Node Quickview

2024 marks the 100th anniversary of San Francisco’s Legion of Honor. In honor of this celebration, the Legion of Honor is partnering with the library for a series of free docent talks about the Museum's remarkable collections. This talk is titled Trip Through Time: An Unconventional Woman’s Vision for a Museum in San Francisco and its Collection, led by docent Ioli Advani.

Embark on a captivating journey through time and discover how one woman’s bold vision brought European art to the heart of San Francisco. Driven by relentless passion and an indomitable spirit, Alma de Bretteville Spreckels laid the foundation for the Legion of Honor’s art collection. Join us for an engaging talk that reveals the collection’s incredible evolution over the past century, from ancient Greek masterpieces to vibrant French Impressionism. Explore the intriguing twists and turns, landmark pieces, and cultural milestones that have made the Legion of Honor an enduring treasure of art and history. An Unconventional Woman’s Vision for a Museum in San Francisco and its Collection is presented as part of the museum’s 100th anniversary celebration.

Docent Ioli Advani

Ioli Advani was born and raised in the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, learning all about art via osmosis from the ancient ruins scattered all over the island. She loves to travel and through her extensive journeys her art interests expanded to include many periods and genres beyond ancient Greek art. She has a master’s degree in Computer Science and worked in the IT industry for over 30 years. When she moved to San Francisco she decided to leave the Software Engineering world behind and joined the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) docent body and never looked back. During the pandemic she started the virtual tour exchange program between museum docents around the country in an effort to enhance art appreciation and create learning opportunities for the FAMSF docents. Ioli also teaches Greek and Performing Arts at the Greek schools in the San Francisco area, where she writes her own plays as well producing them and with performances presented virtually to Greek schools around the United States. She loves to sing and has given numerous concerts for charities.

Connect: 

Legion of Honor - Website I Legion of Honor - Instagram I Legion of Honor - Facebook