Museums invite all for a day
International Museum Day tomorrow will be marked by numerous local events and admission-free entry to the country’s museums, following a work stoppage by security staff today. Timing its actions to make a statement without bringing International Museum Day to a standstill, the Panhellenic Archaeological Security Staff Association has announced a four-hour work stoppage today, from opening time, at all museums and archaeological sites. It also intends to stage two 48-hour strikes over the next two weekends. The first event was held yesterday as a forerunner to International Museum Day, including a high-level, round-table discussion on «Museums and Globalization» at the local branch of the International Council of Museums (ICOM). Most activities have been scheduled for tomorrow. The Byzantine Museum, which recently completed underground extensions to its premises, has chosen to acquaint locals with the Ilissia Villa – an old mansion where the museum has been based since 1930 – with an informative booklet on the historic building. Visitors will get free copies on the day. Besides International Museum Day, the Benaki Museum will also mark – belatedly – May 5’s World Civilization Day, which it has dedicated to the late Melina Mercouri this year. Visitors here will be able to buy titles published by the museum at half-price. Replicas of items on show will be sold at at a 10-percent discount. At the Children’s Museum, educational programs used by foreign children’s museums will be offered to youngsters between the ages of 4 and 12, tomorrow and Sunday.
