Curator

Alena Mrovcová is the woman whose unwavering dedication and tireless efforts made the creation of the gallery possible. After completing her university studies at Palacký University in Olomouc and working as a teacher, she emigrated abroad in 1965, where she deepened her engagement with the visual arts. Countless visits to museums followed, where she familiarised herself with the great masters of painting and sculpture.

Over time, she became increasingly involved in the art scene, and her own home eventually became a meeting place for Czech artists seeking contact with the West. As a natural consequence, she went on to curate numerous exhibitions in West Germany.

A significant milestone in her artistic journey was an extended stay in New York, where the idea of establishing her own gallery was born. She ultimately fulfilled this vision in 1993 after her permanent return to the Czech Republic. In addition, she founded two municipal galleries in the town of Planá, which, thanks to these efforts, earned the nickname “Mecca of Art” after just a few years.

Alongside her curatorial work, she also organised sculpture symposia in both the Czech Republic and Germany. Over the years, she initiated and oversaw several private art collections — including a ma-jor collection of Czech art for the town of Planá, as a gesture of gratitude for being welcomed into the local community.

Her commitment to the arts remains as strong as ever. For many years, she worked tirelessly to esta-blish a prominent gallery for contemporary art in Mariánské Lázně — a goal she finally achieved this year after finding enthusiastic partners to support the search for a suitable space. Special thanks go to David Folprecht, who, together with Karel Kalivoda, provided both the venue and the necessary fun-ding to bring this vision to life.