The Szentendre Artists’ Colony was established in 1926 for painters who wanted to continue the Nagybánya school in the mutilated territory of Hungary after WWI. However, the founders soon fell under the influence of the School of Rome, and constructivism, originally born in Paris, also took hold quickly in Szentendre. The founders took possession of a beautiful plot in town (Pagony) in 1927 and built and refurbished their ateliers. In 1972, the Ministry of Culture built twelve summer ateliers in the place of the original ones, giving a fresh impetus to the colony. The government set up another colony in town and the Pagony Painters’ Community has been known as the Old Artists’ Colony of Szentende since the 1970’s. However, due to a lack of proper maintenance, the ateliers of the artists’ colony fell into disrepair in a couple of decades.
The artists’ colony was refurbished in 2012-2013. Following the tradition, 12 ateliers were built with an adjacent community building and a gallery for joint exhibitions. Part of the renovated ateliers are used for a fixed period by artists who successfully apply for them, while the other so-called ‘group ateliers’ can be used by artists working together for a shorter period. The headquarters of MANK Nonprofit Ltd. has also been in the colony since 2013.