International Art Society & Academy facts for kids

The International Art Society & Academy (International Art Society and Academy, Διεθνής Εταιρεία Τέχνης και Ακαδημία) is an art association founded in 2007 by a Greek classical guitarist and composer Yorgos Foudoulis. The Society is situated in Volos, Greece.

Every year the society organizes a number of international art competitions (Interartia, Ithagenia, World Award, World Book Award, Artist of the Year, World Poetry Competition "Manolis Aligizakis") dominantly in various fields of music, but also in poetry, plastic arts and other forms of artistic expression.

Since its inception the society awarded and collaborated with a number of famous and notable artists like Martha Argerich (the winner of the Japanese Premium Imperiale and 3 Grammy awards), Éric Pénicaud, Nobuyuki Tsujii, The Quartetto di Cremona, Peter Bence (Guinness World Record-breaking pianist with "the fastest fingers on the planet"), Fraguial Francisco Guilherme de Almeida Jesus, Alondra de la Parra (the current Music Director of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra), Marco Minnemann, Tolgahan Çoğulu, Sungha Jung, Silesian Guitar Octet and many others.

Within the society also is active the International Art Academy which is in nature an examination board based on UK and US models. Many well known artist serves as members and honorary professors like Małgorzata Chodakowska (sculpture), Tolgahan Çoğulu, Marios Joannou Elia, Dario Cebić, Pero Šiša, Melissa Studdard (an author, the winner of a Forward National Literature Award and Pinnacle Book Achievement Award), Dimitris P. Kraniotis, Candice James (the poet laureate of New Westminster, British Columbia), Robert Hagan (a painter and the host of the Discovery HD/Discovery television show Splash of Color), Miran Vaupotich and others.. Yorgos Foudoulis is the president of the International Examination Center of the International Art Academy and the director of the Examination Center of Trinity College London.

In addition to these competitions, the International Academy of Arts, with the support of the Directorate for Organizational and Academic Development of the Greek Ministry of Education, traditionally organizes the World Poetry Competition 'K.P.Kavafis'. In cooperation with the Foudoulis Conservatory, the World Guitar Festival Volos, World Guitar Orchestra Volos and World Guitar Center organize the World Composition Competition 'KITHARA' with an emphasis on guitar (solo guitar, musical ensembles, guitar ensembles, orchestras, etc.).