Despina Tunberg, Curator, Despina is an award-winning artist and gallery owner. She curated two galleries, one in Santa Barbara, California and the other in Chania, Crete both under the name of OMMA.Despina has also organized exhibitions in museums and galleries in many countries and ran the Chania International Art Fair. Sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism in Greece, the show had over 150 exhibitors from around the world. The event generated significant media exposure for the participating exhibitors. Yiorgos Katsanevakis, the Prefect of the Province of Chania, said the show was “a vital element in the promotion and development of our (Crete) region.”
Currently Despina runs an art promotional company out of Santa Barbara. She also organizes exhibitions at the Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Arts in Las Vegas. She showcases the artists she represents at annual art shows in Miami, New York and other cities in the United States.
Thomas Tunberg, Show Director, was born in Los Angeles. He grew up traveling the world with his screenwriter/producer father living in, among other places, London, Kuala Lumpur, and Barbados. Thomas studied at the University of Southern California, where he received a BA in Classical Studies. He then did graduate studies at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, receiving an MA in Archaeology.After finishing school, Thomas stayed on in Greece and worked in advertising as a creative director. He then met Despina and they settled in Chania, Crete. While raising two children, Thomas and Despina jointly ran the Omma Gallery and the Chania International Art Fair.
The couple moved to Santa Barbara, California in 2005. Thomas now works alongside Despina running an art publishing company as well as organizing exhibitions in many venues.
