Mara Karetsos, the internationally renowned visual artist and President of the ‘Mara Karetsos Center of Culture and Science’, who lives in New York, was hosted today in the studio by the show “Take Your Time” with Prokopis Agelopoulos, on the occasion of her one and only concert “Jazz in Athens“.
The concert is organized by the Mara Karetsos Center of Culture and Science on on Tuesday, July 2, at 9:00 p.m., at Greek Dances Theater “Dora Stratou”, with important personalities of the international and domestic music scene, in a tribute concert to sir Elton John. It is held under the auspices of the Municipality of Athens and part of the proceeds will be donated to support the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
The event has been curated by Mrs. Karetsos, through a collaboration with recognized musicians who will take us from New York and Paris to Athens.
Mara Karetsos was born in Larissa, with a thousand dreams for the world of art. After the patron of the art scene, Alexandros Iolas, discovered her in Paris, she made her first exhibition in New York and became internationally acclaimed. New York City, the centre of the world and art, became her second home. Later on, she ran for Congress and got very close to the White House. She was awarded the golden key of the city of Athens, and was named Goodwill Ambassador for Greece, after 30 members voted for her and fought for the Macedonian issue.
She studied Sculpture-Ceramics-Marble and Art History at the School of Fine Arts and was appointed, after a competition, to the National Technical University of Athens in the field of plastics.
Bold as she was, she was found herself in Paris during the 70’s, when for women back in Greece the idea of a career abroad was unimaginable. Everything there was inspirational, and pushing her to find new ideas in art, new forms, new dimensions and recognition came with her first exhibition in Paris at Gallery Paul Facchetti.
We can find Mara’s artworks in the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, in the National Gallery of Athens, in the Vorres Museum, in the Kennedy Center, in the White House collection, with the portrait of President Bill Clinton, in the Niarchos collection, in the Hammer collection, in Tokyo Art Poin Thyssen, at Touquet France and Palazzo de L’esteline.