2022 was an historic year for the Hellenic-American Cultural Center & Museum of Oregon and SW Washington! We celebrated 15 years of being open to the public, and it really did feel like a celebration all year long.
Collections:
Over the summer, we accessioned a set of materials from the Old Town History Project, a collaborative initiative in the late 1990s and early 2000s that captured diverse stories of Portland’s Old Town. We also received generous donations of original pieces painted by Bill Papas and by Marguerite Frances Sylvia. In other collection news, HACCM’s oral history team conducted 11 interviews in 2022 with several scheduled for 2023. Our oral history project was awarded a grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust, which will allow us to continue conducting interviews and to develop a platform to make these oral histories accessible.
Exhibits:
We were also proud to participate in the return of the Portland Greek Festival, during which our exhibit In the Shadow of the Acropolis was on display. Our current exhibit, Memories: A Celebration of the Artistry of Marguerite Frances Sylvia, is the most expansive collection of paintings HACCM has shown to date and is held in memory of John and Bobby Maslen, two of our earliest supporters. HACCM’s exhibit Master Penworks of Tom Stefopoulos was selected as a part of the Oregon State Capitol Foundation’s traveling exhibition program. While the Capitol building in Salem is under construction, the foundation awarded HACCM an additional grant to digitize the exhibit, available in 2023.
Public Programs:
Our public programs covered topics from Ancient Greek theater and the Asia Minor Catastrophe to a women’s studies perspective on Athens history. We introduced a new programming initiative, Leaders of Tomorrow, which is a forum for young adults to reflect on their accomplishments, cultural heritage, and community. In October, we launched All Things Greek: The HACCM Podcast which is a new platform for us to share stories and perspectives that complement HACCM exhibits and programming.
It has been a busy and incredibly rewarding year. We hope that HACCM has inspired and engaged you. From all of us at HACCM, we wish you happy holidays and wonderful New Year!