Chicago's Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center's presence among the local, national and international Greek communities is on the verge of becoming even more central and inviting: a recent demolition of the old Turek hardware store at 333 S. Halsted (just across the street from the Pan Hellenic Pastry Shop) signals a journey toward a new 40,000-square-foot museum scheduled for completion in 2008. On demolition day, Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyannis joined Mayor Daley in celebrating the future (and past) of Hellenic heritage and culture.

With time left at its current home on Adams Street in Greektown, the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center continues to expand both space and programming. The museum store offers an extensive book collection on mythology and Greek history in Chicago, a selection of books and learning tools and toys for children in both English and Greek, reproductions of ancient Greek jewelry and framed prints and watercolors of Greek regional costumes.

The museum also continues to expand its exhibition space with two galleries focusing entirely on the museum's permanent collection (its archives reach the 6,000 mark and continue to grow). Many of the permanent and rotating exhibitions focus on the Greek immigrant experience in America, presenting objects, photos and textiles, as well as oral histories. The oral history center brings the immigrant experience to life and richly proves itself as an invaluable addition to the museum's programs.

Ongoing exhibitions range from traditional and ancient topics to more modern cultural and artistic concerns, all complemented by a diverse schedule of lectures, authors and performers. This balance of historic influence and modern innovation showcases Greektown as one of the city's growing artistic forces, with the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center right in the middle of it all.

Centerstage Reviewer: Heather Blaha