Up Close and Personal - featuring YOLANDA "LINDA" REID CHASSIAKOS, award-winning author of science fiction-fantasy and mystery thriller books
2025-04-06 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Loyola Marymount University, 1 Loyola Marymount University Dr,, Los Angeles, 90045, United States
Yolanda is the author of several novels in the Sammy Greene Thriller Series, including “Dead Air,” which won the 2010 Royal Palm Literary Award, a prestigious recognition for independent authors. It was followed by the sequel “Devil Wind.” Other books in the series include “Dirty Deeds and “Deep Waters.”
Yolanda’s book, “The Zygan Emprise,” was a winner in the 2024 BookFest competition, awarded third place in the category of Science Fiction–Action and Adventure.
Yolanda’s works typically blend elements of medical drama and suspense, often featuring intricate plots with an emphasis on realism and character development.
Meet Yolanda at next “Up Close and Personal.”

Sunday, April 6, 2025, 4pm
LMU Caloyeras Center for Modern Greek Studies
University Hall 3800, 3rd Floor.
Enter P1 – Free Parking
Books will be available for sale and autographing.
Seating is limited. Please RSVP by April 4th: hawcpacific@gmail.com

East Meets West: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Greece’s History and Culture
2025-04-12 09:00 - 18:30
UCLA Stavros Niarhos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture
The Angelo K. Tsakopoulos Hellenic Studies Center, California State University, Sacramento
This conference examines Greece’s interactions with the East and West, examining Ancient Roots and Influences, Byzantine Spaces and Sounds, Memory and Diachronicity, and Modern Society and Relations.
Attendance is free and open to the public.

A TRIBUTE TO KOSTIS PALAMAS: RENOWNED POET AND COMPOSER OF THE ORIGINAL OLYMPIC HYMN
2025-04-13 16:00 - 17:00 | Loyola Marymount University, 1 Loyola Marymount University Dr,, Los Angeles, 90045, United States
Professor THEODORE MALLIAS (University of Patras)

A presentation of Prof. Mallias book-album
Olympism-Olympic Hymn-Kostis Palamas
on the significance of the Olympic Hymn that was adopted in 1896
for the first modern Olympic games in Athens

Sunday, April 13
4:00 pm
University Hall 3800 (3rd floor)
(free parking – enter P1)
*The presentation is in Greek with audiovisual material in Greek and English
The event is co-hosted by the Greek Heritage Society of Southern California and the Hellenic Library of Southern California
Space is limited. Please, RSVP here

STELIOS - ΥΠΑΡΧΩ Avant-Premiere Film Screening
2025-05-04 18:00 - 21:00 | Harmony Gold Theater, 7655 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90046
Los Angeles Greek Film Festival presents the West Coast Avant Premiere of STELIOS – ΥΠΑΡΧΩ
May 4, 2025
Harmony Gold Theater
7655 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90046

For Tickets

THE CYPRUS INSTITUTE - THE FEDERATION OF CYPRIOT AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS
2025-05-07 18:00 - 21:00
THE CYPRUS INSTITUTE
THE FEDERATION OF CYPRIOT AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS
Cordially invite you to a Keynote Lecture by
Prof. Stavros Malas
President of the Cyprus Institute
Join us for an insightful evening with Prof. Malas who will highlight the Institute’s groundbreaking work in research and innovation and discuss Cyprus’ rise as a hub for research excellence and international collaboration. He will also share his vision for establishing strategic partnerships with leading U.S.-based institutions.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
Anassa Estiatorio (Private Room, 2nd floor)
200 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022
RSVP to info@fcaousa.org or (516) 399-2295 for LIVE STREAM link

AHC Annual Gala
2025-05-10 18:00 - 23:59 | OMNI Hotel, 251 South Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90012, United States
Annual Gala at OMNI Hotel

Gefyra Book Club: Niki: A Novel by Christos Chomenidis,
2025-05-17 10:00 - 11:00
Discussion led by Professor Sharon Gerstel, Director, UCLA SNF Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture and Dr. Eirini Kotsovili, Senior Lecturer, Global Humanities at Simon Fraser University
Via Zoom

Los Angeles Greek Film Festival
2025-05-27 - 2025-06-01 | Egyptian Theater
The 19th annual Greek Film Festival will occur from May 27 to June 1, 2025.
More info: www.lagff.org

