Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality has completed the project that transformed the historical Taşlı Mill building, located within the SEKA Paper Factory, into an Art Specialization Center. The Art Specialization Center, which is also the first work of the SEKA Cultural Basin, was put into service on Friday, March 8, when International Working Women's Day was celebrated. Speaking at the opening, Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın said, “This area will meet an important need of the city for an Art Gallery. "This is an industrial transformation project and there is no such large industrial transformation project anywhere in Turkey," he said.
THEY ATTENDED THE OPENING
The center, which has the title of Kocaeli's largest exhibition area, will make a significant contribution to the cultural and artistic life of the city within its historical texture. The opening ceremony, hosted by Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın, was attended by AK Party Kocaeli Members of Parliament Radiye Sezer Katırcıoğlu, Prof. Dr. Sadettin Hülagü, AK Party Provincial Chairman Şahin Talus, BBP Kocaeli Provincial Coordinator Metehan Küpçü, AK Party İzmit District Chairman Halil Güngör Dokuzlar, AK Party Women's Branch President Yasemin Özdemir, Provincial Director of National Education Ömer Akmenşen, Provincial Culture Director Fatih Taşdelen, General Secretary Balamir Gündoğdu, Deputy Secretary General Sadık Uysal and Gökmen Mengüç, City Theaters General Art Director Aydın Sigalı, Kocaeli Regional Theater Art Director Burhan Akçin and representatives of political parties attended.
TSM CONCERT FOR GUESTS
Guests were invited to the tent set up in front of the center due to rain.
Before the opening, a Turkish Classical Music concert was held in this area. Tuğçe Erenci, one of the Voice Instructors of the Metropolitan Municipality Conservatory, who performed beautiful works, Pınar Çaki in classical kemenche, Prof. Ayşegül Kostak Toksoy accompanied Buse Sever on oud and Nurcan Betül Arisoy on rhythm. After the concert, Mayor Büyükakın congratulated the female artists by presenting them with flowers.
IT STARTED BY CELEBRATING MARCH 8
At the end of the concert, Mayor Büyükakın made a speech with a greeting towards the guests. Mayor Büyükakın, who started his speech by congratulating March 8 International Women's Day, then gave information about SEKA Culture Basin and the Art Specialization Center that was opened.
THERE IS NO SUCH TRANSFORMATION PROJECT
Explaining the works carried out, including SEKAPark, within the SEKA land, which has an area of 1 million square meters, Mayor Büyükakın said, “The area we will open today is the Stone Mill section within the SEKA Factory. There will be units of our Metropolitan Conservatory and Non-Formal Education Branch Directorate here. This area will meet an important need of the city for an Art Gallery. "This is an industrial transformation project and there is no such large industrial transformation project anywhere in Turkey," he said.
WE CONTINUE TO KEEP THE CITY HERITAGE ALIVE
Mayor Büyükakın also pointed out that industrial transformation projects are of great importance for a city and said that many countries in Europe, especially Germany, are working in this direction. Noting that they also implemented industrial transformation projects within SEKA land, Mayor Büyükakın said, “The machines and printing presses inside SEKA are still standing. These are important legacies for a city. We continue to keep these legacies alive. We are also opening our SEKA Specialization Center, which we opened within the SEKA Cultural Basin, within the framework of our promise. "I ask you to keep an eye on this place and keep it alive at all times," he said.
PROF. DR. THANKS FROM HÜLAGÜ
Speaking after Mayor Büyükakın, Kocaeli Deputy Prof. Dr. Hülagü started his speech by celebrating March 8 International Women's Day. Prof. Dr. Hülagü thanked Mayor Büyükakın and his team for the SEKA Culture Specialization Center, which was brought to Kocaeli with the industrial transformation project.
THEY VISITED THE CENTER WITH CITIZENS
After the speeches, Mayor Büyükakın and his entourage went from the tent into the center and inspected the training areas. The first exhibition of the art center met with art lovers at the opening. Marbling artists İlker Selimler and Sevgi Şen exhibited their works created with different methods. In the exhibition; Works prepared with traditional marbling techniques, Akkase Marbling works in which patterns are obtained by making multiple prints on marbling paper, and marbling works prepared with verses and hadiths were included. A total of 70 works shaped by the harmony of art and aesthetics were exhibited in the area.
SPECIAL EXHIBITION FROM FASHION ACADEMY
In addition, the Fashion Academy located within the center exhibited colorful fabric works and pattern works on rehearsal mannequins, specially for the opening. Costumes signed by Dilek Hanif, which also took part in the Zero Waste Festival, were also included in the exhibition.
CENTER CONSIST OF TWO SECTIONS
SEKA Art Specialization Center; It consists of two sections: education and exhibition area. Dynamic, developing, multi-dimensional advanced level training beyond traditional education methods will be provided in the education areas of the Conservatory Directorate of the Department of Culture and Social Affairs and the Non-Formal Education Branch Directorate within the center.
7 SEPARATE WORKSHOP
The training of the Metropolitan Municipality Conservatory's Traditional and Fine Arts Departments will be held in 7 separate workshops within the center. Department of Fine Arts; Departments of Painting, Children's Painting, Ceramics and Tile and Traditional Arts; Calligraphy, Marbling, Kat'i, Illumination and Miniature branch courses will be given under the roof of Seka Art Specialization Center. Additionally, music rehearsals will be held in a special workshop.
FASHION ACADEMY
Non-formal Education Branch Directorate will be located in the facility with the Fashion Academy. Fashion Academy; It will carry out its activities in 6 separate workshops: weaving, design, modeling, digital design, draping and sewing. From design to production, with training provided to meet the needs of the sector in line with world trends; At the Fashion Academy, which aims to train expert trainees in the ready-made clothing industry, advanced training will be provided beyond traditional training methods, from basic pencil drawing to creating a collection.
