2025 Convention, July 30 – August 2
Buffalo, NY
The Art and Architecture
The 2025 annual convention of the American Council for Polish Culture (ACPC), took place on July 30 to August 2 at the M Hotel in Cheektowaga, New York, a suburb of Buffalo. The Polish Arts Club of Buffalo, a charter member of the ACPC which this year celebrated the 80th anniversary of its own founding, hosted the event under the theme Art and Architecture. During the opening ceremonies, Polish and U.S. flags were presented by a color guard of children from the local Polish Saturday School who then led the singing of the Polish and American national anthems. Father Cole Webster, Pastor for the Family of East Buffalo Churches, offered the invocation, and the ACPC President Cecilia Larkin welcomed convention participants and guests. The keynote speaker was the Honorable Carl Bucki, Chief Judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Western New York, who recounted contribution of Poles to the culture and development, of Buffalo. A proclamation from the Mayor of Buffalo was read, followed by a video presentation about the city. Dr. Laura Kafka-Price, member of the ACPC Music Committee and a noted soprano, ended the morning ceremony with a beautiful rendition of traditional song Czerwony Pas (Red Waistband).
Among the many topics covered during business sessions that followed over the next two days, were the state of ACPC scholarships, competitions, and affiliate grants, the organization’s digital and print media presence, as well a participation in national events such as the National Conference for the Social Studies (NCSS) where the ACPC presents an exhibit of educational materials titled Polish Perspectives. An important project for the near future is participation in the celebrations of the United States Semiquincentennial, emphasizing participation of Poles in the American Revolutionary War.
Nine organizations were introduced as new ACPC members by Membership Committee Chair John Cebrowski: the Polish Club of San Francisco, the Polish-American Club of the Triangle in Raleigh NC, the Polish-American Society of Charleston, the FORUM of Polish Teachers of the U.S. West Coast, the Polish-American Society of Greenville, SC, the Polish Club of Atlanta, the Greater Hazelton Area Polonaise Society, Hazelton, PA, the Polish American Society of St. Petersburg, FL, and the Polish American Priests Association. The election of Officers and Board Members were held on Friday. Please refer to Officers and Board page for the list of 2025-2026 ACPC directors.
In keeping with the Convention’s theme, two tours were devoted to the art and architecture of Buffalo. A visit to the AKG Art Museum on Friday afternoon proved to be a real treat for both the classical style and streamlined modern buildings as well the extensive collections they hold of art from different eras representing some of the greatest artists from throughout the world. It should be noted that the AKG held a number of exhibits devoted to Polish art and artists in the past. Polish art of specific kind was experienced at the next stop during the tour, namely the Church of the Assumption where five beautiful sgraffito works by Józef Sławinski, Scenes from the Life of the Blessed Virgin, are seen behind the main altar.
The works were recently restored by nationally acclaimed art conservators Henry and Brett Swiatek, who gave a presentation about Sławiński and other Polish artists prior to the tour.
On Saturday, a double-decker bus took visitors on a tour of Buffalo’s significant buildings. The city had its greatest expansion in the mid-1920s, before the Great Depression, when it became home to many art deco and other architectural gems. A side trips was also offered to see the Wilcox Mansion where Teddy Roosevelt was inaugurated, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House.
The Awards Banquet, held in the elegant hotel ballroom, was eloquently hosted by a local Polish radio personality Andrzej (Andy) Gołębiowski. The annual ACPC Awards were presented to:
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Irene Harzewski
- Distinguished Service Awards: Judge Carl L. Bucki and Maestro JoAnn Falletta
- Cultural Achievement Awards: Sophie Hodorowicz Knab and Dr. Thomas Witakowski
- Jan DeRosen Award: Father and son, Henry J. and Brett Swiatek
- Founders Award: Frances Pudlo
- A posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award: recently deceased Jacqueline (Jadzia) Kolowski
The convention concluded with the ACPC’s Marcella Kochańska Sembrich Vocal Competition Award Concert at the Montante Center at Canisius University. This year’s Sembrich Award winner Jules Furgal, a mezzo-soprano from Chicago, and recent graduate of DePaul University’s Vocal Performance Program, delighted the audience with a variety of selections.
The winner’s recital was preceded by a performance by classical guitarist James Piorkowski, who made a similar appearance at the ACPC convention forty years ago in Washington, D.C. Now a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at SUNY, the highly regarded artist played several of his own compositions.
Robert Fronckowiak, President of the Polish Arts Club of Buffalo, along with his committee, deserve enormous credit for organizing this highly successful and memorable convention.
