Chicago, IL (1888PressRelease)
August 06, 2009 - The former Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center ¬ – A National Institution in Chicago, IL, has just announced a new name, logo and promise. In an effort to re-brand itself and better define its mission, the museum will now be known as the National Hellenic Museum. To go along with that name change is a new logo incorporating the Greek key and a new tagline that succinctly sums up the institution’s aim: Connecting Generations. In honor of these re-branding efforts, the museum will be holding a reception on September 10, 2009. Members and media who would like to receive an invitation to this inaugural celebration are urged to contact the National Hellenic Museum.
The “Merriam-Webster Dictionary” defines Hellenic as “of or relating to Greece, its people, or its language; specifically, of or relating to ancient Greek history, culture, or art before the Hellenistic period.” Between 1890 and 1920, an estimated 450,000 Greeks came to America as part of the flood of Eastern European immigrants. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s estimation, 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry were living in the United States in 2007. The State Department makes further mention that, today, around 3,000,000 Americans claim Greek descent.
It is the mission of the newly renamed National Hellenic Museum to connect these ethnicity-sharing individuals through Greek history, culture and art. One of the first ways in which the institution will be accomplishing this goal is through a new exhibition titled Neolaia/Pathos: new.youth.passion. This exhibit will feature artwork created by young (aged 20-40) Greek American artists using various media including painting, photography, sculpture and video. This national exhibition features artists from California to New York and further exemplifies the Museum’s new mission.
The Neolaia/Pathos exhibition will open on September 10 as part of the National Hellenic Museum’s celebratory reception and will continue through January 10, 2010. It will include a variety of educational outreach opportunities, programming and events designed to attract young Greek Americans, fine-arts students, art clubs and groups, and gallery patrons.
“This exhibition meets our mission by providing a venue for young Greek American artists to showcase their talents in creating multimedia art. By selecting artists from throughout the United States, we are reaffirming our position as a national institution,” explains the National Hellenic Museum’s executive director Stephanie Vlahakis. Neolaia/Pathos is just the first of many initiatives the newly branded museum will be launching to connect generations of Greek Americans across the nation.
Greek Americans who would like to learn more about connecting with fellow U.S. citizens who share their culture can visit the re-branded National Hellenic Museum online at http://www.HellenicMuseum.org. Interested media may request an invitation to the institution’s opening reception by calling (772) 633-8337.
About the National Hellenic Museum
The National Hellenic Museum was founded in 1983 to serve Greek Americans, and the larger community of diverse ethnic cultures, with programs that promote understanding of and appreciation for the rich cultural traditions of ancient and contemporary Greece. Today, the museum’s mission is to connect generations through Greek history, culture and art.
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