The Return That Never Was. Cyprus 1974-2024
2025-05-27 16:30 - 21:00 | Huffington Center at Saint Sophia Cathedral, 1324 S. Normandie Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90006, United States
A powerful movie night featuring ​six thought-provoking films that explore themes of memory, identity, and resistance. From stories of people trying to save all the important exhibits of the Archaeological Museum of Cyprus—along with the​ir identity and the​ir history—to haunting depictions of educational camps set up during the Greek Civil War, each film invites you into a world where ideas and desires are manipulated. You’ll witness the struggles of those living by the buffer zone, the quiet endurance of a man in opposition to the occupation of his country, Cyprus, and his moving reaction to the lifting of this weight. These films are more than entertainment—they are a journey through history, loss, and the unyielding spirit of those who refuse to forget.

Cyprus and Greek Premiere Films
SCREENING – Giannis in the cities – 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Director, Eleni Alexandraki will be in attendance
RECEPTION 6:00 – 6:45 pm
SCREENING – Short Films 6:45 – 7:30 pm
Director, Panayiotis Chistphorou will be in attendance
SCREENING – The Return that never was. Cyprus 1974-2024 7:30 – 9:00 pm
MORE INFO HERE

at Saint Sophia – Gianopulos Theater

Backgammon Night
2025-06-20 18:00 - 20:00 | 2117 Rolfe Hall, UCLA Campus
Backgammon Night
Friday, June 20, 2025 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM 2117
Rolfe Hall, UCLA Campus RSVP This event is free, but space is limited. Join us for mezedes and conversation.
2117 Rolfe Hall 345 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, United States

Information Seminar for Greeks Abroad
2025-07-09 06:00 - 08:00
Information Seminar for Greeks Abroad – Online Event
Are you a Greek living abroadJoin us for a valuable online information session on key tax and relocation matters in Greece, organized by the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Η Ελλάδα στον Κόσμο in collaboration with Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE).

Topics include:
Tax registration & residency
Transferring tax residence abroad
Alternative taxation options
Customs exemptions for relocation
Income & property taxation
Online transactions with AADE
Starting a business in Greece
…and more!

Date: Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Time: 4-6pm (EET) / 6-8am (PST)
Language: English
Live Q&A

Introduced by:
• Ms. Maira Myrogianni, Secretary General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy
• Mr. Giorgos Pitsilis, Governor of AADE

To register, email your full name and address to gapd@mfa.gr by July 7 to receive your participation link.

51st Commemoration of Cyprus Illegal Invasion MEMORIAL SERVICE
2025-07-20 11:00 - 14:00 | Huffington Center at Saint Sophia Cathedral, 1324 S. Normandie Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90006, United States

‘A Spartan Dream’ Opens August 15-21, Q&A Follows two Screenings in Los Angeles
2025-08-15 - 2025-08-21
‘A Spartan Dream’ hits the big screen in five U.S. cities August 15-21, including at Laemmle Glendale. Q&A sessions with director M. Achilles Nickles, and main actor Peter Bundic, after the 7 PM screening on Friday and Saturday.
‘A Spartan Dream’ tells the story of a young American who is sent to Greece on family business, but ends up fighting for love in an epic battle with history itself.
Ticket info and dates: https://www.aspartandream.movie/
Social Media: @a_spartan_dream
Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNPzvN2vA-Y

"Celebrating Mimis Plessas – 100 Years of Music for Greece" with Efi Asvesti
2025-08-30 08:00 - 10:00 | Zoom Meeting
Saturday, August 30, 2025 10am Central on ZOOM
This year marks the 100th birthday of one of Greece’s most treasured composers, Mimis Plessas (1924–2024)—and sadly, it’s also the first year we celebrate without him. Efi Avesti will be joining us from Greece. She will share Plessas life, his music, and why his songs are woven into the fabric of Greek culture. Register here to join the Zoom presentation.
Born in Athens, Plessas was a piano prodigy who became Greece’s first piano soloist on national radio. Amazingly, while earning a PhD in chemistry at Cornell University, he also built an international reputation as a brilliant pianist. Over a 70-year career, he wrote music for over 100 films, 70 plays, and countless TV and radio shows—blending Greek tradition with jazz and classical in a style all his own.
His 1969 album ‘O Dromos’ still holds the record as the best-selling album in Greek history, and his songs are part of daily life in Greece. Plessas worked with icons like Nana Mouskouri and Marinella, appeared on popular TV shows, and earned Greece’s Gold Cross of the Order of the Phoenix. His music continues to inspire—and now, so will his story.
Efi lives in Greece and studied Interpretation & Translation in the English language. She loves teaching Greek to the Greek diaspora and foreigners alike. To hear some of Plessas music visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crtgcLVCsnk
If you missed registering above catch the link here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/7E15deB0Se6WK7kauXQcNA
Organized by: HAWC

