The charity event – the Gala of Lights – provided a real chance for several young people from Dobrogen to study art

Last night, more than 10,000 euros were collected at the first edition of the Gala of Lights, a charity event organized by the representatives of the Constanța Art Museum and those of the “Dobrogea Luminata” Association.

More than 200 people participated in the auction of the 60 works donated by Romanian visual artists. A young woman from the Arts High School in Tulcea, a student from Constanța and a student from the Faculty of Arts of Ovidius Constanța University are the first three beneficiaries of the scholarships of this gala.

The project manager, associate professor Dr. Ovidiu Felipov, told Radio Constanța that the money raised at the Gala of Lights will allow them to support, in total, 7 talented children, but with limited financial resources.

Please tell us what the atmosphere was like at the Gala of Lights?

“The gala of lights had, let’s say, some projections, some expectations and all these expectations were exceeded, because twice as many people came than we expected. We managed to collect the money for the scholarships in one evening. And the environment in Constanța proved that it is possible to present oneself honorably at a high-class event. The number of guests was 100, but we were pleasantly surprised to have 200 people present for the auction portion. With the number of works we received as a donation from the artists, we set out to raise the sum of 10,000 euros to grant the proposed scholarships and only from the sale of half of the works we managed to raise the money. This means that we will somehow be able to double the number of scholarships or increase the amounts we allocate to the children we want to help”, says Ovidiu Felipov.

Who are the children, the young people, that you will help?

“In the first phase, the first three young people selected for these scholarships, we have a girl from Tulcea who is at the Art High School, 11th grade. She is a successful young woman in the field she chose to study, i.e. fine art. In parallel, she also does some sports and there she is also a medalist at the national level, but she cannot afford sports or even the way to school. And we managed with this event to be with her and to help her for a long period of time to support her expenses. We have another young woman in Constanța, in the 5th grade, somehow in the same situation, and another young man who is a first-year student at the Faculty of Arts in Constanța, majoring in Theatre, and he also has financial needs that somehow mediate his performance at school. And then we manage to deal with these financial problems. We are going to identify two more children, with the budget for two more children, and because the auction was above our expectations, there is a very good chance that we will exceed that number of five children and get to somewhere around seven. Every time we talk about charity cases and we are face to face with the recipient of the scholarship, it is an emotional moment for those who receive the scholarship, but also for us, who deal with this kind of activities, because it is impossible not to it moves an interaction with a man who is sincerely happy that life is smiling at him”, Ovidiu Felipov also specified.

The scholarship winners were selected following an analysis carried out by a committee made up of: university prof. dr. Daniela Vitcu, dean of the Faculty of Arts, associate professor dr. Lelia Rus, director of the Constanța Art Museum, lect. university Dr. Florentin Sîrbu, director of the Museum of Folk Art in Constanța and president of the Union of Visual Artists from Romania, Constanța One Branch, Costin Stroe – president of the “Dobrogea Luminata” Association and university associate. Dr. Ovidiu Felipov, manager of the charity event.

“The “Gala of lights” represents one of the first initiatives of this kind by the Constanta community, an approach that brings together the artistic environment and the audience in a dynamic event, an event through which we aim to change mentalities. Art is the heart around which the living organism of the Citadel is built, and its existence and evolution are the consequences of the involvement of each one of us in the life of the community”, says university professor. Dr. Ovidiu Felipov.

The works put up for auction during the event are signed by: Eugeniu Albu, Alnhhas Ammar (Syria), Gabriela Aniței, assistant. university Dr. Claudiu Argeșanu, Marius Barbone – vice-president of the Union of Visual Artists from Romania, George Barbu, Marieta Besu, Brîndușa Bontea, Aurel Bulacu, Vitalie Butescu, Anca Caba, university associate. Dr. Zuzu Caratănase, Septimiu Căpăţînă, Anca Ciofîrlă, Mariana Constantinescu – vice-president of the Union of Visual Artists from Romania Constanţa Unu Branch, Cristina Costea, Gelu Costea, Horia Cristina, Bianca Culuș, Adina Dogaru, academician Mircia Dumitrescu – emeritus artist, Marinella Dumitrescu, lect. university Dr. Răzvan Dragoș, associate professor Dr. Ovidiu Felipov, Ștefan Firică, Coman Gheorghe, Georgeta Gherghinoiu, Daniela Gherghe, Cornelia Gherlan, Cosmin Grosu, Sorin Ienulescu, Adelina Ionescu, Ovidiu Ionescu, Oana Isar, Emilia Kiss, Elena Lupașcu, Petru Lucaci – president of the Union of Visual Artists from Romania , Ioana Maier, Elisabeta Martoncsak, Laurenţiu Midvichi, Florin Mihai, Anca Paşa Deaconu, Mariea Petcu, Emilia Marinescu, Eugen Raportoru, Andreea Rădulescu, university associate. Dr. Sînziana Romanescu, Kata Rudakova (Ukraine), associate professor Dr. Lelia Rus, Oana Sfetcu, Florentina Simininschi, lect. university Dr. Florentin Sîrbu, Eusebio Spînu, Lavinia Ioana Streinu, Anastasia Stoiciu, prof. Dr. Florin Stoiciu, lect. university Dr. Alexandru Şerbănescu, Iuliana Ştefan, Ion Tiţoiu, Mirela Trăistaru, Mihai Tugearu, Dorothea Von Grosskarol (Germany).

Editor: Silvia Pascale / Online editor: Doina Sîrbu / Photo: Mihai Lupu