Chicago’s National Hellenic Museum brings together this diverse group of visual artists from across the United States for an exhibition that is on view from September 10, 2009, to January 9, 2010.

Using various media, including painting, photography, sculpture, and video, the artists of Neolaia/Pathos are influenced by the mythology, history, and culture that nurtured them. The exhibition relates to the idea that a new generation of Greek American artists continues a long line of art making and story telling. Rich details from life develop into metaphors that become iconic, axiomatic: the memory of cherished smells from a kitchen dedicated to recipes passed down through generations, an icon passed through the family, or the fragments of Greek words that mixed with English become “Greenglish.” Greek identity is constantly evolving, however long the generations of assimilation or distancing from homeland. The Neolaia artists witness the complexity of change and ask the audience to share in the distinctive idiosyncrasies and psychologies of being a Greek American through their stories and their artwork.

This exhibition follows the highly successful, Neolaia: Fresh Faces in Art, exhibited in 2002. The National Hellenic Museum is committed to support and encourage young artists. By reaching out to new and emerging artists and providing a venue for their work, the Museum fulfills its mission to connect generations through Greek history, culture, and art.

Neolaia/Pathos is curated by Mary Antonakos, director of I space, Chicago gallery of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Diane Katsiaficas, artist and professor, department of art, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.

The artists exhibited are: Eleanna Anagnos, Adam Fotos, Yiota Georgas, J Anthony Kosar, John Megas, Anna Moisaidis, Demetrius Romanos, Eleni Sianis, George Sinioris, Christopher Thomopoulos, Sophia Vourdoukis, Niki Xenakis, and Fotios Zemenides.

The Museum is located at 801 W. Adams Street, 4th Floor, at the corner of Adams and Halsted Streets. It is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm and Saturday from 11 am – 4 pm. The Museum is closed on Monday and Sunday. Suggested general admission is $5 for adults and seniors. Children 12 years of age and under and museum members are admitted free. Information about exhibitions, programs and special events is available at www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org.