Backgammon Night - UCLA
2025-09-12 18:00 - 20:00 | 2117 Rolfe Hall, UCLA Campus
Backgammon Night
Friday, September 12, 2025
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
2117 Rolfe Hall, UCLA Campus
Join us for mezedes and conversation. All skill levels are welcome!
Participation is free, but space is limited!

Click here to RSVP

"Renovating My Life, with Aristotle as My Architect" by Fenia on Zoom
2025-09-13 08:00 - 10:00 | Zoom Meeting
Saturday, September 13, 2025 10am Central on ZOOM
Architect and author Fenia Tsanaka shows how Aristotle’s wisdom can help us “redesign” our lives. Just as the same plot of land can produce very different houses, the same life circumstances can lead to completely different outcomes—depending on our blueprint. In this lively talk, Fenia shares practical ways to find meaning, manage emotions, improve relationships, and make better choices. Come ready to be inspired—and maybe start your own life renovation! Register here.
Fenia was born in Athens and is the mother of two. She studied architecture at the National Technical University of Athens. Since then, she has been the head of an architecture firm, carrying out studies, supervising and constructing private projects. Her latest project includes the supervision of the “Onassis National Transplant Center” 7,000 sq. m. which is an addition to the existing building of the “Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center” in Athens.
The book”Renovating My Life, with Aristotle as My Architect” is available on Google Books and Skroutz.eu. The book is described as a work that connects Aristotle’s philosophical insights with the practicalities of living. If you missed registering above here’s another link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/hmzEuZONTfKiK36XkybkZw

“This book is the experiential journey of discovering Aristotelian philosophy and how it can change us,” Tsanaka writes. “Change how we feel, the way we see situations, the way we think and ultimately the way we act. In short, how we can renovate our lives by changing the situations that frustrate us in order to gain a lasting appetite for life.”

Greek Heritage Society of Southern California - Special celebration of 40th Anniversary
2025-10-11 09:00 - 15:30
Celebrating 40 Years with the Greek Heritage Society: Exploring and Preserving Our Hellenic Identity

October 11, 2025
9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Main Event
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Genealogy Workshop (Special Event – Optional)
314 Royce Hall, UCLA campus
Join the Greek Heritage Society (GHS) of Southern California for a very special celebration of their 40th Anniversary with a unique informational, interactive, and invigorating multigenerational event filled with presentations, exhibits, and inspirational discussions, as well as the opportunity to explore genealogy through a personalized expert workshop. The event will explore understanding the identity of Greeks in Southern California, and methods to share and preserve stories and heritage. The GHS seeks to open the door to new ideas and ways of embracing Hellenism to keep the love alive for generations to come. This is an event you won’t want to miss!
PART I: EXPLORING WHO WE ARE: THE GREEKS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND BEYOND
Opening remarks by Consul General of Greece in Los Angeles, Ms. Christina Valassopoulou
Speakers

Bessie Karras-Lazaris, President, Greek Heritage Society
George I. Paganelis, Curator, Tsakopoulos Hellenic Collection, California State University, Sacramento
Dr. Katherine Kelaidis, Director of Research and Content, National Hellenic Museum, Chicago
Gregory Kontos, genealogist, historian, and founder of GreekAncestry, Athens, Greece

Lunch and Exhibits:
Photo gallery and exhibit tables providing information on resources and activities available to help YOU carry the torch of Hellenism into the future.
PART II: A CELEBRATION OF CULTURE INTO THE FUTURE
Panel Discussions:
Young Greek professionals will share how they preserve their Greek culture and heritage through comedy, filmmaking, music, dance, sports and more.
Musical tribute to Hellenism and reception
Personalized genealogy workshop. Special optional event.
The event is co-sponsored with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for the Study of Hellenic Culture at UCLA. It is presented under the auspices of the Consulate General of Greece in Los Angeles.
Registration for all events is required. Register HERE

