The very idea came spontaneously, in the far 1982 in Zagreb (Croatia) during the friendly  chat with one of the editors of Zagreb kids magazine named Modra Lasta and few art pedagogues of former Yugoslavia.

Namely, in  1982  members of  the Children Art Studio -  Bitola were granted  the first  prize of the state competition entitled as "The world around us" announced by the magazine "Modra Lasta". The manager  of  the Studio Kosta  Hadzi  Antonovski  attended  to  this  celebration,  along with the awarded participant. He made some meetings in Zagreb with distinguished art pedagogues from allover Yugoslavia presenting the idea to organize art-painting children manifestation in Bitola. His idea was accepted with exaltation by the art pedagogues with a promise that it will be of great pleasure for them to take participation. Encouraged by this support Hadzi Antonovski began with preparations about the organizing of the new art manifestation in Bitola immediately after his arrival from Zagreb.

The first art manifestation "Bitola" was held in 24th and 25th of May 1982 on the occasion of the festive day of Slavs educators Cyril and Methodi. On the first Art Colony "Bitola82" forty pupil took participation and 5 art pedagogues from Pag and Vinkovci (Croatia), Prilep, Makedonski Brod and Bitola (Macedonia). The participants of this colony created two days in front of the Culture Hall in Bitola, on their own theme choice.

Next year at the colony "Bitola 83", the festival "The Small Montmartre of Bitola" gain the current physiognomy. On the second colony participants from 8 Yugoslavian cities took participation, upon the selection and invitation of the Studio. They brought to Bitola their own collections of their art works and the first children art exhibition named as "Bitola" was promoted. Each school-participant on this colony was presented by their collection of 10 paintings, and those 100 paintings were exposed at the Art Gallery in Bitola. This exhibition actually meant the very beginning of the foundation of the International exhibition "Bitola", which by its magnificence opened the new page of the Guinness book of records.
The third Art Colony "Bitola 84" will be remembered in the annals of Bitola's Montmartre by the announcement of the art competition (state competition at that time which now became international) for participation on Bitola's colony and by the fact that works of art were selected by the expert jury consist of eminent art pedagogues, artists and society-political workers. Since this year the manifestation was named "The Small Montmartre of Bitola".

At the colony "Bitola 84" another novelty was promoted, which lasts till nowadays the organizing of the art caravans. The first such caravan took place in village of Bukovo near Bitola.

Since 1992 Bitola's colony gain international character, with participation from young art talents from Europe and around the world.
Until the present days "The Small Montmartre of Bitola" accommodated art talents from many countries from Europe and world wide: Argentina, New Zealand, Switzerland, Germany, Finland, France, Serbia and Montenegro, Australia, India, China, Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Netherland, Belarus, Moldavia, Republic of China-Taiwan, Turkey, Iran, Romania, Poland, Portugal, Austria, Indonesia, Ermenia, Hungary, Lebanon, Malesia, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Albania, Belgium, Cyprus, Macedonia…
There are quite lot possibilities at this year jubilee manifestation "The small Montmartre of Bitola" the number of participants to be remarkable increased.

At  the  beginning  (the  first  two  art  colonies)  in Bitola, only  teams  from  the  ex - yu republics  took  participation  on The  Small  Bitola  Montmartre  on  the invitation of  the  organizers  the Children Art  Studio St. Cyril and Methody - Bitola. Since 1984, actually  from the third Art  Children Colony Bitola, the Studio  announced  the  competition  for  the  first  time  for  the  participation  at   the  Colony.  The  first  competition  was  on  a  free  choice  of  the  theme,  it  was   announced at the beginning of the month of September and it lasts till the month of February the next year. On this competition the right to take participation was given to the children from the pre-elementary schools (kindergarten) and from the elementary schools. The participants present their collection of 20 art works, on free choice of the theme and art techniques. Since 1991, when the colony gains its international character, it was allowed to senior pupils to take participation, actually the pupils from the high schools, art schools, lycees, students from the art academies.

The art works that arrived on the international competition are selected and awarded by the international jury. This jury also appointed the schools-participants of the festival as well as the winners of other awards such as: Grand Prix as a highest festival award, best collection prizes, best individual works (golden plaquettes, golden paint-brush, diplomas etc), special awards etc.

   The international jury each year select between 1800 and 2000 art works thus promoting the International exhibition of children art works entitled as Bitola. Traditionally the exhibition is promoted on the first day of the festival on 23rd of May in a presence of numerous guests, participants of the festival, pupils and art pedagogues' winners of awards. 
    The festival Small Montmartre of Bitola is held in Bitola, traditionally on 23-30 May. On this festival took participation the best schools selected by the international jury. Each school participate with a team consist of 4 members - 3 students and 1 art pedagogue. 

During those 7 days of May the participants work on open air, on Bitola's streets, accompanied by the citizens, market visitors, craftsman from the Old Bitola Bazaar, also they work on the most famous and most lauded street of the city of Consuls Bitola  the Shirok Sokak and other streets on the traditional theme - The Old Macedonian Architecture. The participants are granted free of charge by the organizers with painting equipment, working cloths (T-shirts, caps, bags…etc) and are accommodated in the most representative hotel in Bitola - Epinal. 

All art works painted during the festival in Bitola and other cities where it is foreseen to be visited by the art caravan Bitola are selected and awarded on the seventh, the last day of the festival. At that day the jury announced the best school and the best student with the best collection. Also the best individual participants are promoted who gain the right to participate as honored guests on the next festival. Many times the awards are granted by other institutions and associations (like the Association of the Architects of Maceodnia, Association of the Craftsman St. Spiridon of Bitola)

The best works of each festival are incorporated into the permanent exhibition actually the exhibition entitled as The Pearls of the Small Montmartre of Bitola. All paintings of this collection are regularly prepared for visit of other towns in the country and abroad.