Open Gate Mobil Art Gallery Foundation
The Open Gate was founded in 1994, to give a chance for the most talented health impaired - as they say today - artists with disabilities, to be able to show their work to the public in regular exhibitions. From the beginning, we have organised joint exhibitions of the works of both healthy and also health impaired artists in the spirit of integration, both at home and abroad. Therefore, our group is unique in Europe! We are currently organised 98 exhibitions
Among the disabled artists are ones with vision, hearing, movement and psyhological damage too.
Some of them also took part in major international art exhibitions and won various prizes. The majority of the works which were shown in the exhibitions were judged.
Our foundation's aim: to fight for equal opportunities through artistic means. Therefore we are happy to admit anyone, no matter where they are from, who has something to say and is able to visualize it or display in any way to a high standard. We also wish to create links with like-minded art groups, because we go where ever we are invited to, whether it is a shining palace, an elegant gallery or a small community centre in a village. The point is that people can understand the message emanating from the works, the message of love.
If someone considers the works more carefully they will realise that integration can be achieved in art. We have made major steps to open the gates of society for health impaired people.
The name of the Foundation must be a symbol: Open Gate.
Kistarcsa Cultural Association
The Kistarcsa Cultural Association started its operation in April 1993. The civic organisation, which has a membership of 60, is committed to contribute to the improvement of the cultural life of our settlement.
The association was officially established in 1994.
The members of the association meet once a week, when educational lectures are held. There have already been more then 850 lectures about various topics. Some of the members also act as lecturers but well-known and respected experts are also often invited. These programs are open for everybody, and are published by local and regional papers and in regional broadcasts.
Amateur performances have already been organised several times, where talented local people could present their skills. We provide possibilities for both children and adults to become enthusiastic performers.
The local festival was first held in 1995. We have organised a similar series of events to emphasize our cultural character since 2002. Performances of different art groups are enjoyed by the public on different days of the multicultural week, held yearly. This is a good opportunity for non-governmental organisations and groups to introduce themselves to the public and for us to invite some well-known artists and mobilise a reasonable number of inhabitants. The most significant event of this program is a gastronomy festival - centred around the potato - and a gala of colourful ethnic folklore groups.
The association is committed to help the amateur groups of the settlement. Programs are organised for them, and as far as our resources allow it, financial aid is also granted.
In 2001 we founded the Golden Gravel Prize (Aranykavics-díj), which secondary school-leavers can compete for, and which is judged and awarded by the board of trustees of the association.
We yearly draw up a call for proposals in literature, fine art and decoration of the town. For the Christmas season we make a large wreath in the centre of Kistarcsa around a sculpture and organise a nice celebration for lighting the candles.
In 1995 we published a brochure comprising works of literature and fine arts, as well as art and craft made by local artists. Since 1997 we have published a local calendar yearly, in which we provide possibilities for everybody, who - either professionally or just as a hobby - pursue creative work. The Kistarcsa Calendar - in consequence of its genre - is more wide-ranging than a special cultural publication.
Our organisation yearly holds national days, where a country's wide-ranging of culture - literature, music, folkdance and gastronomy... is exhibited.
The most famous Hungarian opera singer was born in our settlement. For the 90th anniversary of his 90th birthday we erected a statue to him and yearly hold a celebration in front of it.
The ideas and suggestions of our settlement's inhabitants - not only those of the members of the association - are also considered when discussing future programs. We also help to form new communities, independently of their scope of activity.
The territory where the association operates is Kistarcsa, but we often co-operate with organisations from the neighbouring settlements and sometimes from other parts of the country.
The integration to the European Union raised a lot of social problems. We organise courses, seminars and conferences to handle these programs and to prepare the inhabitants. The outstanding example is an international seminar, mostly for youth, which was held five times with foreign participants. Members of our association often participate in exchange visits, seminars and training in the country and abroad too.
None of the members of the association receive any emoluments for their work in the association everybody contributes to our activity by voluntary work.
