ani Petrova, capturing memorable moments from the history of Art 36, as well as portraits of Kamelia Chekarlieva-Mincheva painted by some of her favourite artists and friends: Genko Genkov, Stanimir Zhelev, Atanas Atanasov, Galab Galabov and Donka Pavlova, the hosts said. The exhibition is curated by Nadezhda Dzhakova.

Through her work, Kamelia Chekarlieva-Mincheva left a lasting mark on the cultural life of the capital, supporting several generations of artists and helping to establish a space for free expression during the early years of Bulgaria's transition. Founded at a time of turbulent political changes, the gallery actively participated both in the early events on the art market and in the process of building a freely organized art scene.

BTA is a media partner of the event.