Pelin Avcı
Founder – Chairwoman of the Board
She completed her high school education at Aydın Doğan High School of Communication, Department of Journalism-Printed Media Reporting. She started her undergraduate education at Anadolu University's Department of Art History in 2010. Four years later, she graduated from Istanbul University in the Department of Art History, where she transferred in 2011. She dropped her postgraduate education at Istanbul University’s Department of Art History halfway through, where she was enrolled as a special student. She participated in the field and inventory studies of the Iznik Tile Kilns Excavations in 2012 and the Yoros Castle Research Excavations in 2015. After 2015, she started working as a project coordinator for NGOs in traditional arts and art history. Between 2018 and 2023, she taught art history courses at Küçükçekmece Academy of Fine Arts. She started her publishing career as the Arts and Culture correspondent in Milliyet Newspaper and continues as the publishing director of the Yeditepe Fatih magazine in Zeyrek Academy. as the publishing director of Yeditepe Fatih Magazine at Zeyrek Academy. She has been working as the Chairwoman of the Board at the Art History Research Association, where she develops projects to promote research in the field and preserve cultural heritage.
Hope Brothers
Umut Kardaşlar, who started his undergraduate education at Anadolu University, Department of Art History in 2009, graduated in 2014 after studying for one year at Ege University, Department of Art History with the Farabi Exchange Program in 2013. Kardaşlar, who started to take an active part in archaeological excavations during his education at Ege University in 2013, started his professional career at Kuşadası Municipality Culture Unit in 2014. In 2015, he completed the “Restoration and Conservation of the Fin Whale Skeleton in Kuşadası Güvercinada Inner Castle” task within the Restoration and Conservation Project carried out by Hürtaş İnşaat A.Ş. He currently writes articles on art history, mythology, and archaeology on many digital platforms, and continues his Ege University Master’s Program, which he started in 2016, Kuşadası Kadıkalesi/Anaia Excavations, and his duty at Kuşadası Municipality Culture Unit.
Serap Yilmaz
Serap Yılmaz, who continued her education in Istanbul, Ardahan and Yalova until high school, completed her undergraduate education in the Department of Art History at Anadolu University, Faculty of Letters in 2010. She received Pedagogical Formation training at Anadolu University, Faculty of Education in 2011. She taught at a private school in Eskişehir between 2011-2012. She completed her master's degree in the Department of Architectural History at Uludağ University, Faculty of Architecture in 2017. She is currently continuing her master's degree in the Department of Medical History and Ethics at Uludağ University, Faculty of Medicine.
Fatma Karaca Oak
Founding Member of the Board of Directors
Fatma Karaca Meşe, who started her journalism education at Maçka Akif Tunçel Journalism Department, completed her undergraduate education at İstanbul University Journalism Department in 2015. After interning at Sabah Newspaper in 2008 and Doğan Burda Magazine Group in 2009, she worked in various media organizations throughout her university life. Karaca, who took part in the establishment phase of Artı 1 Tv in 2012, started her professional career at Doğan Burda Magazine Group in 2013. Since then; she continues to write articles and do production for magazines in different areas such as youth, women, culture and art. She also does brand consultancy, PR and freelance interviews.
Gulsum Turkmen
Board Member
Born in 1989 in Istanbul, Gülsüm Türkmen completed her high school education at Çemberlitaş Anatolian High School. She completed her BA at Istanbul University, Department of Art History. After her BA, she completed her Pedagogical Formation education. During this period, she worked as a Student Assistant at Istanbul University, Department of Fine Arts and Art History. She has been working on inventory and field studies at the 2009-2010 İznik Tile Kilns Excavation, since 2012 at the Yoros Castle Excavation, and since 2016 at the Küçükçekmece Bathonea Excavation. She completed her MA on "Byzantine Ceramic Art" at Istanbul University, Department of Art History. She continues her education in Sociology. In addition, she continues to teach "Art History" to adults in various local governments.
Leyla Zaman Alan
She completed her high school education at Bağcılar Osmangazi High School. She graduated from Istanbul University / Faculty of Letters / Department of Art History in 2014 and completed her undergraduate education. She continues her education at Anadolu University, Department of Cultural Heritage. She worked as an intern at İznik Tile Kilns Excavation between June and August 2012, at Edirne New Palace Excavation in 2013, and at Beşiktaş Naval Museum in 2014. She worked as a guide at Özyeğin University High School Summer Camp in July 2014-2015, and as a class and visual arts teacher between 2015-2017. She was appointed as a Museum Researcher at the Istanbul Tombs Museum Directorate of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in June 2017 and she still continues to work at the same institution.
Tolga Aydin
Tolga Aydın graduated from Istanbul University, Department of Art History in 2014; and successfully completed his second undergraduate education at Istanbul University, Faculty of Open and Distance Education - Department of History in 2017. He received his Pedagogical Formation Certificate from Istanbul University, Hasan Ali Yücel Faculty of Education in 2015. He started his MA with a thesis at Uludağ University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Art History in 2016. He is currently continuing his education in the Department of Turkish-Islamic Art. He took part in the Edirne New Palace Excavation in 2012 and 2013. Since 2014, he has been working as a 'Land Manager' at the Amasya Harşena Castle and Kızlar Sarayı Excavation.