Preparatory and Vocational School of Fine Arts of Panormos Tinos prepares for an upgrade to foster the next generation of craftspeople
Marble craftsmanship on the Greek island of Tinos has been inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list since 2015. Tinian marble demonstrates resilience—both as a material and in how young people continue to be drawn to an ancient form of art.
These young marble enthusiasts recently got a boost: following preliminary design studies at the Preparatory and Vocational School of Fine Arts of Panormos Tinos supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), a project to upgrade the campus was recently greenlit. The upgrade will help modernize historic buildings, create new facilities, and landscape the site of the School.
The preliminary study was presented on May 15, 2023, at the Panormos Cultural Center in the presence of Greek Minister of Culture and Sports Lina Mendoni, the Regional Director of South Aegean Giorgos Chatzimarkou, Tinos Mayor Ioannis Siotis, representatives of Orthodox and Catholic church, members of the School’s board of directors, and SNF representatives.
The preliminary study was produced in cooperation between the School's administration and the Thymio Papagiannis and Associates design office, the Municipality of Tinos, the local community, the Panormos area, and the Ministry of Culture and Sports, which will fund the upgrades at the School.
The creation of the new facilities will enable the School to renew its efforts to train young marble sculptors, many of whom go on to help restore architectural and sculptural monuments in Greece through the Ministry of Culture and Sports.
