- Oravská galéria
Curriculum vitae
The Orava Gallery was founded in 1965 as a state contributory organization which performs complex professional gallery activities. It purposely and systematically collects, professionally processes and protects works of all fine arts discipline of domestic and foreign origin of each historical period as well as the contemporary one. These make accessible to public and utilized in the public interest.
- The Orava Gallery was established without basic collections and space, but more urgent was the need to save monuments of Orava fine art. The establishment of the Gallery prevented the looting of works, especially the folk art, which were and are indispensable proof of its historical development.
- On 14th February 1966 the Gallery obtained five rooms in a Renaissance era building No.9 in Oravský Podzámok, where a depositary was also created. In 1966 the Gallery had 2,5 workers. Since its establishment the remit was set, according to valid statute it specializes not only to comprehensive professional gallery activities but also to not style art.
- In 1970 the Gallery moved to Dolný Kubín, to a building of former County house at No. 11 Hviezdoslav square, which is still in use today.
- In 1971 a new permanent exhibition „Slovak Traditional Folk Sculptures and Paintings” was opened on the Slanica Island of Art in the middle of Orava dam and in 1973, in the grounds of the island, was created the lapidary “Orava 18th and 19th Century Stone Sculptures”.
- In 1979 a permanent exhibition of a lifelong work of Mária Medvecká was opened in Tvrdošín-Medvedzie.
- In 1983 the Orava gallery was awarded the Minister of culture prize for long-term successful achievements in art presentation.
- In 1986 - 1994 the County House, residence of the Orava gallery underwent a reconstruction, where in 1995 the Gallery made permanent exhibitions of 15th – 20th Century Art from its own collection accessible to public on the area of 1.200 m2.
- In 1996 the Orava Gallery was awarded an annual price of „Pamiatky a múzeá" magazine in the category "Exhibitions" and the Gallery creative team awarded a Martin Benka prize for developing of a conception and preparation of permanent exhibitions in the County House in 1995 that significantly contributed the presentation of the Slovak Art.
- All the Orava Gallery´s exhibitions are placed in national heritage buildings of Dolný Kubín, Tvrdošín and Námestovo districts.
- As the only Slovak gallery operates its own boat called “OG-SLANICA” that is used for the transportation of visitors to the Traditional Folk Art exhibition on Slanica Island of Art. The passenger boat was made in 2005 and purchased with ŽSK funds. It replaced the old boat “SLANICA” that had been made in 1947 in the shipyard in Balatonfüred, Hungary.
- The Orava Gallery´s collection consists of eight art disciplines with more than 8 909 pieces of artworks.
- Every year the Orava Gallery organizes 10 -12 short-term exhibitions of Slovak and International Art in the reconstructed premises.
- Every year all exhibitions of Orava Gallery are visited around 60.000 visitors.
- In 2010 a permanent exhibition of folk woodcarver Štefan Siváň was opened in County House in Dolný Kubín.
- In 2010, on the 45th anniversary of its foundation, the Orava Gallery was awarded the Litteras Memoriales.
- The Orava Gallery obtained 3rd place in the Gallery of the year 2014 competition organised by the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak republic.
- On the 50th anniversary of its foundation, the Orava Gallery was awarded the Gold Litteras Memoriales by a vice-chairman of the Žilina self-governing region, Jozef Štrba.
- The Orava Gallery won 1rst place in the Gallery of the year 2015 competition organised by the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic.
- Since its establishment up until the end of 2020, the Orava Gallery had prepared 655 short-term exhibitions of Slovak and International art and together with permanent exhibitions they were seen by more than 3 000 000 visitors.
- from 01.10.2020 – Mgr. Michal Čajka, PhD.
- 07.10.1996 – 30.9.2020 - PhDr. Eva Ľuptáková
- 10.09.1996 – 06.10.1996 – Stanislav Bodorík
- 16.08.1984 – 10.09.1996 – PhDr. Eva Ľuptáková
- 01.03.1977 – 15.08.1984 – akad. mal. Ctibor Belan
- 01.07.1975 – 28.02.1977 – prom. hist. Peter Huba
- 01.02.1971 – 30.06.1975 – akad. mal. Ignác Kolčák
- 01.11.1965 – 31.01.1971 – prom. his. Juraj Langer