Cleveland, OH – A delegation of the Board of Directors of The Greek Garden Association of Cleveland (GGAC) visited the workshop of Nicholas Fairplay, world renowned Master Stone Carver, in Vermillion, OH, on February 16th, 2026. Mr. Fairplay is diligently working to complete the vision of the founders of the Greek Cultural Garden embodied in the stone frieze entitled “The Gift of Greece to Civilization”.
When the Greek Cultural Garden was originally designed by the Greek-American community of Cleveland in the 1930’s, sculptor and artist Andrew A. Tagaris drafted a detailed sketch of a proposed 15’ x 5’ stone frieze, which was to be installed in the east side of the Parthenon Wall. The frieze was meant to honor 34 of the most important Greeks to world civilization flanking the enthroned goddess Athena with wings outstretched. The garden was dedicated to the City of Cleveland by Archbishop Athenagoras, later Patriarch of Constantinople, in June of 1940, but shortly thereafter Greece was invaded by the Axis in October of that same year, which prompted the Association to focus their funds for the war effort.
Sadly, the frieze had been forgotten for decades, until rediscovered by the Hellenic Preservation Society (HPS). It was under their leadership that this magnificent vision of the ancient world from the Jazz Age was transformed for the Third Millenium. HPS identified Mr. Fairplay and helped establish The Greek Garden Association of Cleveland to be the official sponsor of the Greek Cultural Garden and to lead the effort to complete the frieze.
While Mr. Tagaris’ initial design of the frieze was meant to be a deep relief of the figures, Mr. Fairplay expanded upon that theme and has designed almost three-dimensional statues. The process began with an initial two-dimensional scale draft of the frieze. Next, came sculpting the figures in clay, making a mold of the clay figures and then casting them in plaster. Once the plaster casts are complete, they will be scanned and will be rough ground onto the Indiana limestone panels. Only at that point will the detailed carving begin on the stone itself.
Mr. Fairplay, who has worked on Westminster Abbey in his homeland of the United Kingdom, as well as on Saint John the Divine in New York City, said “the Greek Cultural Garden frieze will be my most ambitious work.” GGAC President Louis A. Frangos added, “Mr. Fairplay’s talent and passion will finally realize the vision of the founders of the Greek Cultural Garden.”
Pascalis Papouras, Executive Director
Jonathan G. Cambouris; Pascalis Papouras; GGAC Vice President G. Gary Thomas; Master Stone Carver Nicholas Fairplay; GGAC President Louis A. Frangos; Alexander A. Rokakis, Esquire; Andrew T. Chakalis, Tammy Marie Oliver.
The Gift of Greece to Civilization.
The Gift of Greece to Civilization.
The Gift of Greece to Civilization.
