Contemporary artist George Maciunas was born on November 8, 1931, in Kaunas, Lithuania. He passed away on May 9, 1978.
When Lithuania was invaded by the Soviet army during World War II, he emigrated to the United States to escape the fighting. He studied art and architecture at New York University and other institutions, and after graduating, he founded the AG Gallery on Madison Avenue in 1961. However, soon after, business began to decline, and he emigrated to West Germany.
In 1962, Maciunas organized the Fluxus International Contemporary Music Festival at the Kunstmuseum Wiesbaden. This concert garnered a great response, and the festival toured throughout Europe. After returning to New York, Maciunas began supporting artists by selling their works. His goal was to create a community of artists, which later came to be known as "Fluxus." Maciunas was particularly interested in artists who were creating performance art known as "Happenings," and attempted to organize a group that brought them together.

In the 1960s, Maciunas also launched the "SoHoing Cooperative," which converted lofts and sold them to artists at low cost. This was the catalyst for transforming SoHo into an artist district. In 1977, he attempted to create a place for artists to live together in Massachusetts, but he died the following year due to declining health.