ODYSSEY REIMAGINED BY THE NATIONAL HELLENIC MUSEUM
The exhibit curated by Cortney Lederer and Sydney Gush of CNL Projects features16 artists’ interpretations of Homer’s Epic as part of the museum’s greater ‘A Year with the Odyssey’ program
The Odyssey Reimagined. The exhibition brings together the work of 16 contemporary artists who are interpreting the enduring themes in Homer’s Odyssey, working across painting, sculpture, photography, textiles, and sound. The exhibition is generously sponsored by the John P. Calamos Foundation and the Christ N. Dalamares Family.
Curated by Cortney Lederer and Sydney Gush of CNL Projects, The Odyssey Reimagined reflects how the nearly 3,000-year-old story continues to speak to us because the experiences at its heart—homecoming, belonging, love, loyalty, adversity, and the consequences of the choices we make—remain deeply human. Each generation has returned to the story from a different place and perspective, and these artists continue that tradition, inviting us to do the same.
Across the exhibition, viewers will discover artwork in many forms; from an exploration of Penelope’s waiting through weaving and unweaving, to a reimagining of Odysseus’s return to Ithaca as a Chinese junk ship, connecting Greek mythology with Chinese immigration.
“The Odyssey has endured for millennia because its themes are rooted in the universal human experience - longing for home, navigating uncertainty, experiencing separation and finding our way back to one another,” said Cortney Lederer, curator of The Odyssey Reimagined. “Seeing 16 contemporary artists interpret those themes through their own artistic modalities is fascinating.”
Cortney Lederer, founder of CNL Projects, is an art advisor and educator with twenty years of experience managing an array of artistic programming for organizations and businesses. Cortney has curated installations by Jacob Hashimoto and Olafur Eliasson at the Willis Tower and served as the art advisor for E(art)H Chicago, an initiative supported by the Illinois Science and Energy Innovation Foundation (ISEIF).
“Connecting the past with the present and bring Greek history into conversation across generations and cultures is at the heart of what we do at the National Hellenic Museum.This exhibit is an exciting example of how an ancient story can spark new conversation,” said Marianne Kountoures, Executive Director at the National Hellenic Museum. “We hope everyone discovers something in this timeless story and these works of art that speak to them.
The National Hellenic Museum’s mission is to share Greek history, art, and culture in meaningful and relevant ways. The Odyssey Reimagined is part of the museum's larger yearlong initiative ‘A Year with the Odyssey’ to celebrate the oldest surviving poem in the Greek language.
The exhibition will be at The National Hellenic Museum until January 2028. Visitors can learn more about the museum, its hours and purchase tickets at https://nationalhellenicmuseum.org/.
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Kyriakos Alexandros · Jyl Bonaguro · Judith Brotman · Jenny Chi · Patricia Markos Dolan · Serena JV Elston · John Fotiadis · Yianna Foufas · Industry of the Ordinary · Gina Lee Robbins · Cydney M. Lewis · Rich Lo · Mina Papatheodorou Valyraki · Allison Svoboda · Diane Thodos · Kelsey Merreck Wagner
ABOUT NATIONAL HELLENIC MUSEUM
The National Hellenic Museum is a nonprofit public history museum located in Chicago’s historic Greektown neighborhood, with a mission to share Greek history, art, culture, and the Greek American story in ways that feel relevant and meaningful today. The museum brings the Greek American experience to life through engaging exhibitions, dynamic programs, and spirited community events that celebrate both legacy and possibility. The permanent collection of over 10,000 artifacts and oral histories tells a powerful story- one that shares the personal journeys of immigrants shaping life in America.
Through the lens of Greek history and culture, the National Hellenic Museum highlights universal themes of identity, migration, resilience, belonging, and connection in order to build bridges across generations and cultures.
