Posts Tagged ‘Chicago’

I am just recovering – in time to write this article – from the 18th  National Convention of the Polish American Priests’ Association which was held here in Cleveland for first time from April 16th  -20th , 2007. We had 78 priests, one cardinal, and eight bishops in attendance gathering from around the country and from Poland and Rome, as well.

Each year, one of the Chapters which make-up our national organization host the convention. This gives our members a chance to visit the various centers of Polonia across the country. A schedule of events which includes time for convention business, visits to various sites of interest, and presentations on pertinent topics is arranged by the host chapter to help our time together not only be an enjoyable gathering, but also worthwhile and enriching one, too.
This year’s convention began on Monday evening at our convention venue, the Marriott Hotel at the Key Center in downtown Cleveland, where our opening dinner was held. Bp. Robert Carlson of Saginaw, Michigan, powerfully addressed our membership on the important theme of cultivating a culture of vocations in our communities today as has been so successfully done by Polonia in the past. No one was left unmoved by his simple yet powerful words.

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In Chicago’s Grant Park, work began in November on the installation of an interesting project named “Agora” (from the Greek, “a place of meeting”) by our own Magdalena Abakanowicz. This seems a good time, then, to introduce the artist with a few words here.

Abakanowicz (born June 20, 1930) is one of the most well-known Polish artists throughout the world. For many years, she was one of the main „exports” of Polish culture, representing the country officially on the world stage; she was one of the most often cited artists in promotional materials for Polish art.

Abakanowicz specializes in creating large, figurative, spacial compositions using fabric, stone, wood, and bronze; her compositions have become known as „abakans” from her name. She is a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznań, where she taught classes from 1965 to 1990. Silhouettes of human figures standing in a certain order are a frequent feature of her work. One example is „Nierozpoznani” (The Unrecognized), permanently installed at the Citadel in Poznań. The Chicago Project “Agora” is similar.
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