For additional information and assistance, contact GHS President, Bessie Karras-Lazaris at greekhertitage@hotmail.com

BOOKCLUB - The Scapegoat by Sophia Nikolaidou
2025-10-18 10:00 - 11:00 | Zoom Meeting
Gefyra Book Club:
The Scapegoat by Sophia Nikolaidou, trans. Karen Emmerich
(Melville House, 2015)
Discussion led by Professor Sharon Gerstel, Director, UCLA SNF Hellenic Center
and Dr. Eirini Kotsovili, Senior Lecturer, Global Humanities at Simon Fraser University
Saturday, October 18, 2025
10 A.M. Los Angeles / 8 P.M. Greece
Via Zoom
RSVP

Pan-Arcadians Annual Celebration, Dinner and Dance
2025-10-18 18:00 - 23:30
Annual Celebration of the Pan-Arcadian Federation of America
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Saint John Greek Orthodox Church in Anaheim, CA
NEA MANTINEIA CHAPTER #102 invites you to come celebrate with us the
37th Annual Commemoration of “ALOSIS TIS TRIPOLITSAS”
*Live Music, Dinner, Dancing, Fun and Fellowship*

For Reservations Call or Email:
Kosta Kapogianis kapogianis@gmail.com (714) 726-7383
Maria Kypreos makypreos@gmail.com (626) 272-2720
Dimitra Kapogianis dimitrak@sbcglobal.net (714) 402-4203
Niky Syrengelas nikysyrengelas@gmail.com (951) 285-5480

RHYTHMS OF TRADITION: THE JOURNEY OF DANCE AND ΜUSIC IN THE NORTH AEGEAN ISLANDS OF GREECE
2025-10-19 16:00 - 18:00 | Loyola Marymount University, Mcintosh Room
RSVP here

HAWC PACIFIC - Up Close and Personal with Sokratis Alafouzos
2025-11-02 16:00 - 18:00 | Loyola Marymount University, 1 Loyola Marymount University Dr,, Los Angeles, 90045, United States
When: Sunday, November 2, 2025, at 4:00 PM
Where: ROOM 3900 – George and Cleola Gavalas Library

