FOUNDERS

Introduction
The official establishment of the Artists Association of Macedonia dates back to the year 1946. It was in 1929, however, that its predecessor, the Association of Yugoslav Artists, was founded in what was then known as the Vardar Province. In 1930, the newly established Jefimija Association joined the Association of Yugoslav Artists, taking on the responsibility for the organization of all the exhibitions between 1933 and 1941. A number of artists who were later recognized as founders of modern Macedonian art exhibited their work in this period, including Dimitar Andonov - Papradiski, Nikola Martinoski, Lazar Licenoski, Vasilie Popovik - Cico, Ljubomir Belogaski, Vangel Kodzoman and Mihajlo Sojlev.

An Association of Macedonian Artists, headed by Martinoski, Popovik-Cico, Vladimirski, Todorovski and Blazik, was set up in 1944 in Prilep. It made great efforts to unite all artists throughout Macedonia, to propagate and expand all artistic media, and establish a secondary art school. The first exhibition of this association took place in Skopje in 1945. A number of artists joined its founders and showed their work on the same occasion, including Lozanovski, Lazeski, Eftimova, Koco and Protuger.

On the initiative of the Association, the Secondary Art School opened in Skopje in 1945, with Nikola Martinoski as its first principal. Many students of this school later became members of the Association. As indicated above, the Artists Association of Macedonia (DLUM) was officially founded in 1946 and Martinoski was its first president, a role he played for many years after that. That same year saw the Second DLUM Exhibition in which a larger number of artists took part. In 1947, the Artists Federation of Yugoslavia (SLUJ) was established with the purpose of uniting the artists associations from all the Yugoslav republics and protecting their professional interests. The first exhibition of artists from the Federal Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia was held in 1949 with the participation of artists from Macedonia. The spirit of social realism, which dominated the show, was a reflection of the demands of the new reality. Modern tendencies in art reappeared only after 1952. Exhibits of modern French, American and Dutch art as well as an exhibition of Henry Moore’s work were organized in Skopje in 1953 and these were to have an immediate effect on the creative spirit of Macedonian artists. That same year saw several DLUM travelling exhibits all over Yugoslavia. DLUM members participated in SLUJ exhibitions on a regular basis, and from 1955 onwards also displayed their work and established themselves abroad. A number of art ateliers and an Art Pavilion were built in the coming years, a necessity which was long overdue. Prior to the disastrous Skopje earthquake in 1963, various exhibitions of modern Macedonian and foreign art were organized in the Art Pavilion. After the earthquake, other institutions were housed in the Pavilion and the situation has remained the same to this day.

Macedonian art critics have concluded, without any shadow of a doubt, that DLUM has played an important role in the affirmation of Macedonian fine art, not only at the local or federal level, but also internationally. Its members have taken part in numerous representative exhibitions and have been included in a number of international collections around the world. Since 1974, DLUM has enjoyed an excellent level of cooperation with various art institutions as well as with the St Clement of Ohrid National and University Library, Skopje. Specialized exhibitions have been organized there, which have, over time, become regular events. Since 1974/75 the National and University Library has been the venue of all the DLUM annual exhibitions of prints and drawings. The Skopje Art Gallery has accommodated the exhibits of small sculpture* since 1980,and the Cultural Information Centre has hosted DLUM’s shows of small-size painting* since 1984. A Winter Salon has been held on a biennial basis since 1991 in the Skopje Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Association’s annual review exhibitions have been organized in cooperation with the Museum of the City of Skopje. DLUM regularly bestows the following accolades: Nerezi Masters, for painting and sculpture; Lazar Licenoski, for painting; Nikola Martinoski, for drawing; Mosa Pijade, for prints; Petar Mazev, for painting; Jordan Grabuloski*, for sculpture; and Dimitar Avramovski Pandilov, for small-size painting.*

Looking at its long history, in spite of the turbulence and various oscillations in values, there is no doubt that this professional association, the only one of its kind in the country, has played a vital role in the affirmation of Macedonian fine art.