HELBI

Art is in the spotlight this week. On Tuesday 17, Museum Day, the directors of the Benaki Museum are paying tribute to the wide-ranging contribution made by the Evangelos Averoff Art Gallery in Metsovo. The gallery was opened in August 17 years ago by the collector and politician Evangelos Averoff. His daughter Tatiana Averoff-Ioannou is president of the Averoff Foundation, and she and her husband Sotiris Ioannou have devoted time, money and effort to making the art gallery, on the slopes of the Pindus range, an attraction and also a culture center for congresses which keeps up with new trends. It runs a painting workshop for the children of Metsovo, who learn the meaning of art together with their first letters. The speakers will be Averoff-Ioannou, Benaki director Angelos Delivorrias, National Gallery curator and Averoff gallery adviser Olga Mentzafou-Polyzou, art history professor Alkis Haralambidis of Thessaloniki University, and art critic Olga Daniilopoulou. The event is being held under the auspices of Greek President Karolos Papoulias. (New Benaki Museum, 138 Pireos, Tuesday May 17, 7.30 p.m.)