The Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre, Associated with the Pierides Foundation, was inaugurated on January the 14th in 1994 and operates according to the cooperation agreement between the Nicosia Municipality and the Pierides Foundation
The Arts Centre is housed in the old Power Station building, granted by the Electricity Authority to the Municipality of Nicosia. This building had been the first Power Generating Station in Nicosia. It had been deserted for almost 20 years until the Nicosia Municipality, during the majoralty of Lellos Demetriades, made an agreement with the Pierides Foundation, during the Demetris Z. Pierides presidency, for the transformation of the complex into the Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre.
Thus, the building, a typical example of industrial architecture in Cyprus at the beginning of the 20th century, was restored in its original form, while complying with all the prerequisites of a contemporary museum and exhibition centre. In 1994 the Centre was awarded with the Europa Nostra Award for its sensitive restoration
During the seventeen years of its operation, the Centre organized and presented more than 70 exhibitions of contemporary art from Cyprus and abroad. Many of them were organized in cooperation with other Museums, Cultural Centres and Foundations.
Some of the most important exhibitions were: Miro of Majorca, Picasso the Engraver, Tribute to Van Gogh, Flashback-100 years of Design. The Dakis Ioannou Collection, Cyprus in Venice, Accidental Meetings Crossings et al.
Amongst the main objectives of the Centre is to open up new channels of artistic communication between Cyprus and abroad, mainly Europe, to develop and encourage partnerships between artists and cultural managers in Cyprus and abroad, to introduce to the Cypriot public new tendencies and new ideas of the contemporary artistic creation internationally, to give the opportunity to Cypriot artists to collaborate with artists from other countries
The Arts Centre has also multifaceted educational and pedagogical activities. Apart from the educational programmes for exhibitions, the Educational Centre for Children was inaugurated in 2008 and organizes specialized courses for children and youngsters through the Engraving and Cinema workshops.
In 2013, the “City Theatre/Theatre Workshop, will open aiming to explore the relationship between visual arts and theatre and provide a chance for research and experimentation in these fields.
Alongside the exhibitions, the Centre organises conferences, roundtables, lectures and educational programs. It has also established the periodical projects OPEN CALL and PROJECT ROOM, which offer the opportunity to Cypriot artists to execute large-scale installations or experimental projects.
Since this year, the Centre operates a Residency for cultural managers from abroad and participates through the Pierides Foundation in multiannual European programmes supported partly by the European Committee.
The Centre also operates: The D.Z. Pierides History of Art Library with many and rare art publications, the Cyprus Visual Arts Archive in collaboration with the Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts, the Shop with art objects and publications and the “Old Power House” restaurant.