NEW YORK – On October 14, 12 PM EDT, Gemflix presents At the Foot of the Acropolis – The Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum: A Cornerstone for Contemporary Jewelry Making with Ioanna Lalaouni and guest host Aline Shapiro. The event is a virtual visit to the first museum dedicated to the art of jewelry in Greece and one of the very few of its kind in the world.

Just under the sacred rock of the Acropolis, at the footsteps of the Parthenon in Athens, you will find a different kind of treasure – the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum (ILJM). 

Opened in 1994, the ILJM acts as an international center for jewelry and decorative crafts, with an emphasis on silver and goldsmithing as well as contemporary studio jewelry. Ioanna Lalaouni, one of Ilias Lalaounis' four daughters, leads as the Director of the ILJM. She will join us to discuss her father's revival of ancient gold techniques, the stories behind some legendary pieces (like the Apollo earrings, commissioned for Jackie O.), and take us through a virtual tour of select exhibitions on display.  Our special guest host for this conversation will be Gem X member Aline Shapiro (@alineshopsjewels), who had the lucky chance to visit the ILJM in person.

Ioanna Lalaouni is a jewelry historian and museologist, and the Director of the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum in Athens, Greece since 1993. She holds a B.A. in Art History from Richmond College, London and an M.A. in Art History and Museum Studies Degree from Boston University. She has curated more than 90 exhibitions with decorative arts both in Athens and abroad, with the participation of Museums, private collections and artists. In retrospect she has authored and/or edited exhibition catalogues and volumes of collected essays. As the Director of the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum since 1993, she has organized cutting edge cultural programs for children, adults, affiliated and special groups.

The presentation portion of the event will last around 60 minutes, including Q&A. To appreciate the visual content, participants are encouraged to watch on a computer or regular-size screen, rather than a cell phone.

Submit any questions to: [email protected]

The event is part of the Gemflix series of online jewelry events, brought to you by Gem X www.gemx.club.

In lieu of an event fee, the organizers encourage you to support the ILJM: http://www.lalaounis-jewelrymuseum.gr/iljm/

To participate, register on Zoom, more information is available online: https://www.gemx.club/upcoming/.

Follow ILJM on social media: @ilias_lalaounis_jewelry_museum