Polygnotos Vagis

Born in Potamia, Thasos, Vagis came to the United States in 1911. He enrolled at the Cooper Union before enlisting in the American Navy during World War I. After the war he continued his studies at the Institute of Fine Arts in New York. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney championed his work and helped pay for his studio on MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village. His sculptures entered major collections, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Brooklyn Museum. Shortly before his death, Vagis donated his oeuvre to Greece and a museum was founded in Thasos with his collection.