📍 Across from Alexandra Guest House (follow the signs)

Welcoming back ArtCinema alumnus and devoted animal lover Stephen Appleby-Barr, who will lead a complimentary drawing salon bringing together artists, patrons, and the local community.

Participants will collaborate on a collective artwork using oil, gouache, and Sennelier oil sticks, inspired by the expressive studies of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The salon invites guests of all abilities to explore observation, creativity, and artistic exchange in a relaxed and engaging setting.

During his time in Hydra, Stephen will also continue his celebrated series of Hydra cat paintings. In support of the island’s animal welfare efforts, 100% of proceeds from these works will be donated towards establishing Hydra’s much-needed veterinary clinic. Join us for an afternoon of art, community, and philanthropy, celebrating both creativity and compassion on Hydra.

BIOGRAPHY: Stephen Appleby-Barr is a London-based painter whose richly atmospheric oil paintings conjure dreamlike, uncanny worlds - drawing on the techniques of Old Masters while speaking to a wholly contemporary sensibility. His work has been exhibited and collected across Canada, the United States and Europe, with four solo shows at Robilant+Voena in London, Paris and Milan.

📍 Across from Gardenia Open-Air Cinea (follow the signs)

OPENING HOURS:
11:00 - 13:00
16:00 - 19:00

Visit our daily June summer exhibition of Rob Pruitt's Beauty Salon, a new site-specific work by acclaimed American contemporary artist Rob Pruitt, created especially for Hydra.

Located in the bustling shopping lanes of Hydra's main port, locals and visitors alike are invited to step inside and experience the artist's work firsthand. During select and unexpected appointments, some visitors will have the chance to choose from one of two complimentary services offered by Rob: a free haircut or a nail treatment. Along the way, guests are encouraged to engage in conversations about art, creativity, community, and life itself.

Known internationally for blurring the boundaries between art and everyday experience, Pruitt transforms simple acts of self-care into a shared artistic encounter, creating a work that is as much about human connection as it is about aesthetics.

Come and experience this extraordinary new work and become part of the artwork itself.

📍 Gardenia Open-Air Cinema

Where we celebrated Hydra’s cinematic history and the unveiled the new Gardenia Open-Air Cinema sign.

Ahead of the film marking 70 years since Hollywood’s first production in Greece, Boy on a Dolphin (1956)—which inspired ArtCinema’s documentary Hydra & Sophia: Echoes of a Dolphin—we gather to honour the legacy of the Gardenia Open-Air Cinema.

As part of this celebration, we will unveil a commemorative sign marking the cinema’s original opening in 1953. This moment will serve as a welcome gathering for locals who wish to celebrate Hydra’s cinematic history, including those who participated in the film, as well as the artists who designed the new sign.

The sign is the work of four Hydra-based artist friends—Jacqueline Savidge, Dimitris Fousekis, Maribe Lambert, and Andreas Horstmann—who share a deep love of cinema. Their collaboration stands as a true expression of collective creativity and friendship, echoing the collaborative spirit of filmmaking itself.

📍 Gardenia Open-Air Cinema

To honour the Hydriot spirit of Miaoulia Week in Hydra, ArtCinema presented a special screening of Hydra & Sophia: Echoes of a Dolphin, our short film celebrating the island’s cinematic history, heritage, resilience, and cultural memory.

This film marks ArtCinema’s first official film production—an AI-enhanced documentary inspired by the story of Greece’s first Hollywood production filmed in Hydra. In 1956, Italian icon Sophia Loren arrived on the island to star in Boy on a Dolphin, marking a pivotal moment that forever linked Hydra to her international legacy.

Our tribute explores how that encounter between Greece, Italy, and Hollywood brought Hydra’s beauty and culture to a global audience, shaping its cinematic mythology.

Last year, we interviewed Hydriots who remember that era firsthand. Blending personal stories, rare archival material, and performances by Hydra residents, the film is deeply shaped by the community itself. We are profoundly grateful to the islanders and local voices who shared their memories and helped bring this story to life.

This 30-minute experimental short documentary, filmed entirely on Hydra, is directed by acclaimed Greek filmmaker Antonis Sotiropoulos, produced by Georgia Andreou, and originated and produced by ArtCinema founder Amanda Palmer.

Excitingly, new material is now emerging, with previously unseen stories and images being discovered, marking the beginning of a feature-length project scheduled for completion next year to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the international release of Boy on a Dolphin in 1957.

📍 Gardenia Open-Air Cinema

An Hydra Island Premiere of The Birthday Party, the acclaimed new drama directed by Miguel Ángel Jiménez and based on the bestselling novel by Panos Karnezis.

Presented by the author himself, this special screening takes place ahead of the film’s Greek theatrical release on July 2, distributed by Rosebud.21.

The film premiered at last year’s Locarno Film Festival and stars Willem Dafoe as Marcos Timoleon, a powerful shipping magnate. Set in the late 1970s on a private Mediterranean island, the story unfolds during an extravagant birthday celebration for his daughter and sole heir, Sofia. As the evening becomes increasingly decadent, long-buried tensions rise to the surface, leading to an unforgettable confrontation.

Filmed entirely in Greece, including Corfu and Athens, The Birthday Party is a compelling story of family, power, inheritance, and ambition.