The Hellenic American University has received a $25,000 grant from the Terra Foundation for American Art to organize an international conference in November 2022 on its campus in Kolonaki, Athens.

The conference, entitled “Terra (in) cognita: Dialogues between Greek Culture and Modern American Art,” will explore associations between modern American art, with a focus on Abstract Expressionism and iconic aspects of Greek culture from Classical Antiquity to Byzantium.

“This conference is an excellent means to raise awareness of the strong cultural and artistic bonds between Greece and the United States,” Hellenic American University President Leonidas Koskos tells The Pappas Post. “It is also an academic event that the university is well-positioned to organize.”

Dr. Kalliopi Koundouri, an art historian and faculty member at the university, had submitted the proposal to the Terra Foundation based on her expertise in modern art.

“Since postwar American art — especially Abstract Expressionism — is one of my fields of expertise, and the identity of the university is Hellenic and American, I have been trying to figure out a way to bring the two together,” Koundouri told The Pappas Post.

The Terra Foundation for American Art is a Chicago-based non-profit organization that provides grants and fellowships to art institutions, museums, schools and universities. The foundation’s mission is to “foster exploration, understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts of the United States for national and international audiences.”

Previous Terra Foundation grant recipients include the Courtauld Institute of Art, Getty Research Institute and the Tate London. Universities such as Stanford, Brown and University College London have also received grants from the foundation.

The Hellenic American University is a a binational institution with campuses in Greece and the United States and a commitment to supporting academic research.

The Hellenic American University’s grant proposal to Terra was submitted through the school’s research institute by its director, Dr. Panayotis Kalozoumis, and Dr. Ermioni Karachaliou, director of student affairs and international programs, in collaboration with Koundouri.

“This conference will bring together scholars to explore topics in myth, tragedy and spirituality in art within the perspective of the artistic and cultural crosscurrents between Greece and the United States,” Karachaliou says.

The architect and art historian says this opportunity will allow the university to pursue further research collaboration with art scholars and institutions.

Kalozoumis calls the grant a milestone for the university.

“Being among global academic leaders such as Yale University, University of Miami, University of Edinburgh and the University of Copenhagen — which also received a Terra Foundation 2022 grant — places Hellenic American University in the spotlight of art research in Greece and internationally,” the director says.

Kalozoumis says that the university requested and received the maximum amount of funds that the Terra Foundation offers for organizing such conferences.

“Terra (in) cognita: Dialogues between Greek Culture and Modern American Art,” is scheduled for November 11-14, 2022. Visit the Hellenic American University website for further information.