RSVP: hawcpacific@gmail.com

Between the Minoans and the Mycenaeans: Craft Technologies in the Second Millennium BCE Aegean
2025-11-15 14:00 - 17:00 | 314 Royce Hall, UCLA Campus
Between the Minoans and the Mycenaeans: Craft Technologies in the Second Millennium BCE Aegean
Lecture by Nikolas Papadimitriou (Director, Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum, Athens) and Eleni Konstantinidi-Syvridi (Curator, Department of Prehistoric, Egyptian, Cypriot and Near Eastern Collections of Antiquities, at the Hellenic National Archaeological Museum, Athens)
Demonstration by Akis Goumas (contemporary jewelry maker and researcher of ancient crafting technologies)
Hosted by the
UCLA SNF Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture
in collaboration with
The J. Paul Getty Museum
and held in conjunction with the exhibition
The Kingdom of Pylos: Warrior-Princes of Mycenaean Greece
Saturday, November 15, 2025
2:00 P.M.
314 Royce Hall, UCLA Campus
Due to high demand, registration is now closed. Please fill out this waitlist form if you would like to be notified of any openings.
A recording of the event will be made available on our YouTube channel soon after.
The Kingdom of Pylos: Warrior-Princes of Mycenaean Greece exhibition at the Getty Villa brings together some of the most exquisite artistic creations of the second millennium BCE Aegean. Many of these objects were the products of cultural fusion and combined elements from different artistic traditions originating in Minoan Crete, Mycenaean Greece, and areas far beyond. This presentation will examine the highly demanding techniques goldsmiths and seal-engravers used to create many of the objects in this exhibition. Following the lecture, Akis Goumas will demonstrate the main steps of the technical processes involved in Mycenaean gold-working (sheet metal, wire, granulation, etc.) and Minoan seal-engraving (soft materials and hard stones).
Demonstration by Akis Goumas
The artist and researcher of ancient technologies Akis Goumas will demonstrate the main steps of the technical processes involved in:
– Mycenaean gold-working (sheet metal, wire, granulation etc.)
– Minoan seal-engraving (soft materials and hard stones).
The demonstration is based on the results of studies conducted in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, the Herakleion Archaeological Museum, other museums in Greece, and the Corpus of Minoan and Mycenaean Seals at Heidelberg, Germany, which involved microscopic examination of artefacts, archaeometric analyses and experimental reconstructions.
The studies have been conducted in collaboration with Dr Eleni Konstantinidi-Syvridi, of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, and Dr Nikolas Papadimitirou, of the Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum, Athens. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss with Mr Goumas and try some of the tools and materials used in the experiments.
Bios:
Nikolas Papadimitriou is the Director of the Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum, Athens, Greece (www.camu.gr). He specializes in the Aegean Bronze Age, with an emphasis on Mycenaean burial practices, cultural interaction in the Mediterranean in the 2nd millennium BCE, the prehistory of Athens and Attica, and the study of craft technologies. Previously, he worked as a Lecturer at the Institute of Classical Archaeology, Heidelberg University, Germany, the Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens and the Cyprus Department of Antiquities. Currently, he is co-directing research projects at the archaeological sites of Marathon, Thorikos (Attica) and Kato Samikon (Elis). He has a rich publication record and has received research fellowships from the Centers of Hellenic Studies at Princeton and Harvard (2011, 2017).
Eleni Konstantinidi-Syvridi is Curator at the Department of Prehistoric, Egyptian, Cypriot and Near Eastern Collections of Antiquities at the National Archaeological Museum, Athens (https://www.namuseum.gr/en/). She graduated from the University of Ioannina, Greece, and received her PhD at the University of Birmingham, UK. Her research focuses on the Late Bronze Age Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, with special interest in Mycenaean jewelry and dress. She has given seminars and lectures on the history and technology of Mycenaean jewelry in Greece and abroad and has written articles and book chapters on various Late Bronze Age issues. For the past decade, she has been co-directing a multi-disciplinary project for the reconstruction of ancient gold-working techniques, while she is currently studying the corpus of metal signet rings housed in the Mycenaean Collection of the National Archaeological Museum.
Akis Goumas is a contemporary jewelry maker and researcher of ancient crafting technologies. After receiving a Diploma in Economics (1978), he was trained as a jeweler and silversmith. From 1982 to 1986 he studied gemology and seal engraving in Greece and Germany. Between 1990 and 2006 he was the head designer in the jewelry company ONAR. Since 2000, he has been teaching creative jewelry at the Chalkis School of Art, and since 2017 at the ANAMMA Jewelry School in Athens, and the ALCHIMIA Contemporary Jewelry School in Florence. Since 2006, he is member of an interdisciplinary group of researchers, who study ancient gold-working and seal-engraving techniques. In 2021 he was a Visiting Artist at the Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies. Ιn 2023-24, he was the holder of a Homo Faber fellowship, established by Jaeger LeCoultre and Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship. In 2024-25 he participated in the organization of the exhibition “Art in Gold. Jewelry in Hellenistic Times” at the Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece.
This event is organized by Professor David Schneller (UCLA) and Dr. Claire Lyons (Getty) and is made possible thanks to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
Co-Sponsored by:
UCLA College, Division of Humanities
The Peter J. and Caroline B. Caloyeras Endowment for the Arts
The George P. Kolovos Family Centennial Term Chair in Hellenic Studies
The Joan Palevsky Chair of Classics at UCLA
Gefyra
UCLA Global Antiquity
UCLA Department of Art History
UCLA Department of Classics
UCLA Department of Near Eastern Languages & Cultures
UCLA David C. Copley Center for the Study of Costume Design

Venue

Royce Hall, 314

10745 Dickson Ct
Los Angeles, CA 90095 United States

Greece as a Pillar of Stability in the Mediterranean and Beyond: Perspectives and Prospects
2025-11-16 16:00 - 18:00 | Loyola Marymount University, 1 Loyola Marymount University Dr,, Los Angeles, 90045, United States
Greece as a Pillar of Stability in the Mediterranean and Beyond: Perspectives and Prospects
a lecture by Dr. Alexandros Kyriakidis
The Caloyeras Center is pleased to welcome Dr. Kyriakidis to LMU and our community.
His lecture will focus on the role of Greece as a consistent pillar of stability in the region of the Mediterranean across time, through a firm geostrategic alignment with the west, the strong sociopolitical and economic liberal ideals that underpin its sociopolitical and legal systems, and the pursuit of a foreign policy anchored firmly on international law, respect, and promotion of peace and stability, while ensuring the safeguarding of Greece’s national interests.
Dr. Kyriakidis is an expert on EU politics and constitutional law, Greek politics and law, the US political and legal system, International Relations, and International Political Economy.
RSVP
Free Event-Free Parking

Pylos and Minoan Crete - Lecture
2025-11-22 16:00 - 18:00 | 314 Royce Hall, UCLA Campus
Pylos and Minoan Crete

November 22 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Royce Hall, 314, 10745 Dickson Ct.
Los Angeles, CA 90095 United States

A lecture by
Andreas G. Vlachopoulos
Professor
University of Ioannina
Hosted by the
UCLA SNF Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture
in collaboration with
The J. Paul Getty Museum
and held in conjunction with the exhibition
The Kingdom of Pylos: Warrior-Princes of Mycenaean Greece
(June 27, 2025 – January 12, 2026 at The Getty Villa)
Saturday, November 22, 2025
4:00 p.m.
314 Royce Hall, UCLA Campus
Reception to follow
RSVP Here
A recording of the event will be made available on our YouTube channel soon after.
Description:
Pylos, a vibrant and sun-drenched coastal region in Messenia (southwestern Peloponnese), features a rich landscape and abundant natural resources that closely resemble those of the palace of Knossos on Crete. In the heyday of the Neopalatial period of Crete (c. 1600-1500 BC), the area of Pylos gradually became the seat of powerful rulers of the Mycenaean elite, whose way of life reflected not only the strong influence of the art and aesthetics of the Minoans, but also a profound fusion of ideological and religious beliefs between the two societies.
In this engaging lecture, we will delve into the historical journey of these two fascinating Aegean cultures. We will uncover the extensive Minoan influence on Pylos and the surrounding Mainland regions, highlighting how the palatial Mycenaean world of early Greece gradually came into being. Join us for an exploration that illuminates the interconnectedness of these remarkable cultures.
Bio:
Andreas G. Vlachopoulos is Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at the University of Ioannina. He completed undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Archaeology at the University of Athens, specializing in Aegean Prehistory. His 1995 dissertation on the Post-Palatial period on Naxos and the Aegean received the Michael Ventris Award. He has been a Research Fellow at Princeton University (1998-99) and at the New York University Institute of Fine Arts (2001-02). Currently, Andreas directs the Vathy, Astypalaia Archaeological Project and the Kokkino Vouno Project at Akrotiri, Thera. Among his main research interests are the Mycenaean Cyclades, the Mycenaean period in Pylos, the Thera frescoes, and the Aegean Early Bronze Age. He is the author of monographs on Mycenaean Naxos and Astypalaia and the editor of two volumes on Aegean Prehistory (Argonautes and Paintbrushes) and seven volumes on Greek archaeology. He is a Fellow of the Archaeological Society at Athens and a Corresponding Member of the German Archaeological Institute.
This event is organized by Professor David Schneller (UCLA) and Dr. Claire Lyons (Getty) and is made possible thanks to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
Co-Sponsored by:
UCLA College, Division of Humanities
The Peter J. and Caroline B. Caloyeras Endowment for the Arts
The George P. Kolovos Family Centennial Term Chair in Hellenic Studies
The Joan Palevsky Chair of Classics at UCLA
Gefyra
UCLA Global Antiquity
UCLA Department of Art History
UCLA Department of Classics
UCLA Department of Near Eastern Languages & Cultures
UCLA David C. Copley Center for the Study of Costume Design

Messenia to Mesopotamia: New Directions in the Art and Archaeology of the Second Millennium BCE - Symposium
2025-12-06 09:00 - 16:30 | 314 Royce Hall, UCLA Campus
Messenia to Mesopotamia: New Directions in the Art and Archaeology of the Second Millennium BCE Symposium

December 6 @ 9:00 am – 4:15 pm
Royce Hall, 314, 10745 Dickson Ct
Los Angeles,CA90095 United States

