Art school reopens after devastating fire

ONE OF the island’s most famous art schools is reopening tomorrow, two months after being destroyed in a fire.

Andreas Charalambous’ School of Fine Arts and Art Exhibitions, located near the Archibishopric in Nicosia’s old town, was wiped out in a huge fire which broke out on the night of June 26, leaving one of Cyprus’s most renowned artists devastated at the loss of his life’s work.

At the time, the 59-year-old said that, “the scale of the destruction is such that it will take a long time, if ever, to get over this tragedy.”

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail yesterday, Charalambous said that he will, “try to build up the school’s contents slowly, slowly.”

The School will reopen at a different location at 59 Famagusta Street, next to Famagusta Gate in Nicosia.

“Anybody can come down and learn to paint or draw. Additionally, students can visit in order to prepare themselves for their art studies abroad,” he said.

The old school, which was established 26 years ago, housed countless valuables.

There were over 500 oil, pastel, acrylic and tempera works, 1,000 sketches, portraits, 150 theatre sets, precious stones filled with pigment, 35 old wooden African sculptures and various other artefacts from around the world.

An impressive collection of art books was also lost, including some very rare editions, as were over 1,500 classical music records.

Charalambous’ brother, Constantinos, described the fire as, “a tragedy for the culture of all of Cyprus, and I feel that we have lost a part of our life and soul. Andreas is one of the most important artists of recent times in Cyprus and everybody knows him.”