Our Culture

Over the years, our galleries and theater have presented the work of hundreds -  photographers, musicians, performers and other artists from the US, Greece and elsewhere in Europe.

Many, such as Joseph Beuys, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas, Joseph Kosuth, Theodoros Antoniou, Bruce Davidson, Marie Wilson and Nan Goldin, were already prominent artists at the time of the event. Others, such as Mimis Plessas, Karolos Koun, and Opi Zouni, were in the early years of their career when they appeared at the Hellenic American Union.

This variety is deliberate and reflects our commitment to enabling young, talented artists to present their work to a broad public of all ages and backgrounds.

Our annual program of exhibitions, concerts, theatrical and dance performances, readings, and lectures are free and encompass a spectrum of themes, media, and perspectives.

Some events explore new currents in art, other events - such as retrospective exhibitions and film tributes -  provide a renewed critical look at works from the past. Writers and thinkers such as Jeremy Rifkin, Marylin Yalom, Nicholas Christakis, and Eleni Glykatzi-Ahrweiler engage us in dialog on issues of social concern or help us better understand recent technological and scientific developments and their ethical implications. Poets, too, from both sides of the Atlantic, grace our stage, continuing a tradition of public readings which goes back to the early 60s, when Giorgos Seferis read in our theater, and which continued years later with appearances by Allen Ginsberg, Eleni Vakalo, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jerome Rothenberg, Nanos Valaoritis, Kiki Dimoula and Katerina Anghelaki-Rooke among other renowned poets.

As an organization with a broad educational mission, we provide opportunities for our audience to cultivate new interests, develop new skills, and better understand the world in which we live.

Events, particularly visual art exhibitions, are often accompanied by parallel activities such as gallery tours, catalogs, film screenings and master classes. We also organize cultural seminars, colloquia, and conferences on a diverse range of topics and issues, from photography classes and storytelling workshops to seminars in arts management, public history labs, translation symposia and panel discussions on issues of public interest. In recent years, of increasing importance are events designed especially for younger audiences, such as our fantasy and comics festivals and our online art workshops and storytelling sessions for children.

Many of our cultural events are realized in cooperation with cultural organizations and foundations throughout Greece and abroad or with local partners: