General Casimir Pulaski Monument Project
A national fundraising campaign was executed for the restoration of the General Casimir Pulaski Monument in Savannah, GA. As a result of this ACPC initiative, the human remains found under the monument, were officially accepted as those of General Pulaski. ACPC representatives served on the Savannah committee which arranged for the public reinterment ceremonies which took place in October 2005 with the participation of high-ranking representatives of the Polish and United States governments, military guests, Revolutionary War re-enactors, and Polonia groups and civic organizations.
The ACPC continues the project of honoring General Pulaski’s place in history by periodically scheduling its board meetings in Savannah and attending battle reenactments staged on the anniversary of the Battle of Savannah in early October as well as sponsoring several plaques among those placed on the battlefield to honor individuals who fought along with General Pulaski.
Cyprian Kamil Norwid at Harpers Ferry Museum
The John Brown-Cyprian Norwid Memorial in the John Brown Museum at the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia was a project of the American Council for Polish Culture which was spearheaded by members of the Polish American Arts Association of Washington, DC.
The dedication of the Memorial, including the unveiling of sculptor Gordon Kray’s plaque, designed to conform to the 19th century ambience of the Museum, took place at Harpers Ferry National Historic Park on October 20, 1990. In addition to welcoming remarks by Alfred Bochenek, the dedication ceremony featured presentations by ACPC President Kaya Ploss; Donald Campbell, Superintendent of the Harpers Ferry National Park; John Johnson, assistant to the Executive Director of the NAACP; and Kazimierz Dziewanowski, Ambassador to the United States from the Republic of Poland.
Cyprian Kamil Norwid was a 19th-century Polish poet, dramatist, painter, and sculptor whose stature as a humanitarian and freedom fighter was not fully understood or appreciated until decades after he died in 1883.
Norwid was the scion of impoverished Polish nobility born into partitioned Poland whose search for artistic success took him to numerous European cultural centers. During this odyssey, Norwid lived briefly in New York City, where he became familiar with the divisive issue of slavery, an institution that he related to the plight of his own subjugated country. In 1859, when John Brown was arrested and eventually hanged for his attack on federal property in Harpers Ferry, Norwid wrote two poems commemorating the abolitionist: “Do Obywatela Johna Browna” (“To Citizen John Brown”), and a second entitled simply “John Brown.”
In 1989, Alfred Bochenek, a former president of the PAAA, serving as Chairman of the ACPC Cyprian Norwid Memorial Committee, led a campaign to convince the National Park Service to establish a John Brown-Cyprian Norwid Memorial at the John Brown Museum. The centerpiece for the memorial was a stunning bronze plaque featuring the portraits of Brown and Norwid designed and executed by Washington sculptor Gordon Kray.
Jamestown Historic Marker
The ACPC led an initiative for the placement of a historic marker at the Jamestown Visitor Center, in Jamestown, Virginia, which informs thousands of annual visitors to this historic site of the first permanent English settlement in North America, of the important contribution made by Polish craftsmen and artisans to early American history in 1608. The Marker reads as Follows:
Skilled craftsmen of Polish origin recruited by the Virginia Company began arriving in Jamestown aboard the Mary and Margaret about 1 Oct. 1608. Poles contributed to the development of a glass factory and the production of potash, naval stores, and wood products. Soon samples of their work were shipped back to England. The workers were so highly prized that they were assigned apprentices so that their skill “shall not dye with them.” Capt. John Smith praised their work ethic in his writings. Court records indicate that as a result of a labor dispute, Poles were granted full voting rights on 21 July 1619.
The dedication ceremony took place on July 18, 2012, during the ACPC’s annual convention. Debbie Majka, president of the ACPC at the time, presided over an event that included many notable dignitaries.
Piotr Konowrocki, Consul General of the Republic of Poland brought greetings and good wishes from the Polish government and diplomatic corps on that significant occasion. A photo from the dedication, right.
Polish Perspectives Exhibit at the National Council for the Social Studies
Founded in 1921, the National Council for the Social Studies is the largest professional association in the country devoted solely to social studies education. The ACPC has been affiliated with the NCSS since 2000. NCSS conferences stand as the singular event in America dedicated to providing history, social studies, geography, US and world history, and civics resources to educators. Conferences regularly draw a few thousand educators and over 200 exhibitors.
Every year the National Conference for the Social Studies (NCSS), holds a convention for geography, history, government/civics, and economics teachers. The 104th conference recently took place in Boston. ACPC has been sponsoring a booth for many years to promote and share Polish history, culture, and customs under the theme: Polish Perspectives.
Every year the National Conference for the Social Studies (NCSS), holds a convention for geography, history, government/civics, and economics teachers. The 104th conference recently took place in Boston. ACPC has been sponsoring a booth for many years to promote and share Polish history, culture, and customs under the theme: Polish Perspectives.
ACPC Member representatives working the booth included: Tom Payne from the Polish American Arts Association of Washington, Honorary Consul Debbie Majka from the Polish Heritage Society of Philadelphia, and Lilia Kieltyka from the Polish Cultural Club of Greater Hartford. The local host was Mark Szpak, president of the Polish Cultural Foundation of Boston. They were joined by a re-enactor portraying General Casimir Pułaski. The Polish Perspectives booth offered educational items, books, and posters about Poland and Polish Americans. Many carried away information to share with their students.
“I didn’t know that!” was a comment often heard. Some visitors took an opportunity to sample Polish cookies and candy. Others shared positive stories of their visits to Poland. Many stopped to have their photo taken with General Pułaski who never tired of talking about his involvement in the American Revolution. More than 300 colorful booklets of his biography were distributed.
We will be at next year’s convention in Washington and would love to have booth assistance from other ACPC member organizations.
Here you can find free Polish Perspectives educational materials for teachers
Polish Posters Project
In 1996, the ACPC initiated an exhibit of (15) Polish posters from collections owned by Iga Majewska-Trzcinski and Peter Obst. The posters were framed and made available to be shipped to ACPC member organizations and other groups.
Interest in posters produced by Polish artists has grown tremendously. Indeed, they have become highly prized by collectors in the United States, and around the world. Spanning the range from the humorous and clever, to the grotesque and shocking, these works impress even the casual viewer with their uncanny ability to present an idea in a dramatic way.
For almost 100 years the wall poster had been a common way of relaying information. But in Poland it attracted the interest of serious artists who, following in the footsteps of Toulouse-Lautrec, gave it a depth then unseen in the graphic arts. After World War II the medium was pressed into the service of the new socialist state, but artists soon discovered that they could use it to convey veiled protest and views out of line with official policy.
The Poster Exhibit has been presented at many places in the United States. The Exhibit continues to be available for use by member organizations. Please contact Peter Obst at peterpjo@aol.com for more information. A new set of posters is in the process of being created.
American Center of Polish Culture, Washington, DC
The ACPC purchased a building and founded the American Center of Polish Culture in Washington, DC. It was dedicated in 1992 and operated under the name Polish National Center until 2010. Since then, it has been the home of the Kościuszko Foundation’s Washington Office, which hosts many Polish cultural events throughout the year.
Computer Community Center
In 1992 the ACPC established a model Computer Community Center in Siedlce, Poland, the first community computer center in Eastern Europe. Siedlce was in an economically depressed region of Poland at the time. The ACPC raised $50,000 to equip the Center. The Center continues to function today.
The city of approximately 77,000, founded in the 10th century, is located in eastern Poland and is a part of the historical province of Lesser Poland.