Symposium with Emily Egan (Associate Professor, University of Maryland), Joanne Murphy (Professor, UNC Greensboro), David Schneller (Assistant Professor, UCLA), Efthymia Tsiolaki (Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Toronto), and UCLA graduate students
Hosted by the
UCLA SNF Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture
in collaboration with
The J. Paul Getty Museum
and held in conjunction with the exhibition
The Kingdom of Pylos: Warrior-Princes of Mycenaean Greece
Saturday, December 6, 2025
9:00 A.M. – 4:15 P.M.
314 Royce Hall, UCLA Campus
Reception to follow
RSVP Here
Join us for an interdisciplinary symposium that reimagines the art and archaeology of the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia during the second millennium BCE. This event—the culmination of a graduate seminar in ancient art history held in conjunction with the Getty Villa exhibition The Kingdom of Pylos: Warrior-Princes of Mycenaean Greece – brings together invited scholars and UCLA graduate students from Art History, Classics, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures (NELC), and the Interdepartmental Program in Archaeology. Together, participants will share new discoveries, fresh ideas, and creative approaches to understanding the interconnected worlds of this pivotal era in the ancient past.
Bios:
Emily Catherine Egan is Associate Professor of Ancient Eastern Mediterranean Art and Archaeology in the Department of Art History & Archaeology at the University of Maryland. She holds a dual B.A. in Classics and Old World Archaeology and Art from Brown University, an M.Phil. in Archaeology from the University of Cambridge, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Classics from the University of Cincinnati. Her research focuses on artistic practice in the Bronze Age Aegean, and particularly on the production, consumption, and iconography of Mycenaean painted surface decoration. She has undertaken archaeological fieldwork in Italy, Turkey, Jordan, Armenia, Cyprus, and most recently in Greece, where she is engaged in the study of wall and floor paintings from the Palace of Nestor at Pylos, and Petsas House, Mycenae.
Joanne Murphy is a professor of Ancient Mediterranean Studies and Archaeology at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, where she has worked since 2008 and serves as Department Head. She is also the current Director of the Irish Institute of Hellenic Studies, President of The American Friends of the Irish Institute of Hellenic Studies (a 501c non-profit), and an Academic Trustee at the Archaeological Institute of America. She received her BA and first MA from University College Dublin, Ireland, and an MA and PhD from University of Cincinnati. Her research focuses primarily on religion and death and how they connect with identity, community, and political economies. As well as giving tens of lectures both nationally and internationally, she has published over 30 papers and five edited volumes on these and related topics and has one monograph in press and two other volumes underway. She has led two major research projects: one, a legacy study, on the tombs around Pylos in southwestern Greece and one, an archaeological survey on the Greek island of Kea. She has received awards for her research and for initiatives at UNCG and non-profits from various foundations including INSTAP, the Mellon Foundation, the Onassis Foundation, the NEH, and the Loeb Foundation. She has also been recognized for her teaching and was awarded the Archaeological Institute of America’s Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award and UNCG College of Arts and Sciences Teaching Excellence Award. She has a great love of sharing the past and has led tours in Greece, Ireland, France, England, Italy, and Turkey, as well as running an annual archaeological field school in Greece.
David Schneller is an art historian and archaeologist whose research and teaching focuses on the ancient eastern Mediterranean and western Asia. He is currently working on his first book, Crafting Across Time and Space: Artistic Exchange in the Eastern Mediterranean, a study of artworks that resist categorization in the conventionally accepted fields of art history. This study makes the case for creative, cross-cultural experiments and collaborations among a diverse group of artists and their patrons during the early first millennium BC by exploring materially-informed object histories and crafting knowledge. This research has been supported by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Alexander S. Onassis Foundation, and the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Prior to joining the Department of Art History at UCLA, Professor Schneller taught in the Core Curriculum and Department of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University and in the Art History Department at the State University of New York at New Paltz.
Efthymia Tsiolaki is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Classics at the University of Toronto. She is an archaeologist specializing in the Bronze Age Aegean, with a focus on the social and economic organization of the Greek mainland. Her current research project explores the long-term history of settlement and land use in Messenia from the bottom-up, integrating surface survey and excavation data with GIS-based analysis to highlight the dynamic character of peripheral communities before and during the rise of the Mycenaean palace at Pylos (ca. 3000 – 1100 BC). She also studies the technology and function of ground stone tools across several archaeological projects, examining their roles in domestic and craft activities.
This event is organized by Professor David Schneller (UCLA) and Dr. Claire Lyons (Getty) and is made possible thanks to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
Co-Sponsored by:
UCLA College, Division of Humanities
The Peter J. and Caroline B. Caloyeras Endowment for the Arts
The George P. Kolovos Family Centennial Term Chair in Hellenic Studies
The Joan Palevsky Chair of Classics at UCLA
Gefyra
UCLA Global Antiquity
UCLA Department of Art History
UCLA Department of Classics
UCLA Department of Near Eastern Languages & Cultures
UCLA David C. Copley Center for the Study of Costume Design

