The Art Gallery is housed in the old building of the primary school in the city, built in 1909-1910. The Gallery organizes annual workshops for young and renowned artists. The gallery is named after the great Bulgarian illustrator Hristo Gradechliev.
The idea for the creation of Kavarna Art Gallery dates back to the 70s of the twentieth century, when the local goverment since then began collecting paintings, whose story and theme are directly related to the past and landscape area. The first images that have made early exhibition are: ,, Kaliakra” by Petar Gotchev, “Last defense of Karvun” and “Revolt of Kavarna – July 1877” by Prof. Boris Dankov and “Legend of Kaliakra” by Stoyan Kuyumdjiev. In 1979 started the reconstruction of the building of a local school for the needs of the gallery. It was built in 1909-1910 and houses a primary school. During the period 1916-1940, it is used for Romanian school, and after 1941, it was the primary school, high school, technical agricultural school and the kindergarten. Under the guidance of architect Kamen Goranov in 1981 the building was adapted for the needs of newly established art gallery and fully conserved its authenticity in interior and facade.
Currently, the fund has nearly 1,000 works. In the most are works donated by sponsors, artists or those who entered the Fond through organized workshops. Each year, The Art Gallery, with financial support from the Mayor of Kavarna, organizes “painting workshop” in which prominent Bulgarian artists participate, “painting and watercolor workshop” with participating students from different universities in Bulgaria, Workshop “Mareea- wind ” in the Kamen Bryag village, which has international participation and workshop “Naiad “with prominent masters of the brush in Bulgaria. This year The Art Gallery has also launched a new initiative – meeting in Kavarna and touch children with professional artists. In workshops organized they work together and learn from the creators knowledge and experience, get acquainted with the materials and techniques and achieve great art.
Since 2005 by the decision of the City Council, The Art Gallery was named after the great Bulgarian Hristo Gradechliev illustrator. When he is included in collection to found the gallery in his hometown, he is saying that this should be open to new concepts in art. Today, the gallery holds 21 works donated by him personally, enriching its fund, one donated by his family and his bronze portrait, a gift from George Chapkanov.
The direction chosen for the development of GA “Hristo Gradechliev” is contemporary Bulgarian Art. Thanks to the workshops, much of the work is a strong presence of Dobrogea and nautical themes, widely understood – as landscape, historical memory and life.
