Carnival Panorama with a Personal Attendance of Dimitris Vourtsis

THE PATRAS FINE ARTS ASSOCIATION “KOSTIS PALAMAS” & THE “GALLERY ODEIO” OF THE KOSTIS PALAMAS CENTER FOR CULTURE AND OLYMPISM REVIVE THE PATRAS CARNIVAL TRADITION AND SHOWCASE DIMITRIS VOURTSIS’ CARNIVAL PANORAMA

Carnival Exhibition: From February 19 to March 10 at “Gallery Odeio,” Germanou 30, with a lecture and musical performances, extending beyond the echoes of the Patras tradition
Opening: Wednesday, February 26 at 7 p.m.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, it is a special honor to have you here at this symbolic carnival event created by the artistic genius of the co-founder of the Patras Carnival float, our fellow citizen Dimitris Vourtsis. It is equally an honor for me to say a few simple words about our beloved childhood friend Dimitris Vourtsis, who has been dear to us for over 60 years.

Dimitris is a unique and gifted personality in the field of art.
A multi-talented artist with unlimited artistic abilities, exemplary humility, and great appreciation and respect for his friends.

Dimitris was born in Patras and had the fortune to apprentice under the great personality of the late Grigoris Papatheodorou, founding President of our Association, learning the arts of iconography, painting, and carnival constructions.

He has designed and built eleven Carnival Kings, as well as many other floats for the Patras Carnival, establishing more than anyone else the carnival history of Patras.

He has also painted many churches in the wider Achaia region and neighboring prefectures, while also engaging in the decoration of shops, entertainment venues, and private spaces with special sensitivity and love.

He has held solo exhibitions with titles such as:

• 1990: “The Burning Carnival” in Patras

• 2002: “Pyrogenic Drunkard” in Patras

• 2006: “What Didn’t Burn…” in Patras

• 2009: “Pan…Holy Pleasure” in Patras

• 2023: “Portraits of the Carnival King”

He has also participated in many group exhibitions, advising and encouraging young artists in the aesthetic field of the arts.

Additionally, he has worked on stage set construction and other artistic installations in theater (DIPETHE Patras) and major sports events such as the 1991 Mediterranean Games.

He is one of the most active members of the Patras Fine Arts Association “Kostis Palamas,” participating in multiple activities and events for charitable and social causes, and it is an honor for the Association that he has served as honorary President due to his unlimited contributions and activity in artistic events not only locally but nationally and internationally.

The main goal of the Patras Fine Arts Association “Kostis Palamas” is to fulfill the heartfelt wish of all of us, as well as the founding members Dimitris Vourtsis, Grigoris Papatheodorou, and Dimitris Roumeliotis: the creation of the Carnival Museum, featuring mainly the exhibits of our fellow citizen Dimitris Vourtsis.

Thank you, Dimitris, for the joy you give us and the meaning of generosity you cultivate within us.