The Australian National Maritime Museum and Settlement Services International last night celebrated two summer exhibitions, Motherland – Exile/Refuge – Migration (repeat) and A Mile in My Shoes, with an invited audience of artists, storytellers, multicultural organisations, diplomats and arts organisations.
Over 170 people toured the exhibitions and the museum with Greek guests including the Greek Consul General in Sydney, Christos Karras, President of the Kytherian Association of Australia, Emmanuel Alfieris, and CEO of Settlement Services International, Violet Roumeliotis.
Guests enjoyed the night at the Australian National Maritime Museum. Photos supplied. 
READ MORE: The ‘Welcome Wall’: A national monument to over 30,000 migrants who moulded Australia.
Guests were treated to canapes and champagne as they listened to speeches from Director and CEO of the Australian National Maritime Museum, Kevin Sumption, Ms Violet Roumeliotis, artist Hedar Abadi and the Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore.
“The exhibitions, as well as the Welcome Wall, were a great idea. They were so well-received that there’s even talk of the exhibitions being extended for three months and even touring. That’s exciting,” President of the Kytherian Association of Australia, Emmanuel Alfieris, tells The Greek Herald.
“Last night, many of the migrants were saying ‘my story is not unique.’ But that’s not true. They deserve to be on display.”
Both exhibitions have been a huge success for the museum, with A Mile in My Shoes still open for a few more days until January 31.
The exhibition, originally created by artist Clare Patey and produced by Artsadmin, sees visitors enter and try on a pair of shoes that belong to someone else and then listen to their story.
READ MORE: ‘A Mile in My Shoes’ exhibition guides Australians through 35 unique migrant stories.
