IOANNA PAPANTONIOU (1936-2026)
Described as ‘the woman who reshaped the map of Greek folklore’, Ioanna died on 25 February 2026. A scenographer, costume designer and visionary, she was the ‘heart and soul’ of the Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation (PFF), which she founded in 1974 and to which she donated her personal collection of 6,000 items of traditional Greek costume.
Described as ‘the woman who reshaped the map of Greek folklore’, Ioanna died on 25 February 2026. A scenographer, costume designer and visionary, she was the ‘heart and soul’ of the Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation (PFF), which she founded in 1974 and to which she donated her personal collection of 6,000 items of traditional Greek costume. Throughout her life, Ioanna was also incredibly supportive of younger colleagues. With her tireless dedication, she succeeded in establishing Nafplion as an international reference centre for folklore research and the promotion of Greek tradition.
It was in this context that Ioanna entered the orbit of European museums, with an application for the 1981 European Museum of the Year Award. Travelling to Nafplion, the two judges (Kenneth Hudson and Ann Nicholls) were so impressed with her achievements that the museum was recommended and then confirmed as the EMYA winner that year. The citation read: ‘The quality and size of its collections, the excellence of its displays, the superb graphics, the range and scholarship of its research projects and the originality and thoroughness of its educational programme would have been remarkable in Sweden or the Netherlands. In Greece they represent something close to a miracle.’ Ioanna was immediately welcomed into EMYA and later into the EMA family. There followed over 40 years of warm collaboration, which included a Lifetime Achievement Award by EMA in 2013.
As a colleague and longtime friend, we will miss Ioanna very much.