May 14, 2025
HPS Board tours CMA (cont’d from homepage)
Of unique interest on the tour was a headless bronze statue called The Philosopher, which is on final display at CMA before its return to Türkiye, where it was originally discovered in an archaeological dig at Bobon. Known to them as Marcus Aurelius this statue has caused an international controversy. Dr. Pevnick discovered it was actually another Emperor, possibly Lucius Verus, Aurelius’s co-emperor. The bronze was purchased by CMA in the 1960s from a supposedly-reputable dealer in NYC, but later the District Attorney in New York alleged it was looted from its original site. Further research and forensic analyses supported Turkiye’s claim. CMA agreed to return the statue, but will display it until July 8, 2025. Through no fault of their own, this is an uncompensated loss to the CMA’s collection, but the CMA has heightened its diligence in assuring the provenance of new accessions, while respecting the cultural and sovereign traditions of other nations.
February 25, 2025
Dr. Elizabeth Bolman joins HPS Board (cont’d)
Professor Bolman is best known for her work in Egypt, in which she has demonstrated the vitality of Christian Egyptian art and presented new understandings of the nature of artistic production in the early Byzantine and Medieval periods.
Recently, Professor Bolman directed a wall-painting conservation project at the Red Monastery church in Upper Egypt, which culminated in the volume The Red Monastery Church: Beauty and Asceticism in Upper Egypt (Yale, 2016). Among her current projects are Milk and Salvation: The Nursing Mother of God in the Eastern Mediterranean (contracted by Penn Press) and Monks and Images in Late Antique Egypt (forthcoming from Princeton).
January 23, 2025
HPS Announces Iliad and Odyssey Award Winners
At the Hellenic Preservation Society annual dinner meeting and lecture at the St. Paul Hellenic Center, North Royalton, two individuals were honored by the Society for their contributions to Hellenic culture in Northeastern Ohio.
The 2025 Iliad Award was presented to Maria Cashy for “extreme dedication and exemplary effort in support of HPS in pursuit of its goals and mission.”
Maria Cashy is a native Greek-American Clevelander. Her family started on the West Side of Cleveland, but an eventual move east took her family to Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral, where her grandfather was a founder. Maria has since been an active member of that church.
After Graduate School at CWRU, Maria stayed active in church activities, teaching Sunday School, serving two terms on the Parish Council, and twice chairing the Sts. Constantine and Helen festival.
As an HPS member, Maria held several Board positions including two terms as President, Program Committee Chair, Membership Co-Chair and Strategic Planning. She coordinated membership meetings and member events, and she had an active role in helping the HPS Board update its Mission and vision. Most recently, she co-chaired the Author Event last November with Yvette Manessis Corporon.
HPS VP Paula Kalamaras accepted the award for Maria who shared her acceptance remotely “I would like to thank President Dean Peters and the entire Board of HPS for this exceptional honor. HPS is an important part of the Greek community in Northeastern Ohio. I am grateful for the acknowledgement of my work for the organization.”
The Odyssey Award is given to “a leader whose life exemplifies the finest ideals, principles and traditions of Hellenic culture.” The recipient of this award for 2025 is Emmanuel Ermidis.
Emmanuel, his wife Marina, and their four sons are members and supporters of various Greek Orthodox churches, monasteries, and ethnic societies, which they support generously, year in and year out. Included among these is the Annunciation Church in Cleveland, of which he has served on the Executive Board for five years – one year as Vice President and two years as President.
He also served as President of the Greek Pontian Society for 18 years, and seven as current Vice President. Currently, Emmanuel holds the position of Vice President in the Pan-Pontian Federation of the U.S. and Canada.
For years Emmanuel has chaired the annual Greek Independence Day parade at Annunciation Church in Cleveland, including this year’s coming event on March 22, 2025.
Emmanuel and his family constantly show their love and support to the Greek community through their acts of service and generosity.
More on GOMoPalooza:
There was a room set aside as a gallery for artists to display work in various media, drawings, woodcrafts and other items for sale. The room was a showcase of the artists and artisans of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh, and it included some iconography done by children.
The large hall of the community center offered cool respite from the outdoor heat and humidity. Many people who purchased meals and refreshments from the assortment of vendor food trucks on-site, brought their meals indoors to enjoy them in the air-conditioned environment. Dessert was available inside from the volunteers of St. Demetrios, who served ice cream and loukoumades, or, as their sign said, “Greek Donuts”. There was an assortment of tables for merchants selling their wares and various non-profits, including the Metropolis of Pittsburgh, the Hellenic Preservation Society of Northeastern Ohio, and the St. Demetrios parish bookstore.
But the highlights of the day came from the large and small sound stages, from which an assortment of acts featured guitarists, bouzoukists, vocalists, other instrumentalists and ensembles. The music started at 11:30am when the small sound stage, which simulated a “coffeehouse’” environment, opened with its first act.
At 1:30pm the large stage opened with various performances, which included a jazz band, a group of harmonizing vocalists and….(drum roll)…the featured headliners of lead singer Metropolitan Savas and his Band of Fathers back-up group. They were worth the wait and entertained their audience with covered songs from The Monkees, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Buffalo Springfield, and others. Metro Savas and his Band of Fathers ended with a standing ovation from the crowd, leaving them in awe of the talents beyond the spiritual displayed by our clergy and hierarchy.
After a closing slate of acts again on the small stage, Metropolitan Savas led attendees in a closing prayer service in a room off the large community center hall.
It is no surprise to anyone in our Metropolis that we have many talented and multi-faceted people. Some of the greatest talents displayed at GOMoPalooza were those who planned and executed the event. A big shout out to Fr. Joe DiStefano of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Youngstown for chairing an inaugural event to instant success.
HELLENIC PRESERVATION SOCIETY 