spring 2007 newsletter

Prime Focus: Art in Poland Upcoming Events for the Spring Spotlight on: Easter and its special Polish traditions Must-see modern art museums Spring 2007 Polish National Tourist Office 5 Marine View Plaza Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 201-420-9910 Fax: 201-584-9153 E-Mail: pntonyc@polandtour.org Prime Focus Focus: Art in Poland Aside from fine art and architecture, Poland is also home to spectacular performing arts, such as ballet, opera and theater. Summer is a good time to enjoy folklore festivals and traditional dances. Fall/Winter is known as the season for opera, but there are also various performances in the Spring and Summer in the form of festivals. Perhaps the most notable form of art in Poland is music. Again the range is immense, from rock and jazz to classical and it happens all year around. There is a myriad of open-air rock concerts in the spring and summer as well as jazz in cozy bars and restaurants at any time of the year. Classical music is especially valued with the Beethoven Easter Music Festival and, naturally, with Fryderyk Chopin whose legacy in Poland is treasured as one of the most talented and ingenious composers of the Romantic period. Although Poland is rich in its history, urban life and natural beauty, it is also immersed in many types of art. In fact, Poland is not only limited to classical art but also has many collections of contemporary art in national museums and private galleries. Not only do the national museums have entire exhbitions dedicated to modern art but they also contain ancient and classical art such as works of Jan Matejko, one of Poland’s most renowned painters of the 19th century who is famous for depicting political and military events. Some of his work is also in the Royal Castle in Warsaw, which among other castles in Poland is a work of art in itself. Upon visiting castles and palaces it is important to take note of how breathtaking their medieval, gothic or baroque architecture is. Once again, however, Poland’s architecture is not limited to these classical styles. For instance, one may travel north to the town of Sopot, located right on the Baltic Sea, to admire the Crooked House, designed by Szotynscy Zaleski and the most photographed building in the entire country. q Upcoming Events for Spring 2007 10 10th th Annual Beethoven Easter Music Festival Warsaw, March 25th-April 6th One of the top musical festivals in Poland with performances by outstanding European and international soloists and orchestras. Organizer: Stowarzyszenie im. Ludwiga van Beethovena ul. Długa 19/4 31-147 Krakow tel.:+48-12 423 15 17 fax:+48-12 423 15 17 mail:andrzej@beethoven.org.pl www:www.beethoven.org.pl World Press Photo The Polish premiere of the international world press photo exhibition held three weeks after the presentations of prizewinners organized in Amsterdam. Poznan, April 27th-May 4th Organizer:Centrum Kultury Zamek 61-809 Poznań ul. Św. Marcin 80/82 tel.:+48-61 646 52 00 fax:+48-61 646 53 08 mail:sekretariat@zamek.poznan.pl www:www.fotografiaprasowa.pl www.zamek.poznan.pl Jazz Era – Festival Edition Warsaw, Poznan, Krakow, Wroclaw April 24th Performances by leading international jazz artists. Organizer: Era Jazzu/Dionizy Piątkowski ul. Strzelecka 37 62-050 Mosina tel.:+48-61 813 25 66 fax:+48-61 813 25 66 mail:erajazzu@jazz.pl www:www.jazz.pl Misteria Paschalia Festival Presentation of organ music associated with Holy Week and Easter. Passion Play of the Suffering of our Lord – an outdoor performance on Holy Saturday, plus performances by great virtuosos. Krakow, April 5th-9th Organizer: Krakowskie Biuro Festiwalowe ul. św. KrzyŜa 1 31-028 Kraków tel.:+48-12 424 96 50 fax:+48-12 424 96 52 mail:poczta@biurofestiwalowe.pl www:www.biurofestiwalowe.pl In Poland, Easter is one of the most significant and lasting traditions. The celebrations begin on Palm Sunday and last a week through the Monday after Easter Sunday. On Palm Sunday people take palms or pussywillows to have them blessed during mass at church. Good Friday marks the day of Jesus Christ’s death and it is also when, traditionally, people abstain from eating meat. On the next day, Holy Saturday, Polish people attend church to have their Easter food blessed. Easter Traditions The blessing of the food is one of the best-known Polish customs. Before going to church, everyone prepares a basket that contains traditional food to be blessed that has a symbolic meaning. These foods include: eggs, which symbolize life; bread, which pertains to Christ; salt, which stands for preservation and cleansing; and finally, ham, which is a symbol of happiness and surplus. However, these are only the basics. There are many other foods that can be included such as sweets, cheese, horseradish, oil and vinegar, butter etc. In fact, among a few decorations, a block of sugar carved into the shape of a lamb is placed with the food. The other decorations include greenery, a linen cover and hand crafted eggs (shown above). Before attending mass, Easter Sunday begins with an elaborate breakfast. The table is set with a white tablecloth and the meal begins with sharing the blessed eggs. Sharing the blessed food goes hand in hand with wishing each other health and happiness for the rest of the year. The holiday continues through the next day, which is known as “Wet Monday.” The Easter holidays end on Monday with a day of fun that is celebrated by pranks and everyone splashing water on each other. www.polandtour.org Center for Contemporary Art The Museum presents modern art exhibitions, films, theater and musical performances. The Center for Contemporary Art, Ujazdowski Castle Al.Ujazdowskie 6 Warsaw, Poland 00-461 tel: (+48 22) 628 12 71-3 fax: (+48 22) 628 95 50 mail: csw@csw.art.pl www: www.csw.art.pl Zachęta National Gallery of Art The Gallery is the oldest art exhibition spot in Warsaw and has frequent exhibitions of contemporary art, such as Polish painting of the 21st century. Zachęta National Gallery of Art Pl. Malachowskiego 3 Warszawa 00-916 tel. (+48 22) 827 58 54 fax (+48 22) 827 78 86 mail: office@zacheta.art.pl www: www.zacheta.art.pl The Lodz Museum of Art The museum was founded in 1929 by a group of Polish artists. It contains an international collection of modern, avant-garde art. Museum of Art in Lodz Ul. Więckowski 36 Lodz 90-734 tel. (+48 42) 633 97 90 fax (+48 42) 632 99 41 mail: muzeum@muzeumsztuki.lodz.pl www: www.muzeumsztuki.lodz.pl The National Museum in Wroclaw The museum has one of the largest modern art exhibitions in all of Poland. It has an ongoing collection of artists who had a profound impact in the 20th century. Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 5 Wrocław 50-153 tel. (+48 71) 343-56-43 fax (+48 71) 372-51-59 mail: muzeumnarodowe@wr.onet.pl www: www.mn.wroclaw.pl The Gallery of Polish Art in the 20th Century The Gallery contains works of painting, drawings, prints and sculpture spanning from 1890 to 2005. The exhibitions are centered on Krakow’s role in contemporary intellectual life. The National Museum in Krakow Al. 3 Maja 1 Krakow 30-062 tel. (+48 12) 295 56 00 fax (+48 12) 295 55 55 mail: dyrekcja@muz-nar.krakow.pl www: www.muzeum.krakow.pl National Museum in Gdansk— Modern Art Division The Modern Art Division has the most impressive collection of postwwa Polish art. The exhibitions feature everything from painting to sculpture to theater. National Museum in Gdansk Modern Art Division at The Abbots' Palace in Gdansk-Oliwa Ul. Cystersow 18 Gdansk-Oliwa 80-330 tel. (+48 58) 552 12 71-75 fax (+48 58) 552 46 37 mail: osw@muzeum.narodowe.gda.pl www: www.muzeum.narodowe.gda.pl Must Must-See Museums