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Hellenic Federation of Friends of Museums

In the belief that the matter of the promotion of our cultural heritage and of cultural activities in Greece lies within your sphere of interest, we wish to bring you up to date as to the work done by the Hellenic Federation of Friends of Museums (HFFM).
The Federation is a legal entity, of non-profit making nature. It was founded in 1987 on the initiative of the Friends of the Benaki Museum, and numbers today 64 member associations, "Friends " of all the major and most important small museums and art galleries of Greece. Indicatively, among the museums that enjoy the support of Associations of "Friends" are the Acropolis Museum , the Athens and Thessaloniki National Archaeological Museums, the Benaki Museum, the Museum of Ancient and Cycladic Art, the Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum, as well as the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and post-Byzantine Studies of Venice , the only Greek Research Institute outside our borders.
The “Friends of Museums” is a well-established institution worldwide and it has been proved to be very beneficial to the museums. One could say that it essentially acts as a bridge between museums and the wider community. The "Friends" mainly include art lovers, collectors, artists, museum founders, people with high social status, and regular folks who selflessly and voluntarily support the museums, both private and public, morally and materially.
As a result of HFFM’s intense activity in recent years, both within and outside Greece - within the framework of the World Federation of Friends of Museums (WFFM) - Greece was honored, in the spirit of the Olympic Games, to host the WFFM General Assembly and Board of Directors’ meeting in Athens in May 2004.
The current President of HFFM, Ms. Lila de Chaves, has been twice elected - among 150 Federations worldwide - as General Secretary and President of the Development Committee of the WFFM.

Foundation of HFFM

HELLENIC FEDERATION OF FRIENDS OF MUSEUMS
In June 2001 there took place at Porto in Portugal the Annual Meeting and General Assembly of the World Federation of Friends of Museums. WFFM - the new English logo, replacing the previous French FMAM

Federation Mondiale des Amis des Musees). I had the honour to represent Greece as president of the Hellenic Federation and was able to take in the problems, as also the optimistic prospects. which were tabled by each country, concerning the significant and now recognized role played by Friends in the world of museums and in the supply of culture. I consider it worth mentioning that the presence of Greece. once more among the member states of these meetings, was warmly greeted.

"Ladies and gentlemen, dear Friends of the World Federation,
It is with joy and emotion that I find myself amongst you at the General Assembly and Annual Meeting in Porto, in particular after such extended absence of Greece from WFFM meetings. I wish to believe that the internal functional difficulties of the Greek Federation have now been overcome,
and that we shall from now on signify our presence energetically and creatively, within the spirit of the WFFM. as well as in the spirit of cooperation inspired in us by the former president of the WFFM, Greek Ambassador Mr. Aristotle Frydos, who some years ago had so admirably, from his eminent position, represented Greece. I should however like to bring to memory, briefly, in order to bridge the gap of years, the history of the Hellenic Federation so as to inform the new members of the World Federation.
On the initiative of the Board of the Friends of the ever pioneering and very important Benaki Museum, in the presidency of Mr.Nikos Rok-Melas, and with the support of the unforgettable G. Spentzos. In November 1986, in Athens. in collaboration with the WFFM, an international symposium was organized on the subject "The Museum and its Friends: the problems con­nected to a contemporary institution". The organizing committee con­sisted of Mrs. A.Amondry, Mrs. Lila de Chaves representing the Board of the Friends, A.Kalligas, I.Pesmatzoglou, E.Pyrlas and K.Tsamados. The sympo­sium was placed under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and its Minister Melina Mercouri, always remembered, honoured by the presence of the president of the then FMAM, Mr. Edmund Bovey. That important symposium was judged by the WFFM as most successful, also from the point of view of participation, since all agencies involved had taken part: professionals from museums (ICOMJ, collectors, executives of the Ministry of Culture, as well as on the organizing side, since the reception given to visiting members was irreproachable. In this way, the WFFM gave us the green light for the establishment of the 'Hellenic Federation'.
Following a period of some instability in the last six months, we may observe a very positive climate in regard to the Hellenic Federation and have the pleasure of enrolling five new associations of Friends of Museums:
Of the initial goals of the HFFM's new Board was the improvement of the existing statutes: at the Statutory General Meeting of April 2001 a new English logo was decided upon: Hellenic Federation of Friends of Museums IHFFMJ instead of the French.
We have additionally intensified our approach to the Ministry of Culture, which demonstrates great sensitivity to matters relating to the Athens Olym­pic Games in 2004, also the cultural Olympiad in their framework. It is in this spirit that I would request the Meeting to accept my suggestion, that the next-but-one Meeting and General Assembly be held in Athens in 2004, at the end of spring or beginning of summer, shortly before the Olympic Games, and in the universal Olympic spirit."

Relations with International Organizations

The Hellenic Federation of Friends of Museums (EOsfIM) seeks closer cultural and intellectual ties with federations of “Friends” of Museums, as well as with international organizations such as WFFM, ICOM, UNESCO, etc., aiming at two-way communication on matters of common interest and at promoting Greece’s cultural heritage.

Special Awards

In 2003, beginning with the award given to the Byzantine Museums of Northern Greece, EOsfIM inaugurated a new path for the cultural activities of our country. This serves as a modest tribute to the institutions, museums, donors, and volunteers—who often remain unknown—by recognizing their work and contribution in a tangible way. The goal is for this initiative, which was very positively received by the state and cultural bodies, to become an established institution.

Annual Personality Awards

In 2007, EOsfIM awarded the Ministry of Culture at the Benaki Museum during the established annual ceremony honoring institutions and personalities, for instituting Friends’ Offices in state museums—an important achievement of EOsfIM in constant collaboration with the Ministry of Culture.

International Distinctions

Greece was honored by being selected as the host country for the General Assembly and Board Meeting of the World Federation of Friends of Museums (WFFM), held in Athens in May 2004 (10–14/5/2004), in the spirit of the Olympic Games.

The President of EOsfIM, Lila de Chaves, has been twice elected as Secretary General and Chair of the Development Committee of the WFFM (among 150 Federations Worldwide).

Board of Directors

Plesident: Lila de Chaves-Chronopopulos, Chair, «Heritage and Museums»
Secretary General: Sophia Avgerinou-Kolonia, President, Friends of the Byzantine and Christian Museum
Treasurer: Roxani Tsemperopoulou, Vice-President, Friends of the Benaki Museum
Member: Panagiotis Helmis, Founder and President of the Helmi’s Natural History Museum

Our Mission

The most complete information of its members and the country's intellectual institutions on the activities of the "Friends", in terms of the promotion of the private and state Museums to which they voluntarily offer their services and the support of every development effort.