“Χριστουγεννιάτικες παραδόσεις στην Ελλάδα,” lecture (in Greek) by Stavroula Pisimisi
2025-12-13 10:00 - 11:30 | Zoom Meeting
“Χριστουγεννιάτικες παραδόσεις στην Ελλάδα,” lecture (in Greek) by Stavroula Pisimisi

December 13 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Via Zoom,

Χριστουγεννιάτικες παραδόσεις στην Ελλάδα
Stavroula Pisimisi, Folklorist and Director, Angeliki Chatzimihali Museum of Folk Art and Tradition
Saturday, December 13, 2025
10:00 A.M.
Zoom
This lecture will be in Greek
RSVP link to be provided soon

Governor Michael Dukakis Film Screening & Discussion
2026-01-13 16:00 - 18:00 | 314 Royce Hall, UCLA Campus
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
January 13, from 4-6 pm in Royce 314
A screening of a short documentary about Governor Michael Dukakis.

The event is sponsored by the Aris Anagnos Family Chair in Hellenic Studies
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion including Rusty Bailey (former Mayor of Riverside, California); Daniel J.B. Mitchell (Professor Emeritus, UCLA Anderson School of Management & UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs); Erin Trahan (Film’s Co-Director); and Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks (President & CEO of ECOS)
RSVP: hellenic@humnet.ucla.edu

Constantine Cavafy: A New Biography | Zoom event
2026-01-17 10:00 - 11:30 | Zoom Meeting
SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 2026 | 10:00AM PST | Zoom Presentation

CONSTANTINE CAVAFY: A NEW BIOGRAPHY
A special ZOOM book presentation and conversation
with Gregory Jusdanis and Peter Jeffreys, co-authors of Constantine Cavafy: A New Biography.
Drawing on extensive archival research, the authors offer the first major reexamination of Cavafy’s life in nearly 50 years, revealing the man behind the poems and the city that shaped him. The event will feature a moderated discussion followed by audience Q&A.
You may register here
Organized by the The Basil P. Caloyeras Center for Modern Greek Studies at LMU

West Coast Hellenic Book Club: Hecuba by Euripides | Zoom event
2026-01-17 10:00 - 11:30 | Zoom Meeting
John Gibson, RAUlysses Forcing Polyxena from Hecuba to be SacrificedPhoto courtesy of the Royal Academy of Arts, London
West Coast Hellenic Book Club:
Hecuba by Euripides

Discussion led by Professor Kathryn Morgan, Joan Palevsky Professor of Classics, Professor Sharon Gerstel, Director, UCLA SNF Hellenic Center and Dr. Eirini Kotsovili, Senior Lecturer, Global Humanities at Simon Fraser University
Saturday, January 17, 2026
10:00 A.M. Los Angeles / 8:00 P.M. Greece
Via Zoom
RSVP Here
More info: https://hellenic.ucla.edu/event/hecuba/
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture

Celebrating Alekos Fassianos , Greece's Most Iconic Modern Artist | Zoom event
2026-01-24 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom Meeting
Remembering Alekos Fassianos
Presented by Art Historian, Eleni Glinou See her bio at EleniGlinou.com
Hosted by: Hellenic American Women’s Council
Saturday, January 24, 2026
11am Eastern 10am Central
8am Pacific 6pm Athens 4pm London

Register for this most interesting and uplifting presentation on modern Greek art.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/_VTcDYcHRsWVS9Y3YzU8Vw
