The Jubilee 50th Children’s May Art Salon was opened at the Gallery of the National Museum in Kraljevo on Friday, May 23, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.The program began with a performance by the children’s choir “Aria,” followed by a speech from Nadica Lišanin, senior curator of the National Museum Kraljevo, who welcomed the audience and reflected on the significant, half-century jubilee of the event.
She then announced the next participants in the opening protocol.
Afterward, Tatjana Mihailović, PhD, museum advisor of the institution, addressed the audience, speaking about the history of the manifestation, with a special focus on the legacy of Milorad Miki Mihailović, the first art historian of the National Museum. He founded the Children’s May Art Salon in 1974 and led it for a full ten years. From 1979, he served as the museum’s director. Following his untimely death in 1995, the main Salon award bearing his name was established the following year. The exhibition also includes a retrospective of children’s works spanning 50 years up to the present winners.
The Salon was officially opened by Boban Bosić, professor at the Art School in Kraljevo. He highlighted the contribution of art educators over the decades in developing the event, which in turn has influenced the growth of artistic culture in the city. He also noted that he once participated in the Salon as a student, just like many others who later became accomplished artists and art educators.
The jury of the 50th Children’s May Art Salon consisted of Jelena Marković, art historian, Milena Baltić, historian and Nenad Dimitrijević, visual artist and conservator of the National Museum Kraljevo. Based on specified criteria, the jury selected 87 outstanding works from 300 submissions, representing students from 13 elementary schools across Kraljevo. They awarded nine equal prizes, as well as the Grand Prize of the Salon.
The Grand Prize of the Salon, the award “Milorad Mihailović”, was given to Ivana Angelina Milutinović, seventh-grade student at Primary School “Branko Radičević” in Vraneši. The jury’s statement described the winning piece as successfully “combining three essential elements: sincere emotion, deep empathy, and artistic maturity. The student depicted a girl with closed eyes hugging a teddy bear, beautifully capturing the concept of an early memory and illustrating an understanding of the emotional significance of childhood objects“.
Darko Gučanin, director of the National Museum Kraljevo, ceremoniously presented the Grand Prize, as well as nine equal awards to:
Sofija Maksimović, eighth grade student, Gymnasium in Kraljevo
Ljubica Pavlović, sixth grade student, Primary School “Branko Radičević”, Vitkovac
Sara Marić, eighth grade student, Primary School “Branko Radičević”, Vitkovac
Anka Seničić, sixth grade student, Primary School “Jovo Kursula”, Kraljevo
Elena Gašić, eighth grade student, Primary School “Svetozar Marković”, Kraljevo
Vid Čavrljaković, fifth grade student, Primary School “Svetozar Marković”, Kraljevo
Anđela Vlajković, seventh grade student , Primary School “4th Kraljevo Battalion”, Kraljevo
Vasilije Đurić, fifth grade student, Primary School “4th Kraljevo Battalion”, Kraljevo
Tijana Vranić, sixth grade student, Primary School “Dragan Đoković” Uča, Lađevci
The award for the best selection of student works was given to Jasmina Tonić, art teacher at Primary School “4th Kraljevo Battalion” in Kraljevo.
The award for the most successful school in the field of art education was given to Primary School “Vuk Karadžić” in Ribnica, received by art teacher Miladin Otović.
To conclude the ceremony, the children’s choir “Aria” performed once again.