Poland as Guest of Honor
at BookExpo America (BEA) 2016
CHICAGO (McCormick Place), MAY 11-13, 2016

The prominent showcase of Polish book industry at BEA (the largest book fair in North America) was a great celebration of Polish writers and publishers.  In addition to educational sessions and exhibits held as part of the BEA,  the Polish Book Institute and the Polish Cultural Institute New York hosted a series of meetings "Books from Poland" with some of the most interesting Polish writers and literary artists as well as prominent members of the Chicago literary community.

The series opened on May 10, 2016 with the "Discovering Poland" event including the presentation ceremony of 2016 Found in Translation Award going this year to Bill Johnston for his translation of Twelve Stations, an epic, book-length poem by Polish contemporary poet and translator, Tomasz Różycki.

Click here for the FULL SCHEDULE of the "Books from Poland" events that took place at various Chicago venues on May 10-14, 2016.

The largest US-based publisher of books on Polish themes, Aquila Polonica Publishing, also organized a series of adjunct events and prepared for the occasion an invaluable CATALOGUE OF BOOKS ABOUT POLAND published recently in English.

The "Outstanding Pole" award
for the PHC member

Professor Wacław Szybalski, the honorary member of the Polish Heritage Club of Wisconsin-Madison, has received the "Outstanding Pole" (Wybitny Polak) statuette after winning the title in 2012. The award ceremony took place on May 4, 2016 during reception commemorating the Constitution of May 3, 1791  and held in the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York City.

As it became already an ingrained patriotic tradition, prof. Szybalski stressed in his letter read on the occasion that he accepts the award in honor of the royal, capital, Polish city of Lwów where he was born and spent his formative years (click here to read the letter).

During the same ceremony, the commemorative statuettes received also the 2016 winners of the "Outstanding Pole" title in the New York region. In this and other regions, the title is awarded annually in five categories: Science, Culture, Business, Personality and the "Young Pole."

The “Outstanding Pole” Competition has been established in 2010 by the Polish Promotional Emblem Foundation “Poland Now” (Fundacja Polskiego Godła Promocyjnego "Teraz Polska "). to recognize, promote and popularize the achievements and successes of Poles at home and abroad.

The international edition of the contest started in 2011 to include also Poles living beyond Poland's boundaries (about 1/4 of all Poles) and all people cultivating Polish heritage. Currently, the competition takes place in the USA, UK, Austria, France, Holland and Norway. But as its popularity grows, new regions join the contest.

In the United States, the competition has expanded last year from the New York and Chicago regions to the West Coast. The contest's organizer is Pangea Network USA an organization aiming to help young professionals develop business acumen through power networking.

April Music News

GARRICK OHLSSON IN MADISON

Grammy-winning, classical pianist Garrick Ohlsson will solo in the Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO) concerts on April 1, 2 and 3 (see the PHC calendar entries for hours and location). He will perform Brahm's concerto but Ohlsson's return to Madison is a great opportunity to remind his extraordinary ties with Polish music.

Ohlsson's career of internationally renowned performer took off literally overnight when in 1970, he became the first American to win first price in the International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition (Międzynarodowy Konkurs Pianistyczny im. Fryderyka Chopina). What made this feat possible was the young Garrick's astonishingly spirited performance - but also the immense prestige of the competition itself.

►read the entire feature and listen to the music

Mad-PolKA Productions with the support of The Polish Heritage Club-Madison and Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago presents:

Auguścik and Bester Duo:

Concert of Eastern-European accordion world music

from the PHC flyer: "Grażyna and Jarek perform Polish folk songs and F. Chopin's tunes based on traditional Polish music from the collection of 19th century Polish ethno-musicologist Oskar Kolberg, a "Polish Alan Lomax".

His works inspired them to create their latest musical collaboration, this time outside of their respective jazz and klezmer musical idioms. Their arrangements evoke the soul of Polish music while paying tribute to the classical music sensitivities of both musicians."

WHEN:  April 17, 2014     6pm   

 WHERE:  The Brink Lounge  

see calendar entry for details

 Special International Exposure of

POLISH CONTEMPORARY FOLK MUSIC

Two recent issues of the UK-based magazine SONGLINES include reviews and CDs recorded by Polish contemporary folk groups:

 - the March 2016 issue contains CD with mostly live recordings of the winners place of the "New Tradition Festival" competition taking place in Warsaw every May;

- the April 2016 issue featured CD entitled "Silesian Roots" as it features diverse musical styles from Silesia, a region in south-western Poland.

 Check the Mad-POLKA Productions release for more information

UPCOMING POLISH HOLIDAYS

May 2: FLAG DAY
(Dzień Flagi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej)
(established on February 20, 2004)

May 2: DAY of POLONIA and POLES ABROAD
(Dzień Polonii i Polaków za Granicą)
(established on March 20, 2002)

May 3: CONSTITUTION DAY (Święto Narodowe Trzeciego Maja)
(restored as an official holiday in April 1990)

Join the PHC Book Club discussing the CONSTITUTION of MAY 3, 1971

The 225 Anniversary of the

Constitution of May 3, 1971

(Konstytucja 3 maja)

 As a major triumph of the enlightened and patriotic Polish citizenry, the Constitution of May 3, 1791 was the first modern constitution in Europe (preceding the French Constitution of September 1791) and the second oldest in the world (following the United States Constitution created on September 17, 1787). But in comparison to the American and French constitutions - linked respectively to the American Revolutionary War and French Revolution - the Polish constitution was forged in critical but bloodless circumstances (no major wars within two prior decades ).

The Constitution of May 3rd was designed to avert the looming demise of the country sinking into political chaos and suffering territorial losses to its neighbors. The state was then called the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth uniting the Crown Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under a common ruler and a single legislative body (called sejm) equipped with strong powers to elect and limit the  monarch's governance. This unique political system was called the Golden Liberty or the "Nobles' Democracy" since the extensively privileged nobility (called szlachta) had a firm grip on the legislature.

click here to read the entire article
and the Book Club Meeting info

Passing of the May 3 Constitution was the main achievement of the Great Sejm that convened in 1788 and remained in session for 4 years. As a victory for the reformists striving to rectify the laws that brought the country to the brink of anarchy, the act abolished the disastrous liberum veto, restored the majority vote, changed the monarchy from elective to hereditary and established clear separation between the three branches of the government. In terms of social reforms, it failed to abolish serfdom but granted peasants legal protection under the national law. The act also reduced some inequalities between nobility and townspeople.

The "Constitution of May 3, 1791" painting by Jan Matejko (1838-1893) shows the last Polish King Stanislaus Augustus (Stanisław II August Poniatowski) with members of the Great Sejm and enthusiastically supportive inhabitants of Warsaw entering the St John's Cathedral to swear in the newly adopted Polish Constitution.  Originally displayed in Krakow's Sukiennice, the paining was on display in Lwów (1892-1920) and Kraków (1920-1939).  After surviving the WWII hidden bu the Polish Resistance, the painting was moved to the National Museum in Warsaw.  Since 1984, the painting is on display in the Warsaw's  Royal Castle (visible in the background), where the Great Sejm adopted the Constitution. Click on the picture to see annotations

 April Music @ Movies

Chopin Connections: Garrick Ohlsson

. Mad-PolKA Productions with the support of The Polish Heritage Club-Madison
 and Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago presents:

Auguścik and Bester Duo:

Concert of Eastern-European accordion world music

from the PHC flyer: "Grażyna and Jarek perform Polish folk songs and F. Chopin's tunes based on traditional Polish music from the collection of 19th century Polish ethno-musicologist Oskar Kolberg, a "Polish Alan Lomax". His works inspired them to create their latest musical collaboration, this time outside of their respective jazz and klezmer musical idioms. Their arrangements evoke the soul of Polish music while paying tribute to the classical music sensitivities of both musicians."

WHEN: April 17, 2016 5pm   

WHERE: The Brink Lounge  

see calendar for details

. POLISH CONTEMPORARY FOLK MUSIC

Two recent issues of the UK-based magazine SONGLINES include reviews and CDs recorded by Polish contemporary folk groups:

 - the March 2016 issue (#115) contains CD with mostly live recordings of the winners of the "New Tradition Festival" competition taking place in Warsaw every May;

- the April 2016 issue (#116) includes CD "Silesian Roots" featuring various musicians from Silesia (a region in south-western Poland) playing diverse musical styles.

 Check the Mad-POLKA Productions release for more information 

.18th Annual Wisconsin Film Festival (April 14-21 2016) presents

COSMOS by Andrzej Żuławski

From festival notes: "The highly anticipated first film from Andrzej Żuławski (Possession) in fifteen years sadly became the last when the Polish maverick died in February at 75. Fortunately, Cosmos is as crazed and audacious a final salvo as one could hope for, proving the iconoclast auteur retained his edge to the last. No one else made movies as charged and uncompromised as this, and one can easily perceive the fifteen years’ worth of ideas, energy, and sheer filmmaking brio Żuławski poured into this cinematic maelstrom. An adaption of the famously “unadaptable” modernist novel by Witold Gombrowicz..."

"Locarno Interview: Andrzej Żuławski " after winning the Best Director award in Locarno 2015"
The 5 Best Andrzej Zulawski Films " written upon his passing on February 17, 2016
"Cosmos"review in The Holywood Reporter   and Variety (the name of Gombrowicz misspelled)

Detailed information about two screanings in our calendar:
April 15 11:15am UW Cinematheque at Vilas Communications Hall
April 19 8:30pm Sundance Cinema 5 at Hilldale Shopping Center