Andrew Chakalis
Cleveland International Hall of Fame
Class of 2026

Since 2010, the Cleveland International Hall of Fame (CIHF) has inducted people who have made significant and lasting contributions to our multicultural society. Cleveland is home to people representing about 120 different ethnic groups. The CIHF exists not only to honor those special people but also to inspire a new generation of leaders to follow in their footsteps.

Over 100 worthy candidates were nominated for the 2026 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame. The selection committee was advised by previously inducted members of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame.

Andy Chakalis

Upon returning to Cleveland in 1970, Chakalis worked in product development and design before joining The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) in 1974 as an exhibitions specialist. He was soon appointed Assistant Curator of the Extensions Division, where he directed a venerable outreach program dating back to 1916. He curated scores of exhibitions for more than 100 schools across thirty-five districts, often tailoring displays to match school curricula. He also expanded the collection by approximately 100 works annually through the Harold T. Clark Education Extension Fund.

Chakalis managed a collection of over 16,000 artworks used for educational programs covering all media and eras of Western and Asian art. They include a range of materials from book arts to Dutch ceramics, African masks, Eskimo art, etc. His projects included lending European folk-art textiles to the Roberson Center for the Arts & Sciences to support the exhibitions "Goddesses and Their Offspring 19th and 20th Century Eastern European Embroideries" and organizing "Life Images: A Child's View," which was an exchange of drawings of daily life between elementary students in Cleveland area school system and Odawara, Japan. He also expanded the Department's collection by approximately 100 works annually through the Harold T. Clark Education Extension Fund. His exhibitions at the CMA frequently highlighted Cleveland's cultural heritage, with notable shows such as "Progressive Vision: The Planning of Downtown Cleveland 1903-1930" and "The Age of Elegance: Cleveland 1880-1914." In 1991, he assembled "The Order of Things: A History of the Column." Additionally, he designed exhibition catalogues and served on the Education Department's ad hoc publications committee. In 1988, he was a guest lecturer at the Taiwan Museum of Art, discussing art collections and educational outreach.

In the late 1980s, Chakalis and Department volunteer Mrs. Helen Collis were asked by the CMA Board to support the exhibition "Holy Image, Holy Space: Icons and Frescoes from Greece." They formed a committee representing four local Greek churches, which energized the community and raised significant support for the exhibition. This group became the nucleus for the Hellenic Preservation Society of Northeastern Ohio (HPSNEO), an organization dedicated to promoting Hellenism and Greek culture. After the Extensions Division was terminated in 1993, Chakalis left the museum to focus full time on his studio and sculpture.

He was a founding member of HPS and served on the Board in various capacities until 2017.

He received a Proclamation from the City of Brook Park for preserving the Greek experience in Northeastern Ohio, a Certificate of Recognition from the Cleveland Public Library's Cleveland Heritage Program, and the Friend of India Award for his efforts in helping to establish the India Cultural Garden. He currently is on the Board of the Greek Garden Association of Cleveland.

Andy is the first person of Greek heritage to be inducted into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame.

Andy will be inducted by Lou Frangos

The Cleveland International Hall